USA College Challenge
Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 21-22 | 6 PM/11 AM | Uytengsu Aquatics Center | Los Angeles, CA
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Five Golden Bear swimmers, plus head coach Teri McKeever, will represent Cal as part of the Pac-12 team in a dual meet against a select group of U.S. National Team members in the USA College Challenge Saturday and Sunday in Los Angeles. Representing the second-ranked Bears will be junior Kathleen Baker, junior Katie McLaughlin, sophomore Maddie Murphy, freshman Robin Neumann and sophomore Abbey Weitzeil, with McKeever serving as one of the team's coaches. For more information, including rosters, see: http://calbea.rs/2ghMCWJ.

The USA College Challenge will feature a similar format to the successful Duel in the Pool events, and a running score will be kept throughout the competition, combining the points earned by both women and men to determine a winner. In last year's USA College Challenge, the USA Swimming National Team defeated the Big Ten Conference All-Stars in Indianapolis.

Fans can follow the meet live on the Pac-12 Networks. Saturday's action will air on Pac-12 Los Angeles, Pac-12 Oregon and Pac-12 Washington, while Sunday's events will be on the main Pac-12 Networks. Both sessions will also be available to stream live for authenticated Pac-12 Networks subscribers via the Pac-12 Now app and Pac-12.com.

• CAL SWEEPS MEETS IN FRESNO, UTAH
Swimming three times in a four-day span, Cal swept a pair of meets, winning the five-team Chick-Fil-A Invitational Oct. 6-7 in Fresno before downing Utah, 186-114, in the first dual meet of the year Oct. 9 in Salt Lake City. In Fresno, the Bears claimed first place in 16 of 20 events, including all five relays and on both diving boards. At Utah, freshman Ali Harrison, junior Amy Bilquist and senior Noemie Thomas won two races apiece to lead the way.

• SUPER SUMMER FOR KATHLEEN BAKER
Cal junior Kathleen Baker shined on the international stage once again during the FINA World Championships in Budapest over the summer. One year after winning two medals at the 2016 Olympics, Baker added three more medals to her collection with silver in the 100-meter backstroke, bronze in the 200-meter back and gold on the world-record-setting 400-meter medley relay. In addition, she placed fifth in the 50-meter back final after setting an American record in the event during the semifinals.

• SUMMER SWIMS AROUND THE GLOBE
A number of Golden Bears kept busy over the summer representing their respective national teams in competition. Kathleen Baker's results are noted above, but she wasn't the only Cal swimmer at the FINA World Championships. Robin Neumann (Netherlands) and Anina Lund (Denmark) were also in Budapest, while recent Cal grad Farida Osman (Egypt) claimed a bronze medal in the 50m fly. At the World University Games in Taipei, Katie McLaughlin (USA) earned three relay medals and reached the finals in the 50m and 100m fly, and Sarah Darcel (Canada) finaled in both the 200m IM and 400m IM. Finally, senior Maija Roses (USA) claimed gold medals in the 100m and 200m breast and on the 4x100m medley relay at the Maccabiah Games in Israel.

• LOOKING BACK AT 2017 NCAAS
Led by CSCAA National Swimmer of the Year Kathleen Baker, Cal finished as the runner-up at the 2017 NCAA Championships - the ninth year in a row the Bears have placed among the top three. Baker captured three individual events - 100-yard back, 200-yard back and 200-yard IM - and Farida Osman closed out her Golden Bear career with a win in the 100 fly. Cal also prevailed in the 200 free relay (for third year in a row) and the 200 medley relay.