MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 9 California women's swimming & diving team made its presence felt immediately on Wednesday evening on the first night of the Minnesota Invitational, setting the pool record at the Jean K Freeman Aquatic Center in the 200-yard medley relay while qualifying for the 2025 NCAA Championships in the 800 freestyle relay.

The Golden Bears had already posted an A-cut time earlier this season to qualify their 200 medley relay team for NCAAs, but Wednesday the quartet of fifth-year senior Isabelle Stadden (backstroke), senior Leah Polonsky (breaststroke), senior Mia Kragh (butterfly) and freshman Mary-Ambre Moluh (freestyle) bettered their mark by posting the third-fastest time in the country this season to win in a time of 1:34.24. In addition to also setting a pool record, it is also tied for the fifth-fastest time in the event ever at Cal.

Later, Stadden and Polonsky also teamed with sophomore Ava Chavez and freshman Mia West to post an A-cut NCAA qualifying time of 6:59.13 and win the 800 free relay – the fifth-best time in the nation in the event this season. The squad is one of only five 800 free relay quartets this season to break the 7-minute mark.

Cal's 800 free relay "B" team registered a B-cut time for provisional NCAA qualification, as graduate student Lilou Ressencourt, Moluh, senior Lizzy Cook and sophomore Kathryn Hazle clocked in at 7:05.35.

After the first night of competition, the Bears lead the team standings with 128 points.

The 2024 Minnesota Invitational continues Thursday with the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle and 200 free relay. Preliminaries begin at 8 a.m. PT with finals set for 4 p.m. PT.

 
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Cal 128
2. Minnesota 112
3t. Harvard 106
3t. UNLV 106
5. Denver 100