The Golden Bears' run of 15 consecutive top-2 finishes ends with a seventh-place effort
The Cal men’s swim team, which had assembled a remarkable run of 15 consecutive first- or second-place finishes at the NCAA championships, wound up sixth on Saturday as the four-day meet came to a close at Austin, Texas.
But sophomore Yamato Okadome provided the Bears a bright spot, sweeping the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events at McAuley Aquatic Center. Texas defended its team title, scoring 445.5 points to edge Florida with 416. The Bears totaled 231 points.Okadome, a sophomore from Chiba, Japan, became just the second Cal swimmer to sweep the breaststroke events at the NCAA meet, joining Graham Smith, who did it in 1977 and ’79. Okadome claimed the 100 breast title on Thursday with a time of 49.90 seconds that ranks No. 2 in program history. Liam Bell swam the school-record time of 49.53 to win the 2024 NCAA crown. Okadome completed the sweep on Friday with a winning time of 1:48.61 in the 200, also second-fastest in Cal history. Reece Whitley’s school record of 1:48.53 has stood since 2020.Okadome also earned All-America honors in a pair of relays. Cal’s only entry in a championship final race on Saturday was in the 400 free relay, where the team of freshman Martin Wrede, sophomore Lucca Battaglini, fifth-year Evan Petty and junior Keaton Jones placed eighth at 2:46.59. In platform diving, senior Joshua Thai finished sixth in platform diving with a score of 386.30 points. Here are the remaining Cal swimmers who secured first-team All-America honors while competing in the championship finals: — The foursome of Petty, freshman Casper Puggaard, Wrede and Okadome finished seventh in the 400 medley relay at 3:00.41, fifth-fastest in program history. — Cal's 200 medley relay foursome of Petty, Okadome, Battaglini and Wrede took sixth place with a time of 1:21.58 that climbs to No. 3 on the Bears’ all-time list. — Freshman Ryan Erisman swam to a fifth-place finish in the 400 individual medley with a time of 3:36.32 that puts him fifth in the Cal record book.— The 200 free relay team of Wrede, sophomore Lucca Battaglini, Petty and Puggaard touched sixth at 1:14.63, seventh-fastest in Cal history.Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsJeff Faraudo was a sports writer for Bay Area daily newspapers since he was 17 years old, and was the Oakland Tribune's Cal beat writer for 24 years. He covered eight Final Fours, four NBA Finals and four Summer Olympics.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
IDW Crime Imprint Launches with a Complex Mystery: Seven WivesIDW Comics expands into the crime genre with a new imprint, IDW Crime. The inaugural title, Seven Wives, offers a dark, complex mystery set in a remote Arizona compound. The story promises a gripping tale of investigation, brainwashing, and a high-stakes whodunit, inviting readers to become active participants in solving the crime.
Read more »
Ashlon Jackson’s last-shot 3 stunned LSU and etched its place in March Madness loreAshlon Jackson’s 3-pointer at the buzzer kept Duke’s season alive and was the latest memorable March Madness buzzer-beater in the women’s NCAA Tournament over the last decade.
Read more »
Seven injured, child killed after 14-year-old driver flees Ogden police in stolen carSeven people were injured, and a child was killed, after Ogden police said a 14-year-old driver fled from officers in Weber County.Officials with the Ogden City
Read more »
My Morning Jacket Announces Seven-Night Residency at San Francisco's Legendary FillmoreMy Morning Jacket will perform a seven-night residency at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Each night will be themed around a color of the rainbow, with no repeat songs played within each block of shows.
Read more »
No Kings 3 rallies begin in Austin, across central Texas; roads closures in place downtownSaturday's No Kings rally is expected to draw thousands to downtown Austin and communities across central Texas as protestors speak out against the Trump admini
Read more »
New bill would pin a place in California budget for acupunctureProlific legislator Sen. Scott Wiener looks to fulfill a promise he made to Chinatown constituents and voters.
Read more »