Celebrating Our Stars: A Senior Day to Remember at Home

NO. 18 USC AT NO. 10 CAL
FRIDAY, JAN. 17 | 1 P.M. PT | SPIEKER AQUATICS COMPLEX | BERKELEY, CALIF.
LIVE STREAM: ACC NETWORK EXTRA | LIVE RESULTS: MEET MOBILE
 
NO. 24 AT NO. 10 CAL
SATURDAY, JAN. 18 | 11 A.M. PT | SPIEKER AQUATICS COMPLEX | BERKELEY, CALIF.
LIVE STREAM: ACC NETWORK EXTRA | LIVE RESULTS: MEET MOBILE
 

The No. 10 California women’s swimming & diving squad is set to resume action following an extended winter hiatus to host its only two home dual matches of the season this week at the Spieker Aquatics Complex. The Golden Bears will compete in a unified meet with Cal’s men’s team on Friday against No. 10 USC, followed by a women’s-exclusive event on Saturday against No. 24 UCLA. Cal plans to honor its 18 seniors/graduate students prior to Saturday’s event.

SENIOR SENDOFF: This season’s roster includes 14 seniors and four graduate students, who will be participating in their last home competition against UCLA on Saturday. This group is destined to leave a significant legacy at Berkeley. Their achievements encompass:

• 40 All-American accolades
• 19 individual/relay conference championships
• 20 all-academic conference distinctions
• 11 Olympic trials participations
• 15 Scholar All-Americans
• 3 Spieker Pool records
• 2 Olympic participations

MIDWEST MOMENTUM: Cal showcased its depth and velocity at the Minnesota Invitational in December, sending a signal that it can compete with the leading programs in the nation during this season’s NCAA Championships. The Golden Bears achieved a pair of NCAA A-cut times (Mary-Ambre Moluh, 100-yard backstroke, 49.68; Leah Polonsky, 200 individual medley, 1:53.65) along with 28 additional NCAA provisional B-cut times. Cal also reported 12 times that rank among the nation’s top 10 this season, along with another 12 records that are among the program’s all-time top 10.

TOP TIMES: This season, Cal has 12 times that fall within the national top 10, which includes two each from freshman Mary-Ambre Moluh and fifth-year senior Isabelle Stadden. Moluh set the school record in the 100 backstroke at the Minnesota Invitational, achieving a time of 49.68, ranking as the third-best mark in the nation for the season in this event. Stadden holds the sixth-best time in the 100 back (50.41), an event where she finished as the national runner-up at last season’s NCAA meet. Additionally, Moluh possesses the No. 6 time nationally in the 50 freestyle (21.68), while Stadden is 10th in the 200 back (1:50.93). All five of Cal’s relay squads are ranked in the top 10 nationally this season, featuring a No. 3 ranking for the 200 medley relay performance (1:34.24). Below is a comprehensive list of the Bears’ national top-10 times for this season:

• 50 freestyle – No. 6: Mary-Ambre Moluh (21.68)
• 1,650 freestyle – No. 6: Maya Geringer (15:53.92)
• 100 backstroke – No. 3: Mary-Ambre Moluh (49.68*)
• 100 backstroke – No. 6: Isabelle Stadden (50.41)
• 200 individual medley – No. 5: Leah Polonsky (1:53.65**)
• 200 freestyle relay – No. 10: Mia West, Isabelle Stadden, Mary-Ambre Moluh, McKenna Stone (1:27.54)
• 400 freestyle relay – No. 6: Mary-Ambre Moluh, Isabelle Stadden, Leah Polonsky, Morgan Brophy (3:11.76)
• 800 freestyle relay – No. 5: Ava Chavez, Mia West, Isabelle Stadden, Leah Polonsky (6:59.13)
• 200 medley relay – No. 3: Isabelle Stadden, Leah Polonsky, Mia Kragh, Mary-Ambre Moluh (1:34.24)
• 400 medley relay – No. 8: Isabelle Stadden, Leah Polonsky, Lilou Ressencourt, Mary-Ambre Moluh (3:29.60)
  
  *-school record
  
  **-NCAA A-cut time

MARY MADNESS: Freshman Mary-Ambre Moluh has swiftly made a significant impression on Cal’s program during her short tenure thus far on campus. During last month’s Minnesota Invitational, she set the school record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 49.68. Additionally, she achieved a time of 21.68 in the 100 freestyle, which ranks as the fifth-best time in the event’s history at Cal. Moluh also contributed to four of the Bears’ relay times attaining NCAA provisional B-cut times. She represented her home country, France, at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Due to her performance in Minneapolis, Moluh was honored as the ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Week.

MAYA, OH MY: Maya Geringer, a graduate transfer from Ohio State, has provided Cal with an immediate enhancement in the distance freestyle disciplines. Geringer, a four-time All-American in the 1,650 free and a qualifier for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in three events, posted the second-fastest times ever at Cal in both the 1,000 free (9:38.85) and 1,650 free (15:53.92) at the Minnesota Invitational.

STADDEN NAMED 2024 PAC-12 SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: Isabelle Stadden became the 11th Golden Bear to earn the title of Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year in 2024, securing two individual conference titles and contributing to a relay title. Stadden seized her third career championship in the 200 back while also winning her first in the 100 back. She swam the backstroke leg in Cal’s Pac-12 winning 200 medley relay team. Stadden played a crucial role in helping the Bears achieve a 7-1 dual meet record (5-1 Pac-12) and a final national dual meet ranking of No. 4, while also establishing Spieker Aquatics Complex records in both individual backstroke events.

DIVERS MAKE SPLASH: Freshman Rebecca Ciancaglini made history as the first diver from the program to compete at the World Junior Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last fall. Ciancaglini advanced to the finals in the 1-meter dive, ultimately finishing in 11th place, and concluded the 3-meter event in 21st position. Another freshman, Violet Williamson, was named to USA Diving’s Senior High Performance Team last fall.

BEARS INK GENERATIONAL RECRUITING CLASS: The Cal swimming & diving director David Durden announced the signing of seven student-athletes to the program, including four of the country’s top 10 prospects. Teagan O’Dell from Chino Hills (No. 2 national recruit according to SwimSwam), No. 3 Claire Weinstein from White Plains, New York (No. 3, 2024 Summer Olympian), Annie Jia from Horsham, Pennsylvania (No. 8), and Elle Scott from Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 9), have all committed to join the team for 2025-26. Additionally, Ella Cosgrove from Tucson, Arizona (No. 19), Alexa McDevitt from Bainbridge Island, Washington (honorable mention), and Gracyn Aquino from Santa Margarita (California state champion) are also set to come to Berkeley.

2023-24 REDUX: The Bearsfinished the previous season ranked No. 4 in the CSCAA dual meet standings and secured the sixth Pac-12 championship in the history of the program. Isabelle Stadden clinched her third conference title in the 200 backstroke and added the 100 back championship to her accomplishments while senior Mia Kragh earned the 100 butterfly title, and former swimmer Rachel Klinker took the crown in the 200 butterfly. Cal concluded the 2024 NCAA Championships in 11th place as a team, featuring A-final showings by Stadden in the 100 back (2nd) and 200 back (4th), Klinker in the 200 fly (3rd), and Kragh in the 100 fly (8th). The Bears also secured fourth place in the 200 medley relay.

WELCOME TO THE ACC: The University of California, Berkeley, revealed its transition to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on Sept. 1, 2023, and officially became a member on Aug. 2 of this year. Cal’s women’s swimming & diving team will not participate in a round-robin schedule against ACC rivals, but will compete at the ACC Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, in February.

NINE MAKE PARIS:     

KRAGH’S LIST: Senior Mia Kragh had an exceptional season in 2023-24, winning the Pac-12 title in the 100 butterfly and reaching the A-final in the event at the NCAA Championships where she finished eighth. Kragh now possesses the eighth-fastest time ever recorded at Cal in the 100 fly at 50.89 and also holds the Spieker Aquatics Complex record in the event (51.30).

TALENT INFUSION: Fourteen of the 36 athletes on Cal’s roster are fresh Golden Bears this season, part of a recruiting class that is ranked No. 7 nationally by SwimSwam. Leading the charge are two 2024 Summer Olympians, freshman Mary-Ambre Moluh and graduate student Lilou Ressencourt, both of whom have long-course times that could score points at the NCAA Championships. Graduate transfers Maya Geringer (Ohio State) and Margaux McDonald (Princeton) offer NCAA Championships experience.

 

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