No. 2 Bears Edge No. 9 USC, 134-109
Courtesy: Cal Athletics  
Release:  02/03/2006

Feb. 3, 2006

Complete Results

LOS ANGELES - Second-ranked California swam six NCAA automatic qualifying times and set five pool records in a narrow 134-109 dual-meet win over ninth-ranked USC on Friday afternoon at McDonald's Swim Stadium. Cal, which won seven of 13 events, improved its record to 6-0 (3-0 Pac-10), while the Trojans fell to 5-3 (1-2).

Five different Bears won individual events and Cal won two relays in the clash of conference powers. Cal freshman David Russell won the 200-yard backstroke in an automatic NCAA qualifying mark of 1:41.88, which put him second on Cal's all-time top 10 list. The product of Wellesley, Mass., also led off Cal's 400-yard medley relay (Russell, senior Henrique Barbosa, sophomore Jernej Godec and junior Jonas Tilly), which won the meet's first event in an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 3:09.89. The time also makes the Cal A quartet the fifth fastest on Cal's all-time top 10 list.

Senior Bears Henrique Barbosa and Miguel Molina won the 200 breaststroke (1:56.45) and the 200 individual medley (1:46.11), respectively, in Cal season-high times and automatic NCAA qualifying times. Freshman teammate Sam Helvie won the three-meter springboard with a score of 310.80 and was third on the one-meter board (323.63). Cal took the top four spots in the 50 freestyle, with sophomore William Copeland winning in an NCAA B qualifying mark of 20.20 followed by sophomore teammate Joe Whittington (20.25), junior teammate Jonas Tilly (20.39) and senior teammate Evan Lane (20.54).

Copeland led off Cal's winning 400-free relay (Copeland, senior Matt Lyon, sophomore Garrett Wagner and Tilly), which swam an NCAA B qualifying time and Cal season-high time of 2:55.91. Wagner picked up another automatic NCAA qualifying time for Cal with a second-place finish (1:35.56) in the 200 freestyle. USC's Ous Mellouli won in 1:34.43.

Cal junior Daniel Lysaught made big news despite twice finishing as the runner-up to USC's Larsen Jensen, the meet's only multi-event winner. A junior from Queensland, Australia, Lysaught took second in the 1000-yard freestyle with a new personal record and Cal season high of 8:54.96. The time places him second on Cal's all-time top 10 list and replaces his old PR of 8:56.68 that he set against Arizona on Jan. 20 in Berkeley. Jensen, a U.S. Olympian, won the 1000 in 8:48.34.

The Aussie also set a PR and Cal season high in the 500 freestyle, swimming a 4:18.78 to Jensen's 4:17.09. Lysaught's time is the third fastest in Cal history and an automatic NCAA qualifying mark.

The two teams combined to set eight new McDonald's Swim Stadium records, with Cal breaking the old marks in the 400-free relay (2:55.91), 400-medley relay (3:09.89), 200 back (1:41.88), 200 IM (1:46.11) and 200 breaststroke (1:56.45). The Trojans set new 500 (4:17.09) and 1000 free (8:48.34) marks and the new record in the 200 fly (Sam Masson, 1:45.77).

Cal ends its road trip with a non-scoring meet against UC Santa Barbara at 10 a.m. on Saturday in Santa Barbara.

California Results at USC

400-Yard Medley Relay
1. Cal A (David Russell, Henrique Barbosa, Jernej Godec, Jonas Tilly) 3:09.89. 3. Cal B (Milorad Cavic, Graham Lentz, Patrick O'Neil, Matt Lyon) 3:17.63.

1000-Yard Freestyle
2. Daniel Lysaught 8:54.96. 3. Michael Jafari 9:17.11.

200-Yard Freestyle
2. Garrett Wagner 1:35.56. 3. Dominik Meichtry 1:35.63. 4. Louis Vayo 1:37.07.

50-Yard Freestyle
1. William Copeland 20.20. 2. Joe Whittington 20.25. 3. Jonas Tilly 20.39. 4. Evan Lane 20.54.

200-Yard Individual Medley
1. Miguel Molina 1:46.11. 6. Jernej Godec 1:52.38. 7. Graham Lentz 1:53.13.

1-Meter Springboard
3. Sam Helvie 323.63. 4. Javier Rivas 279.53.

200-Yard Butterfly
2. Patrick O'Neil 1:46.14. 5. Miguel Molina 1:50.22. 6. Garrett Wagner 1:50.42. 7. Ian Lentz 1:50.68.

100-Yard Freestyle
2. William Copeland 44.23. 3. Matt Lyon 44.48. 4. Joe Whittington 44.49. 5. Milorad Cavic 44.64.

200-Yard Backstroke
1. David Russell 1:41.88. 3. Louis Vayo 1:45.59. 4. Chris Gibson 1:46.61.

500-Yard Freestyle
2. Daniel Lysaught 4:18.78. 3. Dominik Meichtry 4:28.41. 5. Michael Jafari 4:31.88.

3-Meter Springboard
1. Sam Helvie 310.80. 4. Javier Rivas 257.55.

200-Yard Breaststroke
1. Henrique Barbosa 1:56.45. 3. Graham Lentz 1:59.50. 4. Miguel Molina 2:01.15. 8. Ian Lentz 2:06.52.

400-yard Freestyle Relay
1. Cal A (William Copeland, Matt Lyon, Garrett Wagner, Jonas Tilly) 2:55.91. 3. Cal B (Joe Whittington, Evan Lane, Jernej Godec, Louis Vayo) 2:57.45.