Cal Leads After Day One of Pac-10 Championships

LONG BEACH, California, February 14. THIRD-ranked California took the lead on the first day of the Pac-10 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, after winning the 800-yard freestyle relay for the fourth straight year and taking second in the 200-medley relay on Wednesday at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool.

After two events, Cal has 120 points and top-ranked Stanford, in second place, has 118.

In the 800-free relay, the Cal A quartet of sophomore Dana Vollmer, freshman Lauren Boyle, junior Rachel Ridgeway and senior Erin Reilly swam a school- and meet-record 7:05.59 to win a tight race. Arizona was second (7:06.11) and Stanford was third (7:06.59).

Reilly also swam on Cal's previous three Pac-10 winning 800-free relays.

The Golden Bears beat the school record of 7:07.38 they set when they took fourth place in the 800-free relay at the 2006 NCAA Championships. They broke the Pac-10 Championships record they set when they won the 2004 title in 7:08.13.

"The 800-free relay was really a great race between Cal, Arizona and Stanford," Cal head coach Teri McKeever said. "Dana's lead off 1:43.95 was pretty strong. That might be the fastest time in the country [in the 200 free]. Lauren and Rachel were solid in the middle, and Erin Reilly was a rock star tonight, swimming in both relays.

"There were a handful of people who swam both tonight, but Erin did a good job as far as being on both relays and contributing. I think we were third when she took off, and she went by both Arizona and Stanford to help us win."

Reilly swam on the Golden Bears' second-place 200-medley relay to open the meet. The Cal A foursome of senior Sherry Tsai, sophomore Jessica Hardy, Reilly and junior Emily Silver swam a 1:39.16, an automatic qualifying time for the NCAA Championships, in the 200-medley relay. Stanford won the race with an NCAA A cut of 1:37.71.

Cal swam a faster 200-medley relay against Stanford in a Feb. 3 dual meet, in which the Bears clocked a 1:38.36.

OVERALL TEAM STANDINGS (Thru 2 Events)*

School Points
1. California 120
2. Stanford 118
3T. Oregon State 100
3T. USC 100
5T. UCLA 96
5T. Washington 96
7. Washington 88
8. Arizona 56
9. Arizona State 54

* Scoring does not include diving

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