STOCKTON, California, October 11. THE California women's swimming team opened its 2008-09 season with a 147.5-103.5 victory over the Pacific Tigers in dual meet competition on Saturday afternoon.
In the first event of the meet (200-yard medley relay), Cal's foursome of Lauren Rogers, Alexandra Ellis, Hannah Wilson and Madison Kennedy earned 11 points with a first place finish time of 1:45.58. The Golden Bears' other foursome of Erica Dagg, freshmen Kirstyn Colonias and Ursula Dailey and Dana Vollmer clocked a second place time of 1:48.47, good enough for four points.
Blake Hayter (10:11.27), freshman Shelley Harper (10:11.67) and Sara Sun (10:21.50) finished 1-2-3 respectively in 1000-yard freestyle for a combined 16 points.
Another 1-2-3 finish ensued in the 200-yard freestyle, with Lauren Boyle garnering a first place finish of 1:52.58, followed by Rogers (1:55.36) and Dagg (1:56.24).
Ellis tallied nine more points for Cal with a first place time of 1:06.81 in the 100-yard breaststroke. Ellie Monobe (1:07.16) and Colonias (1:08.92) finished second and third respectively.
Kelsey Hoff was able to touch the wall first in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:07.19, followed by second place finisher Courtney Eronemo (2:07.20) and Hannah Wilson in third place (2:07.79).
2008 Olympic silver medalist Sara Isakovic placed second (23.96) behind first place finisher, Vollmer (23.80) in the 50-yard freestyle.
Wilson furthered Cal's success in the freestyle events with the top finish in the 100 at 51.97.
Harper captured her first first-place finish as a Bear in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:00.24. Sun followed in second with a 5:05.17.
Cal returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 18 vs. Texas in its home opener at Spieker Aquatics Complex beginning at Noon.
Special thanks to California for contributing this report.