March 22, 1998

MINNEAPOLIS - After three days of competition, the California Golden Bears women's swim team finished eighth at the NCAA Swimming Championship with 237 points and broke a total of five school records - the 200 medley relay, the 400 medley relay, the 200 free relay, and the 400 free relay and the 50 freestyle.

On the first day of competition, the 200 free relay (freshmen Adrienne Mattos and Haley Cope and sophomores Anya Kolbisen and Nicole Omphroy, 1:30.96) placed 10th in the consolidation final and broke a 1998 school record in both the preliminary and final events. The 400 medley relay (junior Marylyn Chiang, freshman Hanna Jaltner and sophomores Waen Minpraphal and Kolbisen, 3:38.83) placed fifth and also broke a 1998 school mark by almost three seconds, while Mattos broke a school record set in 1986 in the preliminary event of the 50 freestyle (22.85) and finished 16th in finals (22.97).

On the second day, Chiang, Jaltner, Minpraphal, and Omphroy placed fifth in the 200 medley relay (1:40.91) and broke a school record set earlier this season, and on the final day, the 400 free relay (Chiang, Cope, Kolbisen, Omphroy, 3:18.98) also set a new school mark that was broken earlier this season.

On the individual level, the Bears were led by sophomore Elli Overton who placed second in the 200 fly (1:57.73), second in the 200 IM (1:58.38), and sixth in the 400 IM (4:15.60).

Others performing well were Chiang, Minpraphal, and Jaltner. Chiang finished third in the 100 backstroke with a time of 53.59, fourth in the 200 IM (1:58.95), and seventh in the 200 back (1:58.59). Minpraphal took sixth (1:59.14) in the 200 fly and placed twelfth in the consolidation final of the 100 fly (54.54). Jaltner also placed twelfth in the consolidation final of the 100 breast (1:02.52), earning her top time in that event for the season.

The Bears 800 free relay (Overton, Chiang, Omphroy, Kolbisen, 7:14.15) finished sixth.

The Bears (237 points) trailed first place Stanford (422 points), second place Arizona (387 points), third place Georgia (368 points), fourth place Southern Methodist (339 points), fifth place USC (277 points), sixth place Auburn (269 points), and seventh place Michigan (249 points).

Last year at the NCAA Championship, the Bears finished ninth with 148 points.