Georgia Invitational: Night Two

ATHENS, Georgia, December 3. CAITLIN Leverenz won the 400 IM for the second time in two days as second-ranked California remained in second place on Saturday at the Georgia Fall Invitational Friday at Gabrielsen Natatorium. The Golden Bear junior claimed the 400-yard individual medley in Athens in school-record time, clocking an automatic NCAA qualifying time of 4:00.59. She also captured the 100-yard breaststroke in a school-record and an automatic NCAA qualifying time of 59.20. The Bears remained in second place with 534.5 points behind host and No. 1 Georgia (715 points) and ahead of third-place Auburn (611).

On Dec. 2, Leverenz won the 400-meter IM in the long-course AT&T Winter National Championships in Atlanta.

The Bears opened the Saturday finals by winning the 200-yard medley relay, with sophomore Cindy Tran, sophomore Melissa Bates, senior Colleen Fotsch and senior Liv Jensen posting an NCAA B qualifying time of 1:36.73.

Leverenz won the 400 IM in the next event, which also featured senior Shelley Harper, who placed sixth in an NCAA B qualifying time of 4:11.71.

Cal put three Bears in the championship final of the 100 butterfly, with senior Sara Isakovic posting an NCAA B time of 52.78 in third place, Tran taking sixth place with an NCAA B time of 53.99 and Fotsch placing eighth in an NCAA B time of 54.36. Cal alumna Natalie Coughlin, swimming unattached, clocked the fastest time in the 100-fly prelim (50.87) but sat out the final.

Freshman Catherine Breed notched Cal's best finish in the 200 freestyle, taking fifth place in an NCAA B time of 1:45.14. Isakovic placed seventh in an NCAA B time of 1:45.74 and Jensen finished eighth in an NCAA B time of 1:46.15.

Leverenz next won the 100 breaststroke, with freshman Yvette Kong taking sixth in an NCAA B time of 1:01.03. Coughlin, who did not reach the championship final in the 100 breast, won the consolation final and finished ninth overall with a time of 1:00.29 – the second-fastest time of the night. Current Bear Melissa Bates, a sophomore, placed 11th in an NCAA B time of 1:01.59.

Three current Bears reached the 100-backstroke final, but Coughlin stole the show, winning with a time of 50.45. Tran – the first Bear to win the 100-back NCAA title (in 2011) since Coughlin won in 2004 – took second with an NCAA A time of 52.26. Freshman Melanie Klaren was fourth (53.01, NCAA B) and sophomore Stephanie Au was fifth (53.17, NCAA B).

To close the night, Cal finished second in the 800-free relay to Georgia (7:00.55). Isakovic, Breed, freshman Caroline Piehl and Jensen clocked an automatic NCAA qualifying time of 7:01.44 for the Bears.

The three-day Georgia Fall Invitational ends on Sunday.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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