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Cal Men Top Hawai'i

Cal sophomore standout Ryan Murphy won two events and seven other Golden Bear individuals won races as the Cal men’s swimming and diving team topped Hawaii, 159-117, Friday in home dual meet win at Spieker Aquatics Complex. David Durden’s squad (2-0), the 2014 NCAA team champions, have now won 17 consecutive dual meets carrying over from the 2011-12 season.
 
Murphy, the 2014 Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year and defending NCAA champion in the 100 and 200 back, won both the 100 back (47.17) and the 100 free (44.64) against the Rainbows. Additionally, Murphy was a member of the Bears’ 200 medley relay that won the meet’s opening event (1:27.82) along with freshman Connor Hoppe, junior Josh Prenot and junior Tyler Messerschmidt.
 
Other individual winners for Cal were Hoppe in the 100 breast (55.53), Prenot in the 200 breast (2:00.42), sophomore Janardan Burns in the 1000 free (9:22.16), junior Trent Williams in the 200 free (1:37.33), sophomore Long Gutierrez in the 200 fly (1:46.93), senior Fabio Gimondi in the 50 free (20.66) and junior Jacob Pebley in the 200 back (1:46.41).
 
The Bears also swam the final four swimming events as exhibitions with freshman Ryan Kao finishing first in the 500 free (4:29.74), freshman Justin Lynch having the fastest time in the 100 fly (48.15) and senior Chuck Katis touching first in the 200 IM (1:50.03). Cal also had the fastest time in the final 400 free relay (3:00.54, Gutierrez, Messerschmidt, Gimondi, senior Henry Chung).
Cal will have one more fall non-conference dual meet – Friday, Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. at Spieker Aquatics versus Wisconsin. The Bears will be competing in a triple-distance exhibition meet at Stanford on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. at Avery Aquatics Complex.

The Bears will again vie for an NCAA crown in 2015 after winning national championships in 2011, 2012 and 2014 under Durden. Besides returning defending national champion (100 and 200 backstroke) Murphy, Cal returns NCAA relay champions Stubblefield, Messerschmidt, and Katis, among several others who have shined during Pac-12 and NCAA championship competition. The Bears also feature a stellar 2014-15 freshman class.

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