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Coughlin leads Bears to eighth-place finish<\b> 

AUSTIN, TX - The No. 3 ranked California women’s swim team (7-2), led by sophomore Natalie Coughlin’s three NCAA titles and national runner-up finishes in the 200 and 400 medley relays, placed eighth (245 points) at the 2002 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Austin, TX. Teri McKeever’s squad has now finished in the Top 10 nationally each of the last six years.  

A highlight for Cal in day three of the NCAA Championships was Coughlin, the 2001 NCAA Swimmer of the Year and a finalist for the Sullivan Award, winning her third individual event of the meet - the 200 back. She swam the 200 back in an American, NCAA and U.S. Open record time of 1:49.52, topping her own record set last year (1:50.90) by more than a second and a half. Teammate Alice Henriques placed sixth in the 200 back with a time of 1:56.32.  

On Saturday, Coughlin also helped the Bears to a fifth-place finish in the 400 free relay (3:17.52, Coughlin 47.47, Danielle Becks 49.15, Michelle Harper 50.25, Staciana Stitts 50.65). In that relay, her lead-off time swimming the 100 free was an NCAA, American and U.S. Open record time of 47.47, topping the record that had earlier been set by Georgia’s Maritza Correia (47.56) during the 2002 NCAA regular 100 freestyle competition.  

Cal rugby gets easy win over Chico State <\b> 

CHICO – In preparation for the upcoming playoffs in a few weeks, most of Cal’s (13-0) top performers took the day off Saturday, but the story remained the same. A mixed bag of starters and second-teamers traveled to Chico State, battled the cold and the wind and came out on top, 43-8. Seniors Mark Verlatti and James Orlando each scored two tries apiece in the victory.  

The marked the first time this season that a Cal opponent not only scored first, but had a lead in any game. Chico came out harder than expected and scratched the scoreboard first, just four minutes into the game on a penalty kick that put them up 3-0. In unfamiliar territory, with the Cal side trailing, the match went scoreless for the next 16 minutes. Junior Josh Downes received the ball at the end of a defensive lineout at the 20-minute mark and went in for the Bears’ first try of the game. Cal would not relinquish the lead again, but the Bears went into the break with a slim 19-8 lead.  

The Bears rebounded in the second half, scoring 24 unanswered points. 

“I thought that it was a solid performance ... nothing more,” said Cal head coach Jack Clark. “We rested a lot of guys today and the guys who played put in a strong effort.”  

Bear gymnasts take individual titles <\b> 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Cody Moore and David Eaton both took home individual titles as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships concluded Saturday night at Cadet’s Gymnasium West Gym on the campus of the Air Force Academy.  

Moore, a US National team member who has paced the Bears with his performances this year, took home the parallel bar title with a 9.150 performance. Eaton, a sophomore from Great Britain, tied with Oklahoma’s Everette Bierker on the high bar with a score of 9.300.  

Eaton and senior Suhail Arastu both perfomed well on the pommel horse, claiming second and third there, respectively. Bear Aaron Floyd finished as the runner-up on the floor with a 9.275 score.  

Cal will travel to the NCAA Championships in two weeks time. The tournament is slated to begin April 4 in Oklahoma.  

Cal women finish seventh at Pac-10 finals <\b> 

STANFORD – The California women’s gymnastics team concluded the 2002 season, finishing seventh at the Pac-10 Championships with a score of 189.700, Saturday evening at Maples Pavilion on the Stanford campus.  

Two-time defending champion and the nation’s current No. 1 squad, UCLA, was crowned conference champions with a 197.625 overall finish.  

No. 12 Arizona placed second with a 197.050, followed by 2001 conference champion Stanford in third, No. 14 Oregon State in fourth place with a 196.125, Washington in fifth place at 195.425, No. 16 Arizona State coming in sixth with a 194.125 and California rounding out the group in seventh at 189.700.  

Freshman My-Lan Dodd capped off a successful freshman campaign after scoring 38.875 in all-around competition to place 11th overall. Junior Stephanie Kim placed 15th in the all-around with a 36.025.  

Freshman Adrienne Garcia and Dodd finished the highest on any event for the Bears as they tied for 19th on the bars with a 9.800.