Kaitlyn Dobler Clocks Cal Pool Record, NCAA ‘A’ Cut in 100 Breast with 58.31

Cal vs USC (Friday Women’s Dual)

• Friday, January 29th, 2021
• Spieker Aquatics Complex, Berkely, CA
• SCY (Short Course Yards)
• Results

Team Scores

1. Cal – 110
2. USC -35

The Cal women hosted USC for day one of a two-day women’s dual between the teams this weekend. Cal enters day 2 of the meet with a decisive 75-point lead over USC after today’s races. Records fell as both teams put up season-best performances.

USC freshman Kaitlyn Dobler broke the Spieker pool record in the 100 breast, getting the better of Cal’s Ema Rajic in the race. Dobler clocked a 58.31, chipping .04 seconds off her previous lifetime best of 58.35, which she swam in February of 2020. The swim marks an NCAA ‘A’ cut for Dobler, automatically qualifying her for the NCAA Championships. With that time, Dobler is currently 3rd in the NCAA this season, behind fellow freshman Anna Elendt (Texas – 58.06) and Mona McSharry (Tennessee – 58.28).

Although coming in 2nd, Rajic broke the Cal team record, which she already held, touching in 58.79. Rajic’s personal best and the Cal record was 58.93, which Rajic posted in a non-scoring November dual with Stanford 2 months ago. Rajic was just off the NCAA ‘A’ cut, which stands at 58.60.

Cal went on to post ‘A’ cuts in both relays today. The Bears kicked off the meet with a 3:29.22 in the 400 medley relay, easily clearing the ‘A’ mark of 3:31.66. Isabelle Stadden led the squad off in 52.15, with Rajic splitting a 58.57 on the breaststroke leg, which was faster than her individual swim. Isabel Ivey clocked a 50.49 fly split, and Robin Neumann anchored the Bears in 48.01. Alicia Wilson led off the Cal B relay in 52.42, meaning both she and Stadden were faster than the winning time in the individual 100 back, which was posted by Cal’s Tea Laughlin (54.07). Kaitlyn Dobler posted the fastest breaststroke split in the medley relay with a 58.55.

Cal also capped today’s meet off with a 1:27.78 in the 200 free relay, coming in well under the ‘A’ time of 1:28.43. Both of Cal’s relays today are currently 3rd in the NCAA this season. Eloise Riley led that relay off in 22.50, and was followed by Neumann (22.49), Gantriis (21.37), and Ivey (21.42). Gantriis’ 21.37 split is the fastest we’ve seen her so far in her first season racing in yards. Ivey’s 21.42 split was also considerable, given her flat-start personal best is 22.18.

Isabel Ivey broke the Cal dual meet record in the 200 IM, speeding to a 1:55.54, putting her 7th in the NCAA this season. She used her fly and back speed to get out to a big lead, splitting 24.41 on fly, and 28.29 on back, both of which were the fastest splits in the field. USC’s Isabelle Odgers was 2nd in the race, finishing in 1:57.17, thanks to a field-leading 33.18 breast split.

Sarah DiMeco (Cal) won the 1000 free in 9:44.10, establishing a new personal best. DiMeco came in just under her previous best of 9:44.40, which has stood as her best since December of 2018. The swim marks the 5th-fastest performance in the NCAA this season.

Cal’s Robin Neumann also cracked the NCAA top 10 this season, taking the 100 free in 48.34. The swim makes Neumann the #8 performer this season, while freshman teammate Emily Gantriis was right behind in 48.44, making her the #11 swimmer in the NCAA.

Rachel Klinker led a 1-2 punch for Cal, posting a 1:55.85 in the 200 fly. Teammate Alicia Wilson was right behind Klinker, touching in 1:56.30. The pair raced nearly stroke-for-stroke the whole way through the race, with Klinker turning at the 100 in 55.83, while Wilson was 55.95.

PRESS RELEASE – CAL:

BERKELEY – Cal opened its 2021 dual-meet season against USC Friday at Spieker Aquatics Complex, coming through with a blistering set of times that included a school record, a pool record and multiple marks that rank among the top 10 in the country.

The Bears and Trojans competed in eight swimming races and two diving competitions Friday, and will return to the pool Saturday for nine more races to complete the two-day meet. Through the first day, Cal leads, 110-35, with diving and the second-day results to be added to the totals.

The Bears began and ended the day with NCAA A qualifying relay results, with both finishes ranking as the third-fastest in the country so far this year. The foursome of Isabelle Stadden, Ema Rajic, Isabel Ivey and Robin Neumann completed the 400 medley relay in 3:29.22, while the team of Eloise Riley, Neumann, Emily Gantriis and Ivey closed out the 200 free relay in 1:27.78. The free relay set the Cal dual-meet record and lowered Spieker Aquatics Complex mark by nearly four seconds.

Overall, the Bears won seven of the eight swimming events. However, in the one race they took second, Rajic broke her own school record in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 58.79. USC’s Kaitlyn Dobler won in a pool-record 58.31.

In the 200 individual medley, Ivey took down Caitlyn Leverenz’s 9-year-old dual-meet record with a time of 1:55.54. Her time puts her seventh in the country this year. Sarah DiMeco also moved up to fourth all-time at Cal in the 1000 free with a winning time of 9:44.10 (#5 in the country).

The Bears’ other swimming victories came in the 100 back – Tea Laughlin (54.07), Rachel Klinker (1:55.85) and Neumann (100 free (48.34).

In diving, Briana Thai captured the 1-meter competition with a score of 299.25, and she took fourth on platform at 239.18.

Under current Pac-12 and local public health protocols, no fans are permitted to attend meets in Berkeley. Fans can follow along on the Cal women’s swimming & diving social media accounts on Twitter (@CalWSwim), Facebook (facebook.com/CalWomensSwimmingandDiving) and Instagram (@CalWSwim).

PRESS RELEASE – USC:

USC opened their 2021 dual-meet season against Cal, Friday (Jan. 29) at the Spieker Aquatics Complex, where Freshman Kaitlyn Dobler posted the first NCAA A-cut of the season during a record breaking performance in the 100y breast.

The Bears and Trojans competed in eight swimming races and two diving competitions Friday and will return to the pool Saturday for nine more races to complete the two-day meet. Action continues tomorrow at 9 AM with the women’s competition, followed by the men’s meet at noon.

Freshman Kaitlyn Dobler, who touched in 58.31 to win the 100y breast, also set a Spieker Aquatics Complex pool record, and secured the first Trojan NCAA A-cut of the season. Dobler’s time is the third fastest in the country this season. Isabelle Odgers was third in 1:00.48 and Maggie Aroesty was fifth in 1:03.45.

Trojan newcomer Hallie Kinsey was third in the 200y fly, finishing in 1:58.04. Makenna Turner was fifth in 1:59.39.

Senior Nikola Miljenic won the only event of the day for Troy, taking the 100y free in 43.05. Dom Margarino was third in 45.02, Max Saunders fourth in 45.09, Jan Collazo Torres fifth in 45.22 and Trent Martinez sixth in 45.49.

Sophomore Harry Homans was second in the 200y fly (1:44.09) and third in the 200y IM (1:49.22.) Junior Alexei Sancov touched third in the 200y fly in 1:44.68.

The USC diving program opened their 2021 season against Cal Friday (Jan. 29), winning three out of four total events.

Sophomore George Korovin won both the men’s platform (383.63) and 3-meter (382.50) competition.  Freshman Tatsuya Machida was second on platform with 255.60 and third on 3-meter with 247.50.

On the women’s side, Nike Agunbiade led a Trojan sweep on platform with 291.90. Freshman Farah Volpintesta was second with 244.35 and Savannah Stocker third with 239.70. Alyson Ward was sixth with 191.63. On 1-meter, Agunbiade was second with 298.20, and Stocker was third with 274.50.