Natalie Coughlin Wins Two Events at Colleges’ Cup
VANCOUVER, B.C., November 2. THE California women's swimming team capped this weekend's Colleges' Cup with four wins Saturday. The Colleges' Cup was held in Vancouver and was hosted by the University of British Columbia. Several Canadian colleges participated at the short course meters meet including the University of Calgary, University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University.
Senior Natalie Coughlin led the Golden Bears with victories in the 100m (short course) butterfly (59.99) and 200m backstroke (2:12.75). Coughlin, who owns the short course world records in both of those events, also led Cal to a victory in the 200m free relay (Coughlin, Danielle Becks, Erin Reilly, Keiko Amano) with a time of 1:44.69.
Cal started off the day with a runner-up finish in the 400m medley relay (Helen Silver, Annie Babicz, Coughlin, Becks), as the squad touched the wall in a time of 4:13.17. The Bears were impressive in the day's second event, as Reilly and sophomore Ashley Chandler put together a one-two punch in the 400m free. Reilly won the race in 4:12.74, while Chandler finished right behind her at 4:21.42. In the bonus final of the 400m free, sophomore Kate Tiedeman finished first (4:19.60), while junior Lauren Medina took third place (4:23.07).
Coughlin won the 100m fly in the meet's third event, while junior Emma Palsson finished in fourth place (1:05.58). In the 100m fly bonus final, senior Natalie Griffith placed second (1:04.00), while senior Micha Burden finished third (1:05.81).
Coughlin recorded a consecutive victory, winning the 200m back in the fourth women's race of the day. Freshman Nadia Staubitz finished fifth in 2:22.69. Silver won the 200m back bonus final (2:14.49), while Medina finished in third place (2:22.23).
In the 100m free, Becks touched the wall in second place (57.93), while sophomore Cheryl Anne Bingaman finished fifth (58.93). Reilly won the event's bonus final (57.77), followed in second place by Burden (58.70).
In the 200m breast, Babicz clocked a time of 2:38.29 for a runner-up finish in the bonus final, while junior Amy Ng won the 400m IM bonus final in 4:55.80.
The Bears are next in action in Berkeley on Friday, Nov. 14 to compete against San Jose State at 1 p.m. at Spieker Aquatics Complex.
Full meet results from the Colleges' Cup can be found by accessing this link: http://www.pacificdolphins.com/meets/2003/collegescup/results/.