Swimcloud

#2 Cal Men Top #7 Stanford

In front of a packed crowd at Spieker Aquatics Complex, the No. 2-ranked Cal men's swimming and diving team upended Stanford, 139-104, Saturday (Feb. 23) to finish the 2012-13 dual meet season undefeated (7-0) and defeat the Bay Area rival Cardinal for the first time since 2005. Senior Tom Shields was again outstanding for the Golden Bears, winning the 200 free (1:34.70) and 100 fly (46.02).

Shields’ mark of 46.02 in the 100 fly was the second fastest time in the nation this year, while his time of 1:34.70 in the 200 free was the nation’s sixth fastest.

"More important than the score, I thought we had several good swims today from a lot of different people, which is important entering into the Pac-12 meet (March 3-5 in Federal Way, Wash.) and then the NCAA championships (March 28-30 in Indianapolis)" said Cal coach David Durden. "Our team is doing a good job of keeping focused, and that is what is really important."

Besides defeating Stanford in a dual meet for the first time since Feb. 19, 2005 (also at Spieker Aquatics Complex), it was also the first time Cal finished its dual meet schedule undefeated since finishing 9-0 in 2005. The Bears are the defending 2011 and 2012 NCAA team champions.

Joining Shields as an individual champions Saturday were sophomore Adam Hinshaw in the 1000 free (9:02.77), junior Shayne Fleming in the 50 free (20.10), freshman Josh Prenot in the 400 IM (3:51.43) and Jeremy Bagshaw in the 500 free (4:24.01). The Bears also captured the meet’s final event, the 200 free relay (1:19.89), behind the swims of Fleming, sophomore Fabio Gimondi, freshman Nick Dillinger and sophomore Seth Stubblefield.

Cal was also bolstered by its diving corps, with freshman Collin Pollard placing second in both the one-meter (351.60) and three-meter board (364.73), and sophomore Thomas Selby finishing third on the one-meter (344.85).



Diver Kristian Ipsen and swimmer David Nolan each shelved a pair of wins for No. 7 Stanford but No. 2 California got the better end of Saturday’s dual meet, 139-104, at the Spieker Aquatics Center.
 
The Cardinal closes the regular season 4-2 overall (2-2 Pac-12 Conference) as Cal bumped its record to 7-0 (4-0 Pac-12) in men’s swimming and diving action.
 
“Racing a great team like Cal always helps you learn things and helps prepare you to be better,” Goldman Family Director of Men’s Swimming Ted Knapp said. “In many ways, we are better now than we were last year and we’re excited to race at the Pac-12 Championships in early March.”
 
Stanford now shifts its attention to the championship portion of the schedule and eyes its 32nd consecutive Pac-12 title March 3-6 in Federal Way, Wash.
 
The cavalry of Nolan, Andrew Saeta, Jack Lane and Aaron Wayne went 1:26.92 to win the 200 medley relay.
 
Wayne later added a win in the 100 free after going 44.01 and Nolan won the 100 back in 47.68. Nolan also went on to capture gold with a 54.05 in the 100 breast.
 
Finishing third in the 1,000 free was Drew Cosgarea (9:17.30). Danny Thomson (9:18.89) was next in line, touching over one second later.
 
Tom Kremer (1:37.24) stroked his way to second in the 200 free. Saeta (20.25) and Sean Duggan (20.65) finished behind a pair of Golden Bears atop the 50 free standings.
 
Matt Thompson’s 3:53.96 was good for second in the 400 individual medley.
 
Ipsen (396.15) finished ahead of a pair of Cal divers to win the 1-meter event. Noah Garcia (339.38), Connor Kuremsky (338.85) and Taylor Shisc (317.18) rounded out the top six.
 
Ipsen would make it a clean sweep with a 492.30 in the 3-meter event. Garcia (348.98) was third and Kuremsky (344.25) was fourth. Ipsen won the event by nearly 130 points, as Cal’s Collin Pollard (364.73) was second.
 
In the 100 fly, Gray Umbach paced Stanford with a third-place finish in 48.00. Bryan Offutt (4:31.78) took third in the 500 free and was followed by three more Cardinal performers.
 
Wayne, Lane, Duggan and Saeta finished the meet with a second-place finish in the 200 free relay (1:19.89). Cal barely touched ahead in 1:19.89.

Comments