ATHENS, Ga. – Kathleen Baker won the 200-yard backstroke with the fastest time in the country and Cal posted five more NCAA A qualifying times on its way to the team title at the Georgia Fall Invitational Sunday.
 
In a meet featuring four of the top 10 teams in the country, the Golden Bears finished with 914 points, well ahead of defending NCAA champion Georgia, which had 821. Virginia (716), Michigan (641) and Florida State (403) rounded out the top five. Cal also won the men's half of the meet with the Bears securing a victory by a nearly 150-point margin.
 
"I was really proud of our performance this weekend," head coach Teri McKeever said. "I thought the freshman did a great job and we saw a number of lifetime bests and top-10 performances. We have 12 women who swam a time under what was invited to the NCAA Championships last year, so that puts us in good shape looking down the road. It was wonderful to be here with the men and feed off their energy. There's a lot to be proud of and a lot to build on."
 
The 200 back led off the final session, and Cal showed its dominance in the backstroke with a 1-2 finish by sophomores Baker and Amy Bilquist. Baker, the Olympic silver-medalist in the 100-meter back, touched first in 1:49.83, with Bilquist, the reigning Pac-12 champion in the event, just a hair behind in 1:50.06. The times are the two fastest in the country so far this year and were more than three seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
 
In addition, freshmen Keaton Blovad (6th, 1:54.62) and Courtney Mykkanen (8th, 1:57.35) also competed in the event final.
 
Freshman Abbey Weitzeil reached the NCAA A standard with a 47.22 in the 100 free, which now ranks second nationally behind only winner Olivia Smoliga of Georgia, who was timed in 46.95. Senior Farida Osman placed third in 47.84, with junior Valerie Hull seventh in 48.66.
 
In the 200 breaststroke, senior Marina Garcia posted a lifetime best of 2:08.64, which keeps her as the No. 2 performer in the event in school history. Junior Noemie Thomas swam her own PR in the 200 butterfly, taking third with an NCAA A time of 1:53.77. Celina Li (6th, 1:56.35) and Katie McLaughlin (1:56.48) were also finalists.
 
Finally, the Bears wrapped up the meet with a second-place showing in the 400 free relay. Baker, Weitzeil, Hull and Osman touched in 3:11.82, which is second only to Georgia's winning mark among relays in the country this season. Cal's B relay had the Bears' depth on display with Blovad, Bilquist, Maddie Murphy and Kristen Vredeveld also going under NCAA A standard, finishing in 3:15.30.
 
Following final exams, Cal has one last meet this calendar year, hosting San Jose State on Dec. 21 at Spieker Aquatics Complex.