California junior defender Erin Magill and freshman midfielder Shannon Elmitt each earned NorPac Player of the Week honors on Monday. Magill was named the NorPac West Defensive Player of the Week after collecting a defensive save against Miami last Friday, while Elmitt earned the conference's West Rookie of the Week honors for tallying a goal and an assist against the RedHawks.
These are Magill and Elmitt's first conference honors of the season, and the third in Magill's career.
The Golden Bears (0-1) return to Maxwell Family Field on Friday, Sept. 3, at 2 p.m. against No. 7 Michigan State. The NorPac opener will be Sunday, Sept. 5, at 1 p.m. vs. UC Davis at Maxwell.
Cal freshman midfielder Eric Sassano (right) and Cal volleyball's Erin Freeman (left) participated in the Battle of the Bears competition (and accompanying barbecue) on Aug. 25 at Edwards Stadium. Battle of the Bears was designed by student-athletes as a way for them to get to know athletes from other teams as well as the Cal staff members and coaches who work with them.
California rower Mary Jeghers was recently featured by The Pomerado Newspaper Group on MyLocalNews.com.
Jeghers, who will be a senior for the 2011 season, was spotlighted for helping Team USA win at the Women's Under-23 World Rowing Championships this summer in Brest, Belarus, as part of the women's 8.
Fans can follow Cal sophomore Max Homa and incoming freshmen Ben An during Round of 64 match play action Wednesday at the 110th U.S. Amateur Championship at the Chambers Bay Golf Course.
Cal sophomore Max Homa and incoming freshman Ben An have qualified for match play at the 110th U.S. Amateur Championship being played at Chambers Bay. Homa tied for 24th during 36 holes of stroke play played on Monday and Tuesday with a two-day total of two-over par 145, while An checked in at four-over par 147 to tie for 40th.
This season, California will play five games against opponents ranked in the NSCAA preseason poll - two against Pac-10 opponent and No. 5 UCLA, two against conference rival and No. 13 Stanford and one, the season opener, against No. 20 Indiana. The Golden Bears will open at Indiana in the Sept. 3 adidas/IU Credit Union Classic in Bloomington, Ind., play at Stanford on Oct. 2, host the Bruins on Oct. 17, play at UCLA on Oct. 24 and host the Cardinal in the Nov. 11 regular-season finale.
After the IU tournament, Cal will host its Cal Legacy Classic, with games against Saint Mary's on Sept. 10 and UNLV on Sept. 12, at Edwards Stadium. The complete 2010 schedule is available here.
California will play six teams ranked in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's Division I Preseason Poll that came out Aug. 24: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 6 Wake Forest, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 13 Louisville, No. 17 Indiana and No. 20 Stanford. The Bears received 50 votes in the poll, while fellow NorPac squad Pacific earned four. Three other 2010 opponents (Miami, Ohio, Providence) also received votes in the poll.
In other news, Cal field hockey had its photo day yesterday afternoon. The photos will be available for purchase soon at GoldenBearSports.com.
The season opener is this Friday at 5 p.m. against Miami of Ohio at Maxwell Family Field.
Cal sophomore Max Homa is tied for second place after Monday's first day of action at the 110th U.S. Amateur Championship being played August 23-29 at Chambers Bay Golf Course. Homa is one of nine golfers that finished at three-under par, shooting a 69 at the par-72 Home Course. Homa is one of nine golfers that finished at three-under par, shooting a 69 at the Home Course, which leader Jeff Wilson shot a 62 on to lead by seven strokes. For more information, visit CalBears.com.
The final double day practice of the 2010 Cal football training camp has just begun and appropriately enough one of the tunes blaring out of the speakers during the team's pre-stretching exercises was the Michael Jackson classic "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." The guys seemed to like the song, released in 1979 well before any of them were bored, if a few hoots and hollers during stretching were any indication. It could also be the theme of the training camp, which is now in its 15th day. If you're counting, today's double-day workouts are No. 18 and No. 19.
Former Cal players Brett Johnson (St. Louis Rams), Chet Teofilo (New York Jets) and Worrell Williams (Denver Broncos) have recently signed NFL contracts. Johnson and Teofilo both finished their Cal playing careers following the 2009 season, while Williams wrapped up his collegiate eligibility in 2008. Johnson had been previously been on NFL rosters with Buffalo and Philadelphia earlier this year, while Teofilo was briefly in Dallas. Williams has not been previously on an NFL roster bud did play the 2009 campaign with the San Francisco Redwoods of the United Football League.
Also in recent NFL news involving former Cal players, Devin Bishop (2009) was released by the Denver Broncos.
For a current listing of former Cal players in the NFL, visit ESPN.com
Cal head coach Jeff Tedford and starting tailback Shane Vereen were interviewed after practice by for the Chronicle Live television show on Friday night. The program will air on CSN Bay Area live at 5 p.m. PT, and replay at 11 p.m. Check your <A HREF="http://www.csnbayarea.com/pages/channels_bayarea" TARGET="_blank">CSNBayArea.com</A> or your local listings for specific channels.
Cal starting tailback Shane Vereen participated in full team activities on Friday for the first time during the Golden Bears' 2010 training camp that began on August 7. Vereen had been limited during the club's first 13 days of camp with a tight hamstring but was part of the light contact team sessions Cal conducted Friday.
"It felt good to go out there and finally run around with the rest of the guys," said Vereen. "I'm a little sore but happy to get my feet on the ground. The last couple of weeks have gone by very slow, and I was very anxious the whole time to try to get out there as quickly as possible, but at the same time be smart."
An inspiring story on senior cornerback Darian Hagan and his toddler daughter's battle with cancer last year can be found on the front page of Friday's sports section of the Contra Costa Times. The story was written by Cal football beat writer Jonathan Okanes of the Bay Area News Group.
Lisa Lohre from the California field hockey team was interviewed after
practice this afternoon by Todd McKim for the Cal Sports Report TV
show. Lisa discussed coming to Cal from Germany and her time playing
field hockey in Germany and New Zealand. Stay tuned for more
information when Lisa's feature will air.
Cal hosts Saint
Joseph's this Saturday at 10 a.m. at Maxwell Family Field in their
second exhibition match. The season opener will be Friday, Aug. 27, against
Miami of Ohio at 5 p.m. at Maxwell.
The 2010 Cal men's water polo team has been selected the nation's No. 1 ranked team in the preseason poll, released by the Collegiate Water Polo Association. The Golden Bears are also tabbed to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation as picked by the MPSF coaches. Head coach Kirk Everist was recently interviewed by NCAA.com and that interview can be read by clicking here.
California volleyball senior defensive specialist Meagan Schmitt has started a weekly one-minute vlog (video log) appropriately titled Meagan's Monday Minute in which she will field questions from Cal fans on the Cal Volleyball Facebook page. Check out her introductory entry here.
At the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, Calif., Cal sophomore Caitlin Leverenz qualified for Thursday night's 400-meter individual medley championship final by taking second place in the morning prelim with a time of 4:39.59. Results are available here. Leverenz, the 2010 Pac-10 Newcomer/Freshman of the Year, won the 400 IM at the recent ConocoPhillips National Championships, also held in Irvine, to qualify for the United States' Pan Pacific Championships team.
Cal alumna Natalie Coughlin won the bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke championship final on Wednesday night at the 2010 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships held at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, Calif. The U.S. Olympic star posted a time of 59.70 to take third in the event.
In other action, Cal senior Hannah Wilson clocked a time of 27.01 to take seventh place for Hong Kong in the 50-meter butterfly championship final, while former Bears All-American and New Zealand star Lauren Boyle finished ninth in the 800 freestyle in a time of 8:36.65.
Erstwhile Cal star Dana Vollmer clocked a time of 1:56.47 to win the consolation final of the 200 free. That time would have given her the 200-free silver medal had she reached the championship final. However, only two swimmers from each country qualify for the top race, and Vollmer had posted the third-best U.S. preliminary time.
In the first women's prelims on Thursday, Aug. 19, Vollmer and Coughlin finished 1-2 overall in the 100 free heats, with respective times of 54.01 and 54.09. Wilson finished 16th (55.24), former Cal All-American Madison Kennedy, swimming for the United States, placed 24th (55.67) and Boyle wound up 46th (56.96) in the 100 free heats.
However, with only two swimmers per country advancing to the championship and consolation finals, some swimmers' placements were affected. Wilson actually moved up to seventh place and into the top race on Thursday night. Kennedy was also affected and technically finished 29th after the finalists were determined. Boyle remained 46th.
Cal sophomore Caitlin Leverenz, who will compete in the 400-meter individual medley, is apparently the only other Bear slated to swim in Thursday's morning prelims.
California sophomore swimmer Caitlin Leverenz, a Tucson, Ariz., native, who is currently at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, Calif., is featured in an article in the Wednesday edition of the Arizona Republic newspaper. You can read Jeff Metcalfe's story by clicking here.
The California field hockey team will get an early look at Bay Area and NorPac rival Stanford, as the Golden Bears and Cardinal will play in an exhibition game Monday, Aug. 23, at 11 a.m. on The Farm.
Cal defeated Pacific, 1-0, in its first preseason match last Saturday, and will face Saint Joseph's this Saturday, Aug. 21, at 10 a.m. at Maxwell Family Field.
The 2010 regular season opener is Friday, Aug. 27, against Miami of Ohio at 5 p.m. at Maxwell.
Cal alumna Kelley Cox of GoldenBearSports.com took Cal men's soccer's new photos, including this head shot of Mike Munoz, on Aug. 17 on Goldman Field at Edwards Stadium. The photos are available for purchase at GoldenBearSports.com.
Former California star Dana Vollmer won her heat of the 200-meter freestyle on Wednesday morning at the 2010 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships held in Irvine, Calif.
Lauren Boyle, her former Cal teammate, was listed as swimming in the same 200 free heat on the psych sheet but was apparently a late scratch.
Other morning prelims that will include Bears today include the 100 backstroke with Natalie Coughlin and the 800 free with Boyle.
The family football tree of senior linebacker Keith Browner Jr. was featured in an article written by Cal football beat writer John Crumpacker that was published in the San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday. Visit SFGate.com to read the article.
Former Cal placekicker Ryan Longwell was one of three current Minnesota Vikings players that recently visited Brett Favre in Hattiesburg, Miss., and returned to Minnesota with the quarterback in a private jet. Longwell told ESPN's Rachel Nichols in a text that Favre told him and fellow Vikings teammates Steve Hutchinson and Jared Allen that he would play for the Vikings in 2010.
"We simply went down there to get an answer and after talking for a while, his answer was 'yes,'" Longwell told Nichols in a the message. "He loves the guys in the locker room and is doing it for all of us.
Longwell gave Favre a ride to Vikings headquarters, with his black BMW SUV being followed by three helicopters from local television stations.
The 2010 Cal Football Preview show will debut on Comcast SportsNet California this Friday, Aug. 20, at 10:30 p.m. PT. Hosted by Damon Andrews, the show includes a sit-down interview with head coach Jeff Tedford and a candidate look at quarterback Kevin Riley. Tailback Shane Vereen will take viewers behind the scenes with his Flip Video camcorder to get the scoop on the team's offensive line. The show will also examine Cal's new-look defense headed by former NFL defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast in his first season with the Bears, and anchored by preseason All-American linebacker Mike Mohamed and defensive lineman Cameron Jordan.
After the show's Aug. 20 debut, it will replay on CSN California on Sat., Aug. 21 (12:30 p.m. PT) and Tue., Aug. 24 (7:30 p.m. PT).
The Golden Bears hold the No. 11 ranking in the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll. The Pac-10 has seven teams in the top 20 alone. Defending conference champion Stanford holds the highest ranking at No. 4. Washington checks in at No. 8 with USC not far behind at No. 10. Cal is No. 11, followed by UCLA at No. 16, Arizona at No. 18 and Oregon at No. 20.
The annual US News & World Report annual Best Colleges report is out and the University of California, Berkeley is once again the highest-ranked public university in the country. This is the 27th year that US News has released the extensive rankings of colleges and universities.
The University of California offers 351 degree programs, and 35 of the school's 36 graduate programs are ranked among America's Top 10. Cal's 35 programs among the Top 10 is No. 1 among all universities in the country, as is its 32 "distinguished" programs, as rated by the National Research Council. The library is ranked third in the country, as judged by the Association of Research Libraries with 10 million volumes in 32 campus libraries. The faculty features seven Nobel Laureates, 135 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 28 MacArthur Fellows, 74 Fulbright Scholars, four Pulitzer Prize winners and more Guggenheim Fellows (359) than any other university in America.
Former Cal and current Oakland Raider cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was featured by Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group on Sunday, August 15, about the Raiders moving the All-Pro cornerback around the field more in 2010. Check out the full article.
Senior quarterback Kevin Riley was featured by Cal football beat writer Jonathan Okanes of the Bay Area News Group on Sunday, August 15, about his "contented confidence." Check out the full article or go to the Around The Web section of CalBears.com for more recent features on Cal football.
Fans can visit Memorial Stadium to meet the 2010 Cal football players and coaches during the team's annual Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday, Aug. 28. Gates open at 11:15 a.m. and all fans must enter the stadium through the North Tunnel. The two-hour event will include an autograph session, the opportunity to take photos and interact with players and coaches, free burritos compliments of Rubio's for the first 1,000 fans to arrive, additional food and drinks samples from Rubio's and Odwalla, and the 2010 team poster.
Following Saturday's preseason victory over Pacific, California field hockey head coach Shellie Onstead remarked on how pleased she was with the play of her newcomers, in particular Shannon Elmitt. Onstead said Elmitt proved on Saturday that she is a quality player, and Elmitt stood out to her because she was under pressure a lot with the ball.
To see the complete recap from Saturday's exhibition match, click here
While the Bears begin to wake from a little bit of a nap wherever they can kind find a spot to lay their heads between practices on their first double day of training camp, Memorial Stadium is filled with the joyful sounds of the Cal Marching Band practicing (and yelling and laughing) as they do their own preparations for the 2010 campaign. Football season is almost here. What are you doing to get ready?
Check CalBears.com for a report on both of the football team's workouts today on Saturday evening.
The Bears got an early start on Saturday for their first double day of the 2010 training camp. The wake-up call was well before sunrise and the team in the midst of a practice in full pads that will include extended team sessions. After grabbing lunch (and maybe a moment or two of shuteye), they will be back in meetings and getting tape and treatment for a late afternoon workout. Position meetings follow dinner and then the Bears will finally get a little rest.
Summer school is over and the fall semester has yet to start, but the Dog Days of camp have certainly arrived.
California Field Hockey is inviting girls (elementary through middle school) to be designated ball girls for the 2010 season at Maxwell Family Field. Due to NCAA restrictions, girls that have started high school are not eligible to be a ball girl.
Space is limited so sign up quickly. Please indicate which home games you would be available to attend. Contact Operations Assistant Maria Uriarte at maria_uriarte@berkeley.edu to sign up or for more information.
To view the field hockey schedule, please click here.
California junior Sara Isakovic took ninth place in the 100-meter butterfly semifinals on Thursday and did not advance to Friday's 100-fly final at the European Championships held in Budapest. The Slovenia native posted a time of 59.19 to take 10th place in the 100-fly preliminary race earlier on Thursday and improved on that by swimming a time of 59.08 in the semis.
In addition to CalBears.com and Twitter, fans of Cal women's soccer can now get their information on Facebook as well. As of Wednesday, Aug. 11, you can like Cal women's soccer on Facebook for information, to see pictures and to get inside information. Be the first of your friends to like Cal women's soccer by clicking here. Hope to see you on Facebook soon!
Several Cal water polo players, both past and present, were involved in the 2010 USA Water Polo Men's National Championships this past Aug. 6-8 in Orange County. In the championship match, Jeff Tyrrell and his New York Athletic Club team upended the San Francisco Olympic Club, 11-5. Members of the Olympic Club with Cal connections included assistant coach and goalie Sean Nolan and members of the Bears' 2006 and 2007 national championship squads - Spencer Warden, Mark Sheredy, Frank Reynolds, Kevin Platshon, Adam Haley, Brian Bacharach and Zac Monsees. Cal's Lamorinda Club Team, which placed third, had current Bears Wil Toppen, Zach White, Brian Dudley, Ivan Rackov, Charlie Steffens, Cory Nasoff, Zach Greenwood, Scott Siegel, Steve Giahos and Marker Anderson.
Joanne Lee shot a 77 in the second round, putting her at 9+ for the tournament. She was tied for 91st after finishing her round and will need a lot of help to move up into the top-64 to make the cut.
Lee had a pair of birdies, one on the fourth hole and one on 14. The 14th hole, a par-4, was one that she had bogeyed in her opening round.
California junior All-American Sara Isakovic will represent Slovenia, her native country, in the European Championships that are taking place right now in Budapest, Hungary. She is slated to swim in the 100-meter butterly on Thursday, Aug. 12, and the 200-meter butterfly on Saturday, Aug. 14. The meet began on Aug. 9 and ends on Sunday, Aug. 15.
Isakovic captured the silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and won the 2008 European Championship title in the 200-meter freestyle.
Former NBA star Oscar Robertson wrote a piece on the 1960 USA Olympic Team that ran in Sunday's New York Times. The squad was coached by former Cal head coach Pete Newell and included Golden Bear Darrall Imhoff on the roster. The team was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Joanne Lee shot a +4 at the opening round of the US Women's Amateur. She is currently tied for 75th place. The top 64 golfers will advance to the match-play championship that begins on Wednesday.
Cal standout Nathan Adrian again showed why he is one of the world's top sprinters as he captured both the 50 and 100-meter free at the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships, held Aug. 3-7 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, Calif. Adrian assured himself a spot on the United States' squad that will compete at the 2010 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships, August 18-23, in Irvine (with squads from the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Brazil) by winning the 50 free in a time of 21.70 and the 100 free in 48.41. Both his 50 and 100 free times were the second fastest times in the world this season.
About the 110th U.S. Women's Amateur Championship: The
United States Golf Association (USGA) conducts 13 national
championships annually, including the U.S. Women's Amateur, U.S. Open,
U.S. Women's Open and the U.S. Senior Open.
The
championship concludes on Sunday, August 15. Play begins on Monday,
August 9 with 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying. After the first two
days, the field of players will be cut to the lowest 64 scores.
Starting Wednesday, August 11, contestants play match-play with the
champion being determined by a 36 hole match-play final on Sunday.
Course: Charlotte Country Club Dates: August 9-15, 2010 Practice Rounds: August 6-8, 2010 Estimated Par/Yardage: 37-35--72 at 6,560 yards Architect: Donald Ross Defending Champion: Jennifer Song, Old Warson Country Club
Former Cal standout right-hander Brandon Morrow threw a near no-hitter for the Toronto Blue Jays Sunday, August 8 in a 1-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays in Toronto. Morrow, who has the distinction of being the highest draft pick ever in Cal
baseball history despite being diabetic, threw a complete game and was one out away from the no-hitter when Evan Longoria hit a ground ball just out of the reach of Blue Jay second baseman Aaron Hill. Morrow still finished with his first Major League complete game and a career-high 17 strikeouts. After an impressive 2005
summer in the Cape Cod League and a 2006 spring with the Bears (7-4,
2.05 ERA, 97 strikeouts in 96.2 innings) under the tutelage head coach David Esquer and pitching coach Dan Hubbs,
the hard-throwing right-hander was selected a first-rounder, and the
fifth pick overall, by the Seattle Mariners in the 2006 June draft.
The skies were cloudy and gray with a cool breeze that could be felt coming off the bay Sunday, but the Cal football team heated up Memorial Stadium during a spirited workout. The team's activities for the day began with an early morning photo session, continued with a two-plus hour afternoon workout and will conclude with weightlifting, dinner and a series of meetings in the evening.
Cal opened its 2010 training camp on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Visit CalBears.com for a recap, while check out what head coach Jeff Tedford told reporters after the workout below.
On the wide receivers in the freshman class "There were some good young recruits that are here for the first day. It was really nice to see those guys running around a little bit. The receiving core, for a young group, you could tell they have some ability, but it's going to be a process."
On the freshman class "It was everything we saw on film. There's a lot of potential there, but as I said it's a long process. This was the first day and it was very basic. There's going to come a point of a little overload mentally. That's what you fight, mainly. It's not so much the physical ability; it's now the learning curve to get new guys in the loop." On Keenan Allen "He's a really good looking player. He can run. He's got great range. He's physical. He catches the ball very, very well. He along with Tevin [Carter], Kaelin [Clay], Coleman [Edmond], really have a lot of ability."
On Marvin Jones "Marvin is the same old Marvin. You know what you're going to get with Marvin. He's solid. The thing about Marvin is that he's a great leader. He's taken these young guys under his wing and is spending time with those guys. Even when Marvin is going to scout team and we're walking through things, he's coaching those guys up all the time. He's a great leader."
On the team's tangible goals "Just to focus on the process, take one day at a time and work to be our best. It's a long camp. Then, for the season it's the same thing. We'll just continue to focus on the process, what our values you are and how we work every day, how we prepare every day."
On the team's running backs "We know what Shane [Vereen] can do so that's one of the goals of camp, to find who the backup tailback is, or who the group of backup tailbacks are going to be because we never like one guy to carry the load. You need some depth there. In camp, that's what we're really looking to do."
On what he wants to see out of Kevin Riley "Consistency. I think he's got a pretty good grip on the offense, so to put everything together and just be consistent."
On which areas the team is looking to improve in "All areas, every one of them. We have to get better on offense, we have to get better on defense, and we have to get better on special teams. That's why we're here. That's why we're practicing."
On if he sees anything different in Kevin Riley in training camp compared to the spring of 2010 "It's still early, after one practice. So no, I wouldn't say that there's a major difference from spring."
On the music during stretching "When we're stretching at the end of practice and the beginning of practice, stretching can get very monotonous with the same stretches every day and things like that. So it's something to spice it up, get us enthusiastic for practice and get a little energy. That's what that's about."
On whether his players have any input on the musical choices during stretching "I'm sure they do. The music choice? The players always have a voice. It's their team. They have a voice, but I still have all the votes [laughter]."
On the different routine in practice with much of the team's operations located in the Strawberry Canyon surge facility "There are some things that aren't normal for us to have to go there and go back. There's a lot of back and forth with it, so our time table is very, very tight right now ... It kind of reminds me of back in the day before we had this [turf] field at Memorial Stadium when we practiced up there [at Witter Field]."
Cal received six votes in the USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll released Friday. Cal was ranked No. 12 in last year's preseason poll and has been in the top 25 in five of the last eight seasons.
A total of 39 former Cal players are currently on NFL rosters after recent signings of J.J. Arrington (Philadelphia), Nyan Boateng (New York Giants) and Verran Tucker (Kansas City Chiefs).
Visit ESPN.com for a full list of former Cal players in the NFL.
Cal football players arrived Friday on the eve of the Golden Bears' 2010 training camp and CalBears.com reporter Francesca Weems caught up with Keenan Allen, Derrick Hill and Marvin Jones to get their thoughts the day before the team's first workout Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Weems and Allen are pictured above along with photographer Tsubasa Onozaki.
Syndey Chute was named the new volleyball volunteer assistant coach this Friday. She comes to the Golden Bears with a wealth of coaching experience. Here she is with her old coaching staff at Saint Mary's College. Head coach Rob Browning is to her left with current Cal assistant coach Sam Crosson directly across from her with his back to the camera. Photo credit: Tod Fierner.
Cal sophomore Caitlin Leverenz won the 400-meter individual medley at the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships on Aug. 5 in Irvine, Calif. The 2010 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year posted a time of 4:35.60 to win her title at the long-course meet. Also on Thursday night, former Golden Bear Madison Kennedy took second place in the 50-meter freestyle in a time of 25.15, while former Cal star Dana Vollmer tied for fourth in the 50 free in a time of 25.32. With those results, Leverenz and Kennedy qualified in their respective events for the U.S. roster for the upcoming Pan Pacific Championships.
Cal junior Liv Jensen clocked a time of 25.61 to win the 50-free bonus final.
Cal's spirit squads are back on campus in full force and ready to cheer on the Bears as the fall 2010 season rolls around. Check out the new Cal Spirit photo above, taken by Evan Kerr of Cal Creative Services.
Former California star Natalie Couglin won the 100-meter backstroke, former Golden Bears Olympian Dana Vollmer placed second in the 200-meter freestyle and California Aquatics won the 4x100-meter freestyle relay on Aug. 5 at the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships in Irvine, Calif.
The former and current Bears, competing for the California Aquatics club, also made news on Thursday morning, as rising sophomore Caitlin Leverenz won the 400-meter individual medley prelim, Vollmer tied for third in the 50-free prelim and former Bear Madison Kennedy finished fifth in the 50-free prelim.
Coughlin clocked a time of 1:00.14 to win the 100 back, Vollmer produced times of 1:56.93 in the 200 free and 25.36 in the 50 free, Kennedy notched a time of 25.56 in the 50 free and Leverenz swam a time of 4:36.76 in the 400 IM. The quartet of Kennedy, senior Erica Dagg, senior Katherine Raatz and junior Liv Jensen posted a time of 3:44.87 to win Wednesday night's relay.
Jensen, the 2010 NCAA champion in the 50-yard free, placed 17th in the 50-meter free prelim with a time of 26.08 at nationals.
Thursday's finals are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. PT.
The California men's and women's tennis programs will host their
annual fall-season kickoff event on Friday, Sept. 3. Peter Wright and Amanda Augustus
welcome fans and supporters alike to their annual Cal Tennis Kickoff Dinner, which will begin at
5 p.m. PT at the Berkeley Tennis Club and will feature exciting
exhibition tennis in the Battle of the Decades.
Attendees will have the chance to meet the 2010-11 tennis teams and cheer
for their favorite players. The evening program includes refreshments,
a no-host bar and exhibition tennis featuring current and past members
of the Cal tennis teams. A buffet dinner will follow the on-court
action. The Berkeley Tennis Club is located at One Tunnel Road,
Berkeley, Calif., 94705.
Tickets are $40 for adults and $15 for youth under the age of 12,
when purchased in advance. Prices are $50 and $25 at the door. Please
RSVP by Friday, Aug. 27. For more information or to reserve your spot
today, please contact Jenny Simon, Director of Olympic Sports
Operations, Cal Athletics, 135B Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA 94720-4422
or at olympic.sports@berkeley.edu.
The Golden Bears are just three days away from reporting for their first fall practice of 2010. Coming off its third consecutive foray as far as the regional championship match in the NCAA tournament, the Cal volleyball team is poised to make some major noise in the premiere conference for collegiate women's volleyball, the Pacific 10.
In addition to the CalBears.com blog, fans can now stay in touch with and keep up to date with all of the Bears' goings-on through social networks on Facebook and Twitter. Follow @calvolleyball at Twitter or visit www.facebook.com/calvolleyball to become a fan and stay current.
California alumna Dana Vollmer and returning sophomore Caitlin Leverenz most likely qualified for the U.S. team's Pan Pacific Championships roster when they collected second-place finishes in the Aug. 3 finals at the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships, held at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, Calif. Vollmer, the 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist, took second place in the 100-meter butterfly in a time of 57.45 and Leverenz, the 2010 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year, finished second in the 200-meter individual medley in a time of 2:10.84 on the first day of competition at the long-course meet, which ends on Saturday, Aug. 7.
In the Wednesday morning prelims, Vollmer won the 200-meter freestyle in a time of 1:57.43.
Former Golden Bears star Natalie Coughlin also probably qualified for the Pan Pacific Championships by taking fourth place in the 100 fly in a time of 58.31 on Aug. 3.
On Wednesday, Coughlin won the 100-backstroke prelim in a time of 1:00.21.
Cal head coach Teri McKeever will serve as the U.S. women's head coach at the Pan Pacific Championships, which will take place from Aug. 18-21 in Irvine.
Two California products - alumna Dana Vollmer and rising sophomore Caitlin Leverenz - placed second in different preliminary events today, Tuesday, at the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships in Irvine, Calif. On the opening day of the long-course meet, Vollmer finished second in the 100-meter butterfly in a time of 57.87, while Leverenz took second in the 200-meter individual medley in a time of 2:12.51. Another star alumna, Natalie Coughlin, tied for fifth place in the 100 butterfly with a time of 58.74. All three qualified for today's championship finals, which start at 6 p.m. PT.
As of today, both of Cal's first-round picks from the 2010 NFL Draft -- No. 10 overall pick Tyson Alualu to the Jacksonville Jaguars and No. 30 overall pick Jahvid Best to the Detroit Lions -- have signed their first pro contracts.
Coverage from the Bay Area College Football Media Day on Monday is posted at CalBears.com. Cal head coach Jeff Tedford, preseason honorable mention All-American linebacker Mike Mohamed and tailback Shane Vereen represented the Golden Bears at the event, which was hosted by the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco.
By Melissa Dudek on August 2, 2010 1:54 PM
|Permalink
The SF ProAm summer women's basketball league comes to a close this next weekend (August 7) with their championship series between Golden State and Mission Rec.
Cal teammates faced off in the opening rounds of the playoffs with Gennifer Brandon and Natasha Vital, playing alongside incoming freshman Lindsey Sherbert on the San Francisco team taking out a Bay City team that had Eliza Pierre and DeNesha Stallworth on the roster. San Francisco fell in the semi-finals to Mission Rec.
In a look at the stats, Alexis Gray-Lawson was third in scoring, averaging 26.5 points per game. Natasha Vital was right behind her with a healthy 24.4. DeNesha Stallworth averaged 21.5, coming in right behind Vital. Mikayla Lyles, another Cal incoming frosh, scored 16.0 per game. Talia Caldwell was at 14.7.
Former Cal track & field star Alysia Johnson completed the month of July ranked No. 1 in the world in the women's 800 meters. She posted her world-leading time of 1:57.34 during a victory at a meet in Monaco July 22.
So far this summer, Johnson has run three of the top 12 800 times in the world. Her 1:57.85 during a meet in Lignano, Italy, rates fifth fastest, while her 1:58.94 run in Eugene, Ore., is No. 12 on the list.
Earlier in the year, Johnson finished third at the World Indoor Championships in March. She captured the 2007 NCAA title for the Bears as a junior and is a two-time USA champion in the 800 (2007, 2010).
For more information on Johnson's summer, click on the IAAF.org site here.
Coverage from the Bay Area College Football Media Day on Monday is posted at 
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