Sept. 7, 2010

BERKELEY -

Photo Gallery of NCW Display Case | Photo Gallery NCW Chancellor Reception

The University of California officially kicked-off its 2010 National Championship Week with the unveiling of the National Championship Display Case and Highlight Video Tuesday, Sept. 7 in the Haas Pavilion Lobby. In attendance was Cal Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour, who made an introductory speech before the unveiling, plus David Durden, the 2010 NCAA Coach of the Year who led the Golden Bears to an national runner-up finish in men's swimming and diving while directing three individual NCAA champions and four national champion relays, said a few words about his team's success.

Also in attendance were Cal head rugby coach Jack Clark, coach Tom Billups, team manager Jerry Figone and 2010 rugby team captains Keegan Engelbrecht and Colin Hawley. From the 2010 IRA national champion Varsity Eight boat were head coach Mike Teti, assistant coach Luke Agnini, coxswain Zachary Vlahos and rowers Spencer Crowley, Chris Yeager and Samuel Walker. Representing men's swimming and diving were assistant coach Greg Meehan and 2010 national champions Tom Shields, Graeme Moore and Nathan Adrian.

In 2009-10 Cal, known world-wide for both its academic and athletic excellence, brought home national titles in rugby and men's crew, while its men's swimming and diving program won an unprecedented four NCAA relay titles. Individually, the Bears continued to make waves in the pool as standouts Adrian, Damir Dugonjic, Liv Jensen and Shields all added to Cal's legacy of swimming champions.

The Bears have now had at least one national champion in 75 of the past 90 years, including every season since the 1973 squad won the NCAA men's water polo title - 37 straight years of athletic excellence in Berkeley. To honor the accomplishments of these exceptional student-athletes and their coaches, the Cal Athletic Department will celebrate the school's fifth annual National Championship Week, Sept. 6-11, 2010.

This past spring, Clark's rugby program won its 25th national championship to continue one of the most enduring dynasties, winning 25 of 31 national title games since the modern national collegiate championship was established by USA Rugby in 1980. In men's crew, Teti's Varsity 8 boat (Nareg Guregian, Crowley, Olivier Siegelaar, Yeager, Will Dean, James Long-Lerno, Walker, Sean Engel, coxswain Vlahos) captured the Bears' 16th IRA title overall and their first grand final since 2006.

Durden's men's swimming and diving team made a loud splash by winning the most relays of any Cal squad in its illustrious NCAA championship history, capturing four of the meet's five relays - the 200 and 400 free, and 200 and 400 medley relays - behind the efforts of Adrian, Dugonjic, Shields, Josh Daniels, Guy Barnea and Moore. Additionally, Adrian and Dugonjic were repeat champions from 2009 in the 100 free and 100 breast, respectively, and newcomer Shields won the 100 fly in his first season as a Bear.

In women's swimming, Jensen continued her success from last year, winning the 50 free at the 2010 NCAA meet after contributing to Cal's 2009 national title as a member of NCAA champion 400 and 800 free relays.

A series of events has been planned to celebrate these impressive achievements, culminating in a halftime ceremony honoring the student-athletes and coaches during halftime of the Sept. 11 football game between Colorado and Cal at Memorial Stadium.

To offer year-round acknowledgement of the 2009-10 national champions, the National Championship Week Display Case, complete with photos and trophies, has been established on the first floor of Haas Pavilion. In addition, a 2009-10 national champion highlight video created by the athletic department's Tsubasa Onozaki will be running continuously on a flat screen television inside the case and will be featured on CalBears.com.

Among the other 2010 NCW events scheduled are a Tuesday evening celebratory reception hosted by Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and Mary Catherine Birgeneau at the University House on campus and a Wednesday (Sept. 8) staff appreciation luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at the Alumni House Toll Room.

In its history, Cal has now claimed 79 national team titles in 14 different sports with 228 individual (139), crew (46), swimming relay (26), tennis doubles (14) and track relay (3) national champions. In all, Golden Bear student-athletes have won 139 individual national titles in men's and women's track & field, men's and women's tennis, men's gymnastics, men's and women's swimming and women's golf. Since its first national championship in 1920 (football team), Cal has had 75 years of showcasing national champions.

The 2009-10 Cal National Champion Timeline:

Women's Swimming and Diving - March 18-20, West Lafayette, Ind. The Bears first national title winner of 2010 was March 18 at the Women's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in West Lafayette, Ind. when Jensen captured the 50 free in a time of 22.04. She now has the distinction of being a three-time national champ with an individual title and two relay titles to go along with being a member of the 2009 NCAA team champions.

Men's Swimming and Diving - March 26-28, Columbus, Ohio At the Men's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, March 26-28 in Columbus, Ohio, the Bears won at least one national title each of the meet's three days on their way to a total of seven championships and a runner-up team finish. Cal captured the 200 free relay (1:15.71, Adrian, Moore, Daniels, Barnea) to open the meet and then placed first in the 400 medley relay (3:02.83, Barnea, Dugonjic, Shields, Adrian) to wrap-up day one. The Bears added three more titles in day two with Shields victory in the 100 fly in school record time (44.91), Dugonjic's repeat title in the 100 breast (51.65) and a win in the 200 medley relay (1:23.08, Barnea, Dugonjic, Moore, Daniels). Finally, on day yhree Adrian repeated as national champion in the 100 free (41.50) and Cal's 400 free relay team (Moore, Daniels, Shields, Adrian) won the competition's final event with a time of 2:48.78.

Rugby - May 1, Stanford, Calif. Next up on the Bears' 2010 national championship trek was rugby's 19-7 victory over BYU on May 1 at Stanford's Steuber Rugby Stadium. Senior lock Eric Fry scored the match's first try, and senior flyhalf Engelbrecht booted two penalties and added a drop goal, as Cal finished 26-0 to notch its first undefeated season since 2002. Fry was named the final's Most Valuable Player as the Bears brought home their fifth national crown in the last six years.

Men's Crew - June 5, Camden, N.J. The Bears' final national crown of 2010 came June 5 on the waters of the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. as Cal came from behind to upset top-ranked Washington in a thrilling conclusion to the 2010 IRA Championships. The Bears' Varsity 8 boat had trailed the Huskies the entire race until edging their Pac-10 rivals by 0.263 seconds at the finish line (5:23.89-5:24.16) - a dramatic conclusion to another successful year of Cal athletics.

2010 National Championship Team
Rugby

2010 National Champions
Men's Varsity Eight Crew - Nareg Guregian, Spencer Crowley,
Olivier Siegelaar, Chris Yeager, Will Dean, James Long-Lerno,
Samuel Walker, Sean Engel, coxswain Zachary Vlahos

2009-10 Individual National Champions
Nathan Adrian, men's swimming - 100-yard freestyle, 41.50
Damir Dugonjic, men's swimming - 100-yard breaststroke, 51.65
Liv Jensen, women's swimming - 50-yard freestyle, 22.04
Tom Shields, men's swimming - 100-yard butterfly, 44.91

2009-10 National Champion Relays
Men's swimming - 200-yard freestyle relay
(1:15.71 - Nathan Adrian, Graeme Moore, Josh Daniels, Guy Barnea)
Men's swimming - 400-yard freestyle relay
(2:48.78 - Graeme Moore, Josh Daniels, Tom Shields, Nathan Adrian)
Men's swimming - 200-yard medley relay
(1:23.08 - Guy Barnea, Damir Dugonjic, Graeme Moore, Josh Daniels)
Men's swimming - 400-yard medley relay
(3:02.83 - Guy Barnea, Damir Dugonjic, Tom Shields, Nathan Adrian)