June 4, 2012

Santa Clara International Grand Prix Results

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - In the last major domestic meet before the U.S. Olympic Trials, Golden Bears past and present put on impressive displays at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix from May 31-June 3 at the George F. Haines International Swim Center. California swimmers won a variety of events, with current Bear Caitlin Leverenz capturing the 200-meter individual medley over Australian Olympian Stephanie Rice and alumnae Dana Vollmer and Lauren Boyle also winning.

Natalie Coughlin and a bevy of Cal alumnae swam at the Santa Clara meet, which ended 22 days before the start of the U.S. Olympic Trials.

The 2012 Honda Sports Award winner for Swimming, Leverenz is continuing a career year that has included winning the 200-yard IM and 200 breaststroke, earning the NCAA Swimmer of the Meet and winning the NCAA team championship with Cal. She posted a time of 2:10.81 in Santa Clara to edge Rice, the 2008 gold medalist in the 200-meter IM who swam the second fastest time (2:11.18). Leverenz, who will be a senior at Cal next season, also won the 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:26.46.

Vollmer edged fellow Cal alumna Natalie Coughlin in the 100 free (54.38-54.77) and in the 100 butterfly (57.03-58.44); Vollmer's time of 53.03 in the 100 fly was a meet record.

Boyle - the 2008 New Zealand Olympian who has already qualified for the 2012 Olympics - won the first event of the meet (1500 free, 16:21.73) and the last individual event of the meet (800 free, 8:29.44).

Swimming for Hong Kong, current Bears Stephanie Au and Camille Cheng swam on the winning 400-free relay (3:48.15). Au, who completed her sophomore season in 2011-12, and Cheng, a freshman, also combined with freshman Yvette Kong and alumna Hannah Wilson to take second place (4:15.00) on Hong Kong's 400-medley relay.

With many current and former Cal men's and women's swimmers competing for California Aquatics, the club won the combined team title with 606.5 points. Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics finished second (598) and meet host Santa Clara Swim Club (388) was third.

The U.S. Olympic Trials run from June 25-July 2 in Omaha, Neb.