.World-Class

Cal's Olympic swimmers

SAT 2/19

This Saturday, when the Cal men’s swimming and diving team faces longtime rival Stanford in a conference dual meet, the Golden Bears will probably be ranked No. 4 nationally as they continue the Pac-10 phase of their season. But for at least seven Cal swimmers, the world doesn’t begin and end with the Pac-10. Seven current Bears competed in the Athens Olympic Summer Games last year. Duje Draganja, a senior from Croatia, won a silver medal in the fifty-meter freestyle event (21.94) — the only male Cal Olympic medalist. Six other Bears competed: junior Henrique Barbosa (Brazil), junior Milorad Cavic (Serbia and Montenegro), sophomore Rolandas Gimbutis (Lithuania), freshman Jernej Godec (Slovenia), junior Miguel Molina (Philippines), and freshman Dominik Meichtry, who joined the team in January after winning a silver medal for Switzerland in the FINA World Cup competition in Durban, South Africa — Meichtry finished seventh in his semifinal of the 200 free in the Athens Olympics.

Cal’s international swimmers have helped keep veteran coach Nort Thornton’s team in the hunt for national honors, but as usual, anything is possible in the hurly-burly of a Pac-10 dual — especially when going up against No. 1 Stanford, the cream of the conference. The men’s dual meet begins at 1 p.m. at Spieker Aquatic Complex on the UC Berkeley campus. For further details, visit CalBears.com By Kelly Vance

SAT 2/19

What Ales You

Team in Training benefit

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training bills itself as the world’s largest endurance sports training program (TeaminTraining.org). The object is to raise money for leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma research, and volunteer athletes compete in such events as a half-marathon, a triathlon, or a century (100-mile bike ride) to attract funding through pledges. They receive personalized fitness training and the camaraderie of teamwork for their efforts.

The Englander Pub in San Leandro (101 Parrott St., 510-357-3571) helps with the group’s efforts by sponsoring events such as Saturday night’s Team in Training Karaoke Benefit (8 p.m.), which features karaoke, food, a raffle, and such for $25 per. For tickets, e-mail [email protected]. For more info, visit EnglanderPub.com — Kelly Vance

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