NO. 6 CAL AT 2016 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS Wednesday, Mar. 16-Saturday, Mar. 19 | Prelims 10 a.m. ET/Finals 6 p.m. ET Venue: McAuley Aquatic Center Location: Atlanta, GA. Broadcast: NCAA.COM, ESPN3, ESPNU

  

The No. 6 Cal women's swimming & diving team begins its quest to repeat as NCAA champions when it travels a contingent of 14 student-athletes to Georgia Tech University this week for the 2016 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships. Not only did the Bears win the 2015 national title with a school-record 513 points, they've captured the NCAA title in four of the past seven seasons. Cal boasts 58 all-time individual NCAA titles.

The championships get started Wednesday with a solitary event - the 800 freestyle relay, which the Bears have won each of the past two seasons. That includes an American record last year. The meet runs through Saturday.

All sessions will be streamed live by NCAA.com, except for final sessions Friday and Saturday, which will air live on ESPN3.

Cal features nine swims that rank in the top-5 in the country this season, including the nation's top time in the 50 freestyle by junior Farida Osman (21.32) and 100 backstroke by freshman Amy Bilquist (50.50). The Bears have 19 top-10 times and all four of their relay teams rank in the top-5 nationally.

 

• BEARS SET HIGH MARKS AT PAC-12S
The Bears put the rest of the nation on notice that they are firmly in the mix to repeat as national champions with several top performances at last month's Pac-12 Championships. Cal had nine swims that are among the top-5 in the nation this season, including top-ranked times by junior Farida Osman in the 50 freestyle (21.32) and freshman Amy Bilquist in the 10 backstroke (50.50). The Bears also clocked the fastest time in the country this season in winning the 200 freestyle relay. Osman also had the nation's second-fastest time in the 100 freestyle (47.20) and 100 butterfly (50.53) while Bilquist added the second-best time in the 200 backstroke (1:49.90). Freshman Kathleen Baker registered the second-fastest time in the 200 individual medley (1:52.80).

• ACKER TAKES TOP ACADEMIC HONOR
Senior Rachael Acker was bestowed a prestigious honor when she was named the 2015-16 Pac-12 Women's Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Acker is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American and two-time Pac-12 All-Academic First Team pick. In the pool, Acker has qualified for this year's NCAA Championships in the 100 and 200 freestyle. She helped the Bears win the 2015 NCAA Championships and swam the lead-off leg of Cal's 800 free relay team that won the 2014 NCAA title. She also had top-10 finishes in the 100 free and 200 free at the 2013 NCAA Championships.

• BEARS KNOW CHAMPIONSHIPS
Cal will be looking for a second straight NCAA Championship this week and fifth in the past eight years. The Bears captured their first team title in 2009 and came back to repeat in 2011 and '12 before winning the crown again in 2015. Cal has finished among the top five in the country 10 years in a row, in the top three the last seven years, and have had 18 consecutive top-10 finishes under head coach Teri McKeever.

• TOPS IN THE COUNTRY
The Bears enter the NCAA Championships featuring 19 swims that rank in the top-10 nationally this season, including top marks by junior Farida Osman in the 50 freestyle (21.32), freshman Amy Bilquist in the 100 backstroke (50.50) and Cal's 200 freestyle relay team of Farida Osman, Rachel Bootsma, Kristen Vredeveld and Bilquist.

The following is a complete list of the Bears' top-10 times this season
• 50-yard freestyle – 1. Farida Osman (21.32)
• 100-yard freestyle – 2. Farida Osman (47.20)
• 100-yard backstroke – 1. Amy Bilquist (50.50). 4. Rachel Bootsma (50.76). 7. Kathleen Baker (51.05).
• 200-yard backstroke – 2. Amy Bilquist (1:49.90). 7. Kathleen Baker (1:50.74)
• 100-yard butterfly – 2. Farida Osman (50.53). 5. Noemie Thomas (51.15)
• 200-yard butterfly – 6. Noemie Thomas (1:53.85). 7. Kelly Naze (1:53.98)
• 200-yard individual medley – 2. Kathleen Baker (1:52.80). 10. Celina Li (1:55.79)
• 400-yard individual medley – 8. Kelly Naze (4:06.56).
• 200-free relay – 1. Cal (Farida Osman, Rachel Bootsma, Kristen Vredeveld, Amy Bilquist) 1:26.77
• 400-free relay – 4. Cal (Amy Bilquist, Kristen Vredeveld, Rachel Bootsma, Farida Osman) 3:11.95
• 800-free relay – 3. Cal (Rachael Acker, Elizabeth Pelton, Kathleen Baker, Amy Bilquist) 6:57.64
• 200-medley relay – 3. Cal (Rachel Bootsma, Noemie Thomas, Marina Garcia, Farida Osman) 1:35.45
• 400-medley relay – 5t. Cal (Rachel Bootsma, Farida Osman, Marina Garcia, Amy Bilquist) 3:30.17

• BAKER PAC-12 SWIMMER OF THE MONTH
Cal freshman Kathleen Baker was named the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month after setting two top-10 national times and winning 10 dual meet events. At the Austin Arena Pro Swim Series, Baker raced the 200 backstroke in a time of 1:52.15 (converted from meters), which at the time was the fifth-best mark in the country. She followed that up with a 51.81 in the 100 back (converted from meters), good for sixth in the nation at the time. Baker won three events during the Bears' dual meet win over Arizona. It was the 13th Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month honor for the Bears, tying for the most by any school since the award's inception.

• BEARS LOOK TO DEFEND NCAA TITLE
The Bears will be aiming to repeat as NCAA champions for the seocnd time since 2011-12 when they take the pool at the McAuley Aquatic Center this week. Cal captured last year's national title with a school record 513 points and tied a program mark with seven event victories. The Bears claimed three relay victories and Rachel Bootsma won the second 100 backstroke championship of her career. Former Cal standout Missy Franklin won three individual events. The Bears have won the NCAA championship four times in the past seven years.

• 7 STRAIGHT YEARS AMONG NCAA TOP 3
With Cal winning the NCAA championship last March, the Bears have now finished among the top three teams in the country seven years in a row. The streak started with the Bears' first national crown in 2009. They followed up with third in 2010, back-to-back titles in 2011 and '12, a runner-up showing in 2013 before last year's result.

• 2012 OLYMPIANS ON CAL ROSTER
Among those listed on the Cal roster this season are three swimmers who competed at the 2012 Olympics in London. Senior Rachel Bootsma earned a gold medal as part of the USA 400-meter medley relay while junior Farida Osman swam for Egypt and sophomore Marina Garcia competed for Spain.

• COUGHLIN NAMED SWIMMER OF CENTURY
Former Cal standout and 12-time Oympic medalist Natalie Coughlin was named the Pac-12 Women's Swimmer of the Century by an extensive panel of voters last month. Despite an incredible roster of competition that features some of the top collegiate and international swimmers ever, Coughlin rose above them all. The Pac-12 is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and is handing out all-century honors in every sports that it sponsors. Coughlin is a three-time Olympian who has won more medals than any woman in U.S. history. While at Cal, she was an 11-time NCAA individual champion and was named NCAA Swimmer of the Year three times. Additionally, former Cal greats Mary T. Meagher, Dana Vollmer and Missy Franklin were named to the all-century team.

• BEARS QUALIFY TWO DIVERS FOR NCAAS
Cal will have two divers participating in this week's NCAA Championships after each qualified at last week's NCAA Zone Championships at Northern Arizona. Senior Anne Kastler qualified in the 3-meter event while freshman Phoebe LaMay qualified in the 1-meter.

• CELINA LI CROWNED AGAIN
Junior Celina Li captured her third consecutive Queen of the Pool crown when she won the annual competition Sept. 29 at Cal Poly. The victor is determined by combining times in five 100-yard races – backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle and individual medley. Li was clocked in 4:47.80, just edging out senior Kelly Naze, who was timed in 4:48.14. Senior Elizabeth Pelton was third in 4:50.69, followed by freshman Amy Bilquist in 4:52.41 and senior Rachel Bootsma in 4:54.37.

• NO SUMMER VACATION
A total of 18 Cal swimmers took to the pool last summer in three major meets – the World Championships in Kazan, Russia; the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea; and the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada. Those on the current roster who earned national spots were: Rachel Bootsma (Worlds, WUG), Celina Li (WUG), Elizabeth Pelton (WUG), Noemie Thomas (Pan Am, Worlds), Kathleen Baker (Worlds), Marina Garcia (Worlds), Katie McLaughlin (Worlds) and Farida Osman (Worlds). The full contingent of Golden Bears collected 30 medals over the three events.