2024-25 Women's Swimming & Diving Roster

MARCOS PHOTOGRAPHY

Leah Polonsky

  • Position Free/Breast/IM
  • Height 5-11
  • Class Senior
  • Last School(s) Ironi Hey HS
  • Hometown Haifa, Israel
  • Major Undeclared

Biography

California
  • Qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics for Israel
    • Narrowly missed a spot in the 200 freestyle semifinals, placing 19th at 2:00.38
    • Finished 28th in the 200 individual medley (2:17.53)
    • Member of Israel's 800 freestyle relay team that placed 11th
  • Point-scorer in both the 200 IM (15th, 1:55.27) and 400 IM (16th, 4:11.85) at the 2024 NCAA Championships (4:11.85)
  • Part of Cal's 800 freestyle relay team that placed 9th (6:55.18) and 400 freestyle relay team that finished 11th (3:11.66) at the 2024 NCAA Championships
  • Won the 2023 Pac-12 championship in both the 200 individual medley (1:54.02) and 400 individual medley (4:05.27)
  • Earned First Team All-America honors in the 800 freestyle relay and Second Team accolades in both the 200 and 400 IM
  • Member of Cal's 800 free relay team that placed fourth at the 2023 NCAA Championships
  • Took 14th in the 400 IM at NCAAs (4:07.49) last year and 16th in the 200 IM (1:56.34)
  • Placed 21st in the 200 medley at the 2023 World Aquatic Championships in Fukoaka, Japan (2:14.05)
  • At the 2022 Minnesota Invitational, finished in second in the 400 IM, (4:08.91), third in the 200 IM (1:55.16) and fourth in the 200 butterfly (1:54.50)
  • Won the 400 IM at the Chick-Fil-A Invitational and the 200 fly in a dual meet against Utah
  • her freshman season in 2021-22 ranked among Cal's all-time leaders in the 100 breast (6th, 1:00.23), 200 breast (6th, 2:09.93), 200 IM (9th, 1:54.77) and 400 IM (3rd, 4:03.90)
  • Scored in two individual events at the 2022 NCAA Championships, taking 12th in the 200 IM (1:55.13) and 13th in the 400 IM 4:06.82) while also finishing 49th in the 200 breast (2:13.45). Swam anchor on Cal's third-place 800 free relay and the breaststroke leg on the seventh-place 200 medley relay and 12th-place 400 medley relay
  • The 2022 Pac-12 runner-up in the 400 IM (4:03.90) and claimed fourth in the 200 IM (1:55.10) and seventh in the 200 breast (2:09.93). Also helped the 800 free relay to a second-place showing
  • Co-recipient of Cal's Karen Moe Humphreys Coaches Award as a freshman in 2022
High School
  • Bronze medalist in the 200m IM at the 2019 European Junior Championships (2:14.29)
  • Former Israeli national record holder in the 400m IM
  • Member of the Israeli National Team since 2016
  • Named her school's Honor Athlete of the Year
  • Top times (LCM): 200m free – 2:01.94; 200m IM – 2:12.56; 100 breast – 1:08.97
Personal
  • Computer Science major
  • Born May 25, 2002
  • Parents are Oleg and Anna Polonsky
  • Brother, Ron, attends Stanford, and has two younger siblings, Libi and Jonathan
  • Participated in ballroom dancing for five years

Historical Player Information

  • 2021-22Freshman

    Free/Breast/IM
    5'11"
  • 2022-23Sophomore

    Free/Breast/IM
    5'11"
  • 2023-24Junior

    Free/Breast/IM
    5'11"
  • 2024-25Senior

    Free/Breast/IM
    5'11"