Baseball
2007 Record: 29-26
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 12-12/4th
Cal made a late bid for a postseason berth, winning six of its last eight games, but was not selected for an NCAA regional despite finishing alone in fourth place in the Pac-10 standings. The Bears did have two players, sophomore right-hander Tyson Ross and sophomore first baseman David Cooper, earn first-team All-Pac-10 accolades, while four others - sophomore right-hander Matt Gorgen, sophomore left-hander Craig Bennigson, and freshman outfielders Blake Smith and Jeff Kobernus - were tabbed honorable mention All-Pac-10.
Men's Basketball
2006-07 Record: 16-17
2006-07 Pac-10 Finish: 6-12/8th
After an injury-plagued regular season that limited Cal to no more than nine healthy scholarship players for most of the year, the Bears came alive in the Pac-10 Tournament, defeating Oregon State, 70-51, in the opening round and upending top-seeded UCLA, 76-69 in overtime, to reach the semifinals for the fourth time in the last six years. Pac-10 All-Freshman team member Ryan Anderson was the only player to rank among the top five in the league in both scoring and rebounding, while Ayinde Ubaka, who matched his career high with 29 points in the tourney win over the Bruins, finished 17th on Cal's all-time scoring list with 1,194 points.
Women's Basketball
2006-07 Record: 23-9
2006-07 Pac-10 Finish: 12-6/3rd
NCAA Finish: 1st Round
Under the direction of Pac-10 Coach of the Year Joanne Boyle, Cal assembled one of its best seasons in school history. The Bears finished the year one win shy of matching the 1983-84 Bears (24-8) for the school record for most wins in a season and earned consecutive NCAA Tournament berths for only the second time in program history. This year's team also placed third in the Pac-10 for a school-best showing, and at 12-6, the Bears equaled the 1991-92 squad for the best Pac-10 record in school history. Devanei Hampton, the Pac-10 Player of the Year, and Ashley Walker garnered honorable mention Associated Press All-America honors.
Men's Crew
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 2nd
2007 IRA Finish: 5th
Cal finished fifth in the varsity eight grand final at the IRA championships on the Cooper River in Camden N.J., but the Bears did not leave the regatta without their fair share of medals. Cal's freshman eight won the national title - the ninth consecutive year the Bears have placed among the top three. In addition, Cal captured championships in the freshman four and varsity four. The Bears' freshman eight also won its fifth straight Pac-10 title, while the varsity eight placed second in the conference races.
Women's Crew
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 2nd
2007 NCAA Finish: 7th
After winning national team titles in both 2005 and 2006, Cal finished seventh at this year's NCAA championships in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Bears' second varsity eight had the highest finish among Cal's boats, taking second in the grand final. Cal's varsity four also reached the medal stand with a third-place showing, while the varsity eight placed 13th. At the Pac-10 regatta, the Bears won the second varsity race and were third in the varsity eight. Cal placed second behind USC in the team standings.
Men's Cross Country
2006 Pac-10 Finish: 8th
Led by David Torrence's 13th-place showing, Cal finished 10th at the NCAA West Regional in the fall. Torrence, an all-region and second-team All-Pac-10 choice, capped the season with his first appearance at the NCAA championships, where he was 92nd out of 250 runners. Torrence paced the Bears in all five races he competed in, recording four top-25 performances. Mark Matusak also stood out for Cal, finishing second among all Bears' runners in all four of his races. Chris Chavez was tabbed first-team Pac-10 All-Academic, while Matusak was a second-team pick.
Women's Cross Country
2006 Pac-10 Finish: 9th
Cal won the USF Invitational and Aggie Open to start the season and wrapped up the year with an 18th-place finish at the NCAA West Regional. Junior Rebecca Yau led Cal in five of the six events she entered in 2006 and posted three top-15 results. Yau paced the Bears at the Pac-10 championships (26th, 21:35.57) and at the NCAA West Regional (33rd, 22:24.69). Bridget Duffy, Pippa MacDonald, Elizabeth Mayeda, Mackenzie Pierce, Lisa Sandoval and Yau were honorable mention Pac-10 All-Academic selections.
Field Hockey
2006 Record: 17-5
2006 NorPac Finish: 6-0/1st
2006 NCAA Finish: 1st Round
Senior Valentina Godfrid led the Bears through an undefeated conference season and into the NCAA Tournament. The national leader in both goals (34) and points (75), Godfrid became the first Cal player to be named a first-team All-American since 1987. She also capped off her Cal career topping the Golden Bear charts in career goals (93) and career point (220). A second-team All-West Region selection, sophomore Ashley Glosz was second on the team in goals with 13. Shellie Onstead was voted NorPac Conference Coach of the Year for the sixth time.
Football
2006 Record: 10-3
2006 Pac-10 Finish: 7-2/T1st
2006 Final Ranking: 14th
The Golden Bear football team continued its impressive run of success in 2006, winning 10 games for just the eighth time in school history, advancing to a school-record fourth straight bowl game, achieving a Top 10 national ranking for the third year in a row and capturing a share of the Pac-10 title for the first time since 1975. The season culminated with a convincing 45-10 triumph over Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl. Cornerback Daymeion Hughes and wide receiver/return specialist DeSean Jackson were honored as consensus All-Americans. Hughes was the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, while Marshawn Lynch earned the same honor on the offensive side of the ball. Lynch, linebacker Desmond Bishop and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane joined Hughes and Jackson as All-Americans.
Men's Golf
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 9th
2007 NCAA Regional Finish: 14th
Cal returned to the national scene by qualifying for the NCAA West Regional for the first time since winning the national championship in 2004. The Bears posted their best performance of the season at the regional, but fell just short of advancing to nationals. Junior Michael Jensen stepped into a starring role in the spring, pacing the team in five of its eight events, including an impressive 18th-place finish at regionals. Junior Brandon Beck was also strong at regionals, tying for 30th. Chris Jensen led a trio of freshmen on the young Cal roster, averaging a 73.2 over seven tournaments.
Women's Golf
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 5th
2007 NCAA Regional Finish: 19th
Cal earned its eighth consecutive bid for the NCAA regionals on the strength of a fifth-place showing at the Pac-10 championships. Sophomore Allison Goodman was the Bears' most consistent golfer, pacing the Bears in eight of their 11 events and finishing fifth at the Pac-10 Tournament. Both Goodman and freshman Sofia Janer were chosen honorable mention all-conference.
Men's Gymnastics
2007 Record: 11-10
2007 MPSF Finish: 3rd
2007 NCAA Finish: 7th
Cal completed its season with a Top-10 NCAA championships finish for the 11th time in the last 12 years with a seventh-place standing. Junior Tim McNeill captured two national titles, winning both the pommel horse and the parallel bars at the NCAA meet. He also won the pommel horse as a sophomore in 2006. In addition, junior Colin Christ and sophomore Kyson Bunthuwong earned All-America honors. The Bears' biggest team win was a victory over then-No. 3 Ohio State March 10 in Berkeley, while Cal also placed third at the MPSF championships.
Women's Gymnastics
2007 Record: 11-18
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 0-6/7th
2007 NCAA Regional Finish: 4th
Cal capped off the 2007 season with its highest ranking since 2004 when the Bears were ranked 26th at the end of the year. Cal hosted the NCAA West Regional in Haas Pavilion and captured fourth place on its home floor. The Bears posted their second-highest team score in school history when they totaled 196.500 in a quad meet at UC Davis. Sophomore Jessica Kelley continued to progress, coming through with a career-best 39.450 in the all-around competition at Davis. Four gymnasts also scored 9.900 or higher in three different events this season.
Lacrosse
2007 Record: 7-10
2007 MPSF Finish: 2-3/4th
Cal reached the MPSF Tournament third-place game to cap its season. Senior Laura Cavallo ended her career as the Golden Bears' all-time leader in both total points (202 points) and goals (145), while senior teammate Liz Reifsnyder wound up her career ranked second in assists (63) in Cal history. Cavallo and senior goalkeeper Hilary Lynch tied the mark for most games played as a Bear (73 each). Head coach Jill Malko retired from coaching after the season and accepted a position in the University Relations office on campus.
Rugby
2007 Record: 25-1
2007 National Finish: 1st
En route to their 37-7 repeat victory over BYU in the championship final, the Bears swept all collegiate competition, including the British Columbia Thunderbirds, for their eighth "World Cup" in the last 11 years. Cal lost its only match when the Bears fell six points short to the 2006 Rugby Super League champion OMBAC. In the national tournament, Cal beat its postseason opponents by the combined score of 166-10 for its 23rd championship and fourth collegiate title in a row. Sophomore Colin Hawley was honored as MVP of the championship.
Men's Soccer
2006 Record: 13-6-1
2006 Pac-10 Finish: 7-3-0/1st
NCAA Finish: 3rd Round
Cal collected its first Pac-10 title and head coach Kevin Grimes received an unprecedented third Pac-10 Coach of the Year Award before the Bears began their NCAA College Cup campaign. The tournament's 13th seed, Cal received a first-round bye and defeated New Mexico, 3-1, before falling at Virginia. Forward Javier Ayala-Hil, midfielder Eric Ebert, midfielder Andrew Jacobson and defender Steve Purdy earned first-team All-Pac-10 notice. Purdy, Cal's second-leading scorer with five goals, was selected to several All-America teams, while Ayala-Hil paced the squad with 12 goals, which tied for second in the Pac-10.
Women's Soccer
2006 Record: 12-5-5
2006 Pac-10 Finish: 3-3-3/6th
NCAA Finish: 2nd Round
Cal made its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance and eighth in the last nine seasons in 2006. Behind two goals and an assist from Julia Schnugg, Cal defeated Auburn, 3-1, in the first round of NCAAs before falling to Florida State, 3-1. The Bears solidified their postseason fate by posting dramatic wins over No. 4 Santa Clara (1-0 OT) and No. 11 Stanford (1-0) during the final week of the regular season. Courtney Hooker, Nadia Al-Lami and Caroline Lea received first-team All-Pac-10 accolades. Kevin Boyd resigned as head coach after the year's end and was succeeded by Neil McGuire, a former head coach at Texas Tech and Mississippi State.
Softball
2007 Record: 34-32
2007 Pac-10 Record/Finish: 7-14/8th
2007 NCAA Finish: Regionals
Cal received its 22nd consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament - the longest active streak in the Pac-10 and second longest in the country. With a squad that featured seven freshmen and faced the nation's fourth-toughest schedule, the Bears had eight wins over Top 25 teams. Five players earned all-conference recognition, including lone senior Alex Sutton, who nabbed second-team honors after pacing the squad with 12 home runs and 47 RBI. Gina Leomiti batted a team-high .354, while Cal set a school record with 322 runs scored on the year.
Men's Swimming & Diving
2006-07 Record: 5-3
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 2nd
2007 NCAA Finish: 8th
Patrick O'Neil won the 200 butterfly at the NCAA championships in a school-record 1:42.98 to lead Cal to an eighth-place national finish, the 10th consecutive year the Bears have finished in the Top 10. At the Pac-10 meet, O'Neil (200fly), Dominik Meichtry (200 freestyle) and David Russell (100 backstroke) each captured a conference title. As a team, Cal was the league runner-up. Sophomore Sam Helvie was named the Pac-10 Diver of the Month for January, while Meichtry was the conference Swimmer of the Month for January, as well.
Women's Swimming & Diving
2006-07 Record: 10-1
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 3rd
2007 NCAA Finish: 3rd
Behind individual titles from Dana Vollmer and Jessica Hardy, plus three relay championships, Cal finished third at the NCAA meet - the highest placing in the program's history. Vollmer won the 100 butterfly, with Hardy repeating as champion in the 100 breaststroke. In addition, the Bears captured the 400 free relay, 800 free relay and 400 medley relay all in American-record times. Cal won nine Pac-10 titles - six individual and three relays - and placed third at the conference meet. Freshman diver Samantha Young was named the Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year.
Men's Tennis
2007 Record: 14-10
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 4-3/T3rd
2007 NCAA Finish: 1st Round
For the eighth year in a row, head coach Peter Wright guided Cal into the NCAA Tournament. The Bears, however, lost a hard-fought match to Oklahoma in the first round, 4-3. During the regular season, Cal defeated Stanford in both meetings, with the first contest a 7-0 sweep in Berkeley. The second victory was the regular-season finale that played a big part in Cal's clinching a spot in the NCAA championships. Junior Pierre Mouillon earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors and was ranked in the Top 35 of the ITA singles rankings the entire year.
Women's Tennis
2007 Record: 23-7
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 5-3/4th
2007 NCAA Finish: Semifinals
Cal upset second-ranked Georgia in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2003 and the sixth time in the history of the program. The Bears ended the season ranked No. 5 and featured three All-Americans. Susie Babos and Zsuzsanna Fodor earned All-America honors in both singles and doubles, and the tandem was named the Pac-10 Doubles Team of the Year. Freshman Nina Henkel was also an All-American in singles and a second-team All-Pac-10 selection. In addition, head coach Jan Brogan retired after 29 seasons at the helm of the program.
Men's Track & Field
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 9th
2007 NCAA Finish: 68th
In a year that included a Top-20 finish at the NCAA indoor championships, Cal had a slew of outstanding individual performances. Most notably, junior David Torrence broke a 50-year-old record in the mile, running 3:58.62 on Edwards Track. Junior Ed Wright was an indoor and outdoor All-American in the high jump with a sixth-place finish at both NCAA meets. Senior Kevin Davis also finished 10th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:41.51) at the NCAA outdoor championships.
Women's Track & Field
2007 Pac-10 Finish: 8th
2007 NCAA Finish: 8th
Behind championships from junior Alysia Johnson (800 meters) and senior Kelechi Anyanwu (discus), Cal finished a program-record eighth at the NCAA outdoor meet. Johnson ran the third-fastest collegiate time ever in the 800, finishing in 1:59.29, while Anyanwu's toss of 188-11 was also a school record. In addition, senior Carrie Johnson was sixth in the shot put and sophomore Inika McPherson claimed sixth in the high jump. At the NCAA indoor championships, Johnson's title in the 800 meters propelled the Bears to 15th place.
Volleyball
2006 Record: 22-10
2006 Pac-10 Finish: 9-9/5th
2006 NCAA Finish: Sweet 16
Cal made its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to the Round of 16 for the second time in school history. The Bears were ranked 13th in the final AVCA poll after defeating LSU and Cal Poly in the NCAA first and second rounds in San Luis Obispo, before falling to Stanford at regionals. Cal opened the year by winning 14 of its first 15 matches, capturing three in-season tournaments along the way. Junior outside hitter Angie Pressey, who had a team-high 487 kills, was chosen first-team All-Pac-10 for the third straight year, as well as a second-team All-American. Senior libero Jillian Davis completed her career with a school-record 1,810 digs.
Men's Water Polo
2006 Record: 31-4
2006 MPSF Finish: 6-2/1st
2006 NCAA Finish: 1st
Cal won its NCAA-record 12th NCAA championship with a 7-6 victory over USC on junior Jeff Tyrrell's last-second shot in the national title match. Tyrell also scored the game-winner in the MPSF championship game when the Bears defeated the Trojans, 6-5, to give Cal an automatic bid in the NCAA field. Head coach Kirk Everist was named national Coach of the Year, while junior goalie Mark Sheredy was selected NCAA Tournament MVP. The Golden Bears had 10 All-Americans, including MPSF Tournament MVP John Mann. Mann paced Cal with 80 goals and finished his career as a three-time first-team All-American.
Women's Water Polo
2007 Record: 12-11
2007 MPSF Finish: 6-6/7th
The Cal women's water polo program placed ninth in the MPSF Tournament, concluding its season with a 9-8 victory over host Arizona State. Senior Elsie Windes was named second-team All-MPSF, despite missing five matches during the year when she was with the gold medal-winning USA National team at the World Championships. In addition, Darby Anderson was selected to the MPSF All-Freshman squad. Freshman Grace Reynolds paced Cal with 43 goals and junior Molly Hayes was the March 13 MPSF Player of the Week.
