Cal closes out the 2016 calendar year at home vs. San Jose State Wednesday at Spieker Aquatics Complex. The event gets underway at noon and admission is free.

The Golden Bears are coming off a victory at the Georgia Fall Invitational, where they produced 15 swims - 10 individual and five relays - that reached the NCAA A qualifying standard for the national championships in March. As a result, Cal moved up from 10th to second in the latest coaches' poll.

In addition to their prowess off the blocks, Cal also features the reigning Pac-12 Diver of the Month in Phoebe LaMay, who set school records on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards in November.

Now, the Bears are returning to action following a week of final exams that ended this past Friday. Cal is 2-1 in dual competition this season and begins its Pac-12 slate after the New Year at Arizona and Arizona State Jan. 20-21. The Bears then host three straight in Berkeley, with USC visiting Jan. 27, UCLA on Jan. 28 and Stanford on Feb. 11.

• LEADING THE COUNTRY TIMES 5
Following its strong performance at the Georgia Fall Invitational in early December, Golden Bears now lead the country in three individual events and two relays. Amy Bilquist is at the top of the charts in the 100 back (50.85), while fellow sophomore Kathleen Baker ranks first in the 200 back (1:49.83) with junior Noemie Thomas No. 1 in the 100 fly (50.87). Cal is the only school currently among the top three in all five relays, including national-best times in the 200 free relay (1:26.31) and 400 medley relay (3:28.33).

• LAST TIME OUT: 1ST AT GEORGIA INVITE
In a meet featuring four of the top 10 teams in the country, Cal won the Georgia Fall Invitational Dec. 2-4, with 914 points, well ahead of defending NCAA champion Georgia, which had 821, Virginia (716) and Michigan (641). The Bears claimed four of five relays and got individual event victories from Kathleen Baker (200 IM, 200 back), Amy Bilquist (100 back) and Noemie Thomas (100 fly). Cal produced 15 swims that reached the NCAA A qualifying standard - 10 individual and five relays. 

• BEARS EARN NEWMARK GPA AWARD
In early October, the Bears learned they had won the Newmark Award for having the highest GPA among all 30 of Cal's intercollegiate athletic teams for the 2015-16 academic year. When combined for the 24 women on the squad, the figure came to a very impressive 3.376.

• BEARS ON TV
Cal will make a pair of appearances on the Pac-12 Network this season - vs. Stanford on Saturday, Feb. 11 and all four days of the Pac-12 Championships Feb. 22-25.

• RIO RECAP: 8 MEDALS AT THE OLYMPICS
Ten current and former Bears swam at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and together they came home with eight medals. Two current squad members - Kathleen Baker and Abbey Weitzeil - certainly made their marks, with Baker earning silver in the 100m back and on the 400m medley relay and Weitzeil claiming silver on the 400m free relay and gold on the medley relay. Farida Osman (Egypt) and Noemie Thomas (Canada) were also 2016 Olympians.