Texas took care of business by a slim margin against California with a 152-148 win.
Texas Press Release
BERKELEY, Calif. – No. 4 Texas (7-0), behind another workmanlike performance from throughout its roster, posted its third win over a top-10 opponent this season and knocked off No. 9 California (2-1) by a 152-148 count Friday evening at the Golden Bears’ Spieker Aquatics Complex.
Texas opened the meet by defeating a Cal 200 medley relay group that featured an Olympian on each stroke. UT sent out seniors Tasija Karosas and Madisyn Cox plus sophomore Remedy Rule and junior Rebecca Millard and took the meet-opening win at 1 minute, 38.95 seconds. It marked the Horns’ fifth 200-yard medley relay win in as many meets this season.
Sophomore Joanna Evans, a Rio Olympian from The Bahamas, gave UT its second straight win with a victory in the 1,000 freestyle at 9:50.33. Cox returned for the 200 freestyle and defeated U.S. Olympians Abbey Weitzeil and Kathleen Baker in 1:45.10. The swim was a season best for Cox, who ranks fourth nationally in the event early on this season.
Texas sophomore Olivia Anderson posted another win for the Horns in the 100 breaststroke and was victorious at 1:01.42. Senior Jordan Surhoff took third at 1:03.44 while sophomore Brooke Hansen placed fourth at 1:03.72.
Millard registered a win over Egyptian Olympian Farida Osman in the 100 freestyle in 49.05 before Cox posted her second individual win in the 200 breaststroke at 2:11.36. Anderson followed in second at 2:13.91.
Evans finished off a sweep of the middle distance and distance events with her victory in the 500 freestyle at 4:47.47. Sophomore Meghan O’Brien led a one-two Texas showing in the three-meter diving event with 362.93 points. Freshman Alison Gibson added a second-place total of 321.15 points. Earlier in the meet, Gibson notched a second-place showing on one-meter while O’Brien and sophomore Sofia Rauzi placed third and fourth, respectively.
Cox put away her third consecutive win and captured the 200 IM by well over two seconds in 1:56.14. California wrapped the meet with a victory in the 400 freestyle relay, but it wasn’t enough, as Texas needed only a second-place finish to secure the meet win.
The unbeaten Longhorns take on a formidable test Saturday afternoon when they meet No. 1 Stanford at the Cardinal’s Avery Aquatics Center.
California Press Release
BERKELEY – California and Texas staged a back-and-forth battle during their dual meet Friday afternoon at Spieker Aquatics Center, but the Longhorns prevailed in the end, 152-148.
Overall, the Golden Bears set one school record and two pool records, with four of their race-winning times ranking as the fastest in the country so far this season.
"We knew coming in that it was going to be a dogfight to say the least," assistant coach Ian Walsh said. "The women swam their hearts out and we saw some great things happen. As we say day in and day out, it's about progressing and championships aren't on the line in November, so I think we're taking a step in the right direction."
The meet came down to the final event – the 400-yard free relay – with Cal needing to sweep the top two spots to force a tie. The foursome of Amy Bilquist, Maddie Murphy, Abbey Weitzeil and Farida Osman came through to win in 3:15.82, which established a pool and Cal dual meet record with the nation's fastest time of the year. Texas, though, took second with the Bears' other relay in third. As a result, the Longhorns emerged with the four-point victory.
Bilquist claimed both backstroke events, taking the 100 back in 51.93 and the 200 back in 1:53.24. Her 100 time ranks second nationally, while her 200 time tops the list.
"I feel really good about both my races," Bilquist said. "In my 100 back, I felt super strong, and in my 200 back, I felt like I could do another 50, which really makes me excited for the rest of the season and where I'm at with my training right now.
"I tried to just go out there and race today and not worry about the times," she added. "The times were like a cherry on top. It's a bummer we didn't win collectively, but I think everyone went out there and fought as hard as they could."
In addition to Bilquist, Weitzeil also set a pool and Cal dual meet record with the fastest time in the NCAA, winning the 50 free in 22.09. The old pool mark was 22.18 by Liv Jensen in 2009.
Noemie Thomas also put her name atop the national time sheet with her time of 51.89 in a victory in the 100 butterfly.
Phoebe Lamay broke her own school record by a point on the 1-meter board when she won the event with a score of 314.18.
Cal's divers are next in action Nov. 17-19 at the Texas Diving Invitational, while the swimmers head to the Georgia Fall Invitational Dec. 2-4.
