California Women’s Swimming Displays Depth in Win Over UCLA

KNOXVILLE, TN - December 5, 2013 - Rachel Bootsma competes in the 4x100 Yard Medley Relay during the USA Swimming AT&T Winter National Championships at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tennessee

Photo Courtesy: Tia Patron/Tennessee Athletics

BERKELEY – Rachel Bootsma, Elizabeth Pelton, Farida Osman and Cierra Runge each won two individual events Saturday afternoon as the California women’s swimming and diving team topped UCLA 184-113 at the Spieker Aquatics Complex.

California Press Release

Third-ranked Cal won 13 of 16 events, including a sweep of the top three places in three different events, on its way to a 184-113 victory over No. 17 UCLA Saturday before a near-capacity crowd at Spieker Aquatics Complex.

The Golden Bears, who defeated USC Friday and Arizona State and Arizona last weekend, have prevailed in four dual meets over the past eight days. Cal now has two weeks off before hosting Stanford in the team’s final meet of the year Feb. 14 beginning at 11 a.m.

“I think we did an awesome job today,” head coach Teri McKeever. “The thing that sticks out the most is just the amazing weather, the band coming, the atmosphere and different women stepping up in different events. We had a tremendous turnout with our alumnae. I think Farida (Osman) was exceptional, and (Rachel) Bootsma is better than she’s ever been during the year. I think our depth is really starting to show through.”

On Saturday, the Bears won the medley relay starting off the competition for the second day in a row, this time in the 200 medley relay after swimming the 400-yard distance vs. USC Friday. The foursome of Bootsma, Marina Garcia, Osman and Kaylin Bing finished in 1:40.84.

The result was the first of four victories on the afternoon for Bootsma. Individually, she prevailed in the 200 butterfly (1:58.23) and the 100 freestyle (50.08). Then, she came back at the end to swim a leg on the first-place 200 free relay to close out the day’s events.

“I am really happy,” a smiling Bootsma said. “Last year, I struggled and Teri, of course, never gave up on me. I realize how much I love swimming still. It’s just fun to work hard and have my teammates be behind me and for me to be behind my teammates. Whatever I can do or whatever race it is, if I can stand up there for my teammates, that’s all I really care about.”

Bootsma’s 200 fly was the first of three events where the Bears went 1-2-3. In the 200, Noemie Thomas took second with Celina Li third. A short time later, Osman won the 50 free in 22.77, just ahead of Bing and Missy Franklin. In the 100 fly, Osman claimed her second event (53.61), followed by Noemie Thomas and Elizabeth Pelton.

In addition to Osman and Bootsma, other double-winners on the afternoon were Cierra Runge in the 500 (4:50.29) and 1000 (9:55.48) free and Pelton in the 100 (53.94) and 200 (1:55.07) back. Franklin cruised to first in the 200 free in 1:46.82, Li posted a comfortable 5-second margin of victory in the 400 IM in 4:17.34, and Garcia won the 200 breast in 2:14.58.

UCLA Press Release

Sophomore Annika Lenz won both diving events on Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Complex, while junior Allison Wine also posted a victory, but the 17th-ranked Bruins fell 184-113 to #3 California in Berkeley.

The Bruins (7-3, 3-3 Pac-12) had the second-best time in the opening race, the 200 Medley Relay, as sophomore Madison White, Wine, senior Noelle Tarazona and sophomore Linnea Mack posted a time of 1:41.48. UCLA earned points in the 2, 3 and 5 positions in the 1000 Freestyle. Junior Katy Campbell was second with a 10:03.18, followed by sophomore Michaela Merlihan (10:06.81) in third and sophomore Hayden Walker (10:29.12) in fifth.

In the 200 Free, senior Monica Dornick had the best showing with a second-place finish of 1:49.09. UCLA recorded the second- and fifth-best marks in the 100 Backstroke. White was second with a 54.61, while junior Katie Kinnear placed fifth with a 56.21.

Wine earned the Bruins’ first win of the meet with a triumph in the 100 Breaststroke in a time of 1:01.78, nearly two seconds better than her closest competitor. Senior Taylor Carlson was fourth (1:04.51), while fellow senior Jessica Khojasteh placed fifth (1:04.53). The best position in the 200 Butterfly was a pair of Bruins dead-heating for fourth, as Tarazona and freshman Katie Grover each had a 2:00.58. Cal (7-1, 6-0) continued its winning in the last race before the first break, the 50 Free, as Mack was fourth (23.32) and Dornick fifth (23.71).

Lenz posted the Bruins’ second victory of the afternoon with a win in the 3-Meter diving event, totaling a six-dive total of 297.45. Freshman Ciara Monahan was third (274.58), while sophomore Danni Repper was seventh (219.90). Lenz would also win the 1-Meter with a 284.63. Monahan totaled a 226.28, while Repper posted a 222.60.

Back in between the lane lines, the Bruins had a 3-4-5 showing in the 100 Free. Dornick swam a 50.72, followed by Mack (51.25) and Grover (51.46). In the 200 Back, White was third with a 1:59.75, while freshman MK Kish placed fifth (2:02.47). UCLA recorded the second, fourth and fifth-best times in the 200 Breast. Khojasteh had a 2:18.03, Carlson was fourth (2:20.53) and sophomore Brigitte Winkler fifth (2:20.73).

UCLA was second and fourth in the 500 Free. Campbell posted a 4:53.49, while Merlihan recorded a career-best for the second straight day with a 4:54.99. The Bruins earned second, third and fourth-place points in the 100 Fly, prior to the second break. Grover had a 55.41, followed by Kinnear (55.81) and Tarazona (55.95).

UCLA also picked up second, third and fourth-place points in the 400 Individual Medley, as junior Arlyn Upshaw had a 4:22.56, followed by Tarazona (4:26.07) and Kish (4:26.32). In the final race, the Bruins earned second- and third-place points in the 200 Free Relay. Mack, Kinnear, Dornick and White had a 1:33.63, while Khojasteh, Carlson and freshman Sarah Kaunitz and Carly Reid posted a 1:36.64.

The Bruins close out the regular season at #14 USC on Friday, Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. The meet will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.

UCLA vs. California Dual Meet – Results

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