Courtesy: Cal Athletics
FRIDAY, OCT. 27
WASHINGTON STATE AT NO. 11 CAL | 2 P.M. PT | SPIEKER AQUATICS COMPLEX | BERKELEY, CALIF.
LIVE RESULTS: MEET MOBILE
BERKELEY – The California women’s swimming & diving team hosts its second and final home dual meet of the fall season Friday afternoon when it takes on Washington State in its Pac-12 opener.
Coming off a dominant dual meet victory over Pittsburgh two weeks ago, the Bears will look to continue to build on a strong fall season against the Cougars.
Cal rolled past Pitt 202-93 on Oct. 14 at Spieker Aquatics Complex, with junior Leah Polonsky leading the way with three individual victories. Graduate transfer Hannah Brunzell made an impact in her Cal dual meet debut with victories in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke while distance specialist Fanni Fabian captured the 500 and 1,000 freestyle events.
POLONSKY POWER: Junior Leah Polonsky made a statement at the end of her sophomore year and has continued that momentum into this season. After winning individual Pac-12 championships in both the 200 and 400 individual medley last spring, Polonsky was a three-time winner during the Bears’ dual meet victory over Pittsburgh, showing her versatility with triumphs in the 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke and 200 IM. That followed up a second-place finish at the season-opening Queen of the Pool at Cal Poly behind teammate Isabelle Stadden.
Polonsky also qualified for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in the 200-meter IM and took 21st. She has scored points in both IMs at the NCAA Championships in each of her first two seasons at Cal.
BRISK BRUNZELL: Fifth-year senior Hannah Brunzell, a transfer from Northwestern, had a successful dual meet debut for the Bears. Brunzell swept the breaststroke races, winning the 100 in a time of 1:01.53 and the 200 with a mark of 2:14.95. Brunzell was a three-time All-American at Northwestern, where she was coached by current Cal assistant coach Kim Williams.
SPEEDY STADDEN: Senior Isabelle Stadden is back for her senior season, looking to build on what has already been a highly accomplished college career. Stadden registered two top-6 finishes at last season’s NCAA Championships after placing third in the 200-yard backstroke and sixth in the 100 back. She was also the Pac-12 runner-up in both of those events, as well as the 200 IM. She also went undefeated during the regular season in both the 100 and 200 back.
Stadden is a two-time Pac-12 champion in the 200 back and an eight-time finalist at the NCAA Championships.
Stadden also won the gold medal in the 100 and 200 back at the 2023 U23 European Championships and registered a pair of top-5 finishes (50 back, 100 back) at last summer’s Phillips 66 National Championships.
MAKING THEIR POINT: The Bears have three other swimmers returning who scored points at last season’s NCAA Championships – Mia Motekaitis in the 200 and 500 free, Rachel Klinker in the 200 fly and Mia Kragh in the 100 fly. Cal placed 11th as a team at nationals.
NEW-LOOK STAFF: The Bears have a new look on deck this season with the addition of Associate Head Coach Josh Huger and assistant coaches Kim Williams and Noah Yanchulis. Huger spent the past four seasons at Tennessee, whose women’s program finished in the top-10 nationally every year he was there. Last year, he helped the Vols’ men’s program to a seventh-place finish – its best in seven years. Huger also helped coach Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks, the 2023 SEC Swimmer of the Year, to the 2023 NCAA championship in the 50 free. Williams was a three-time NCAA champion and six-time All-American as a swimmer at Stanford who spent last season as a volunteer assistant coach at Northwestern. Yanchulis spent the past five years on the coaching staff at Division II Oklahoma Christian and was a two-time Big East Most Outstanding Swimmer as a student-athlete at Seton Hall.
SCHOLARLY SWIMMERS: The Bears have been named a CSCAA Scholar All-America Team for 27 straight semesters. Last season, Cal had 14 student-athletes earn spots on the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team. Student-athletes who earned at least a 3.5 grade point average and participated at their national championship were named to the First Team. Those who had a 3.5 GPA and achieved a “B” time standard for their national championship or participated at a diving zone qualification meet were named to the Second Team.
UP NEXT: The Bears go on the road next week for a dual meet at UC San Diego on Friday, Nov. 3.
