The California Golden Bears and Stanford Cardinal hosted Arizona State for a two-day tri-meet that featured some of the fastest early season swims in the country. The meet began Friday afternoon at Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center before going across the Bay to Berkeley’s Spieker Aquatics Complex on Saturday, marking the Bears’ home debut.
Day one at the Avery Aquatic Center brought ideal racing conditions with a bright, sunny afternoon that set the stage for fast racing. Less than 24 hours later, the tri-meet moved across the Bay, where rain fell steadily over Spieker Aquatics Complex, leaving the swimmers, coaches, and fans soaked. Despite the change in weather, the energy on deck never faded and the performances remained just as electric.
The Stanford women continued their dominance with a 191–148 win over Cal and a one sided 233–105 result against Arizona State, while Cal defeated ASU 233–107. Despite the Cardinal’s depth, the meet featured breakout performances from Cal’s highly ranked freshmen class.
One being Teagan O’Dell, while celebrating her birthday with an electric double on day two, winning both the 200 back (1:51.83) and 200 IM (1:55.19), both are times that ranked among the top five nationally this season. Fellow freshman Claire Weinstein led a Cal sweep in the 500 freestyle (4:39.23), followed by teammates Camille Henveaux (4:41.64) and Ella Cosgrove (4:43.15).
In the 200 breaststroke, Silje Slyngstadli narrowly fell to Stanford’s Caroline Bricker, touching second at 2:09.54 in a race decided by four-tenths of a second.
Veteran Presence from French Olympian Mary-Ambre Moluh continued to show her range, taking second in the 50 free (22.31) and leading off Cal’s 200 free relay that placed just behind Stanford. The Bears’ relay team of Moluh, Mia West, Sydney Griscavage, and Weinstein clocked 1:28.36, finishing only four-tenths behind the Cardinal’s winning time.
Stanford’s Standouts of Olympian Torri Huske once again led the way for Stanford, winning the 100 fly (51.05) and anchoring two winning relays. Freshman Annam Olasewere impressed with a 22.25 victory in the 50 free, edging Moluh in a race that came down to the touch.
On the men’s side, Arizona State came out on top, defeating both Cal (198–139) and Stanford (204–134). Stanford topped Cal in the Bay Area rivalry, 205–134, as the meet highlighted the strength of ASU’s sprint group and Cal’s dominance in the distance and breaststroke events.
Sophomore Yamato Okadome delivered one of the top swims of the weekend, taking the 200 breaststroke in 1:51.66 which is the fastest time in the country this season. His dominant win established him as an early national title contender.
Freshman Ryan Erisman continued his impressive collegiate debut with a win in the 500 freestyle (4:15.76), leading from start to finish. As well as setting a school record in the 1000 freestyle with a time of 8:43.48. Senior Humberto Najera placed second in the 200 back (1:41.61) after an exciting duel with ASU’s JT Ewing.
ASU’s sprint squad stole the spotlight. Florida transfer Adam Chaney (18.98) led a Sun Devil sweep in the 50 free, followed closely by Remi Fabiani (19.05) and Tolu Young (19.15). The team capped the meet with a powerful 1–2 finish in the 200 free relay, highlighted by Jonny Kulow’s blistering 18.36 anchor split on the winning relay (1:15.52).
Stanford’s Rafael Gu earned a second-place finish in the 100 fly (46.22), while freshman Daniel Li impressed in the 200 breast (1:53.50) behind Okadome.
Final Team Scores:
Men
ASU def. Cal, 198–139
ASU def. Stanford, 204–134
Stanford def. Cal, 205–134
Women
Stanford def. Cal, 191–148
Stanford def. ASU, 233–105
Cal def. ASU, 233–107
Looking Ahead
For both Cal teams, the meet served as an early-season benchmark against elite competition. The Bears’ freshmen, led by O’Dell, Weinstein, and Erisman, showcased the program’s bright future, while veterans like Okadome and Moluh continued to lead with experience and consistency.
With the season still young, Cal will most likely carry this momentum into its next stretch of dual meets, sharpening its lineup ahead of winter invitationals, 2026 ACC Championships, and the 2026 NCAA Championships that will take place in Atlanta, Georgia.
