BERKELEY - In the moments after his Cal men's swimming team claimed the NCAA title and set an American record in the 200-yard medley relay at the 2015 NCAA Championships, Chuck Katis experienced what all college athletes aspire to achieve – the emotional release earned only by being the best.

“I think it's surreal, because you work so many hours inside and outside of the pool to prepare for that without seeing the results,” Katis said. “To be in that moment with your teammates and the entire team and the stands full of our fans behind us, it feels surreal. It's almost dream-like, I'd say.”

That moment of temporary delirium is one that several Bears felt in 2015 and, for each who ascended to the top of their respective sport, the sensation won't ever dull. Cal teams and athletes claimed nine national titles in 2014-15, and whether it was the Cal women's swimming team earning the title of best in the land, Cal rugby adding to an already tremendous tradition of excellence or the continued brilliance of Cal men's swimming, each had a common thread running through it.

Hard work really does pay off.

Take the triumph of Cal women's swimming at the NCAA Championships in Greensboro, N.C. Missy Franklin won the 200 IM, 200 freestyle and 200 backstroke while Rachel Bootsma added gold in the 100 backstroke. The Bears won three relays, with Franklin, Bootsma, Kaylin Bing, Farida Osman, Marina Garcia, Noemie Thomas, Cierra Runge, Camille Cheng and Elizabeth Pelton all playing their part alongside an entire team that worked together to achieve success.

With such investment from all involved, the emotion of the moment didn't center around individual glory. Instead, the celebration focused on the collective, because without the contributions of an entire team, the result wouldn't have meant nearly as much.

“Being able to celebrate after my race with my teammates made me realize that although I won an individual title, I did not achieve this alone,” Bootsma said. “That moment also helped me realize that although I love to win, the only reason I really am in this sport is because I love swimming and I love each and every one of my teammates and coaches.”

There may be no sport more dependent on teamwork than rugby, and when the 2015 Bears beat Kutztown 17-12 to win the 7s title at the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, they had every opportunity to simply chalk it up as another title added to a trophy case full of them.

But, as the Bears congratulated one another in Philadelphia, they celebrated the historical implications that come with being part of the most successful collegiate rugby program in history. That tradition isn't just a concept for Cal rugby. Instead, it serves as fuel for each team's collective fire.

“Winning a national championship for Cal causes both a sense of relief and joy,” said 2015 co-captain Jake Anderson. “We hold ourselves to a standard where anything short of a championship is a failure, and anything short of 100 percent commitment is unacceptable. When both of those are achieved, we can simply enjoy the moment alongside those with whom we have worked so hard.”

When a national title comes from the teamwork of four people, the emotion is equally strong. Cal men's swimming earned the right to celebrate when Ryan Murphy, Katis, Justin Lynch and Tyler Messerschmidt teamed to not only win the 200 medley relay in Iowa City, Iowa but also best the American record that a Bears team with three of the same members set one year earlier.

By the time the race finished, each member of the relay had his own distinct reaction. Messerschmidt, who swam the anchor leg, shot a fist in the air, a signature move his teammates never tire of seeing. Katis remembers already being in celebration mode even before his teammate touched the wall. Lynch, who was only a freshman, recalls the satisfaction of a group hug between teammates and Murphy admits he was extra excited because of the momentum the win gave the Bears in the overall title chase.

Murphy did his share of celebrating at the meet, earning NCAA Swimmer of the Year honors after also earning repeat wins in the 100 and 200 backstroke to add individual gold to his title haul. In the same way as women's swimming and rugby, he knows the tradition that he's a part of in a program that has won three national team titles and finished runner-up twice in the last five years.

“It's really more fun than anything,” Murphy said of upholding that tradition. “It's fun trying to get all the guys moving in the same direction and working towards that common goal. It's pretty cool to watch that growth that people go through throughout the season leading up to NCAA's and then have it culminate in success.”