Cal's Humberto Najera Shatters Records, Mia West Impresses at Cal Last Chance Meet
The Cal Last Chance Meet, held at the Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley, CA, from February 27 to March 1, 2026, was a spectacle of swimming excellence. Among the many standout performances, Cal's Humberto Najera emerged as the star of the show. With a stunning 200-backstroke time of 1:38.02, Najera not only claimed the fourth-fastest time in the NCAA this season but also took over a full second off his personal best. This achievement is particularly remarkable, considering his sixth-place finish at the ACC Championships with a time of 1:40.62.
Najera's Performance:
Humberto Najera's performance was nothing short of extraordinary. He started the race with a lightning-fast 47.82, nearly a second faster than his ACCs performance. The final two 50s were equally impressive, each more than eight-tenths better than his ACCs performance. This time not only beats his 2025 NCAA Championships prelims performance of 1:39.30 but also places him behind only Florida's Jonny Marshall, Texas' Hubert Kos, and Alabama's Tommy Hagar in the NCAA rankings this season.
Mia West's Splendor:
Cal's Mia West also stood out with her massive 20.63 split on the Golden Bear women's 200 free relay. Coming in as the second leg of the relay, following Mary-Ambre Moluh's 21.76 opening split, West's time ties Claire Curzan for the 15th-fastest relay split in history. West's performance is even more impressive considering she won the 200 fly at the ACC championships in 1:51.52, a time that ranks 5th in the NCAA this season. Her fastest 50 free came in December at the Minnesota Invitational, in 22.14, making this split a second and a half faster than her fastest flat-start 50 free.
The Rest of the Relay:
The rest of the relay team, Teagan O'Dell and Sydney Griscavage, combined in 1:25.67, marking the fifth-fastest 200 free relay in the country this season and the fifth team under 1:26 this season.
Kathryn Hazle and Alexa McDevitt's Rise:
Both Kathryn Hazle and Alexa McDevitt moved up in the NCAA rankings in the women's 400 IM for Cal. Hazle swam her first best time in this event in three years, previously holding a best time of 4:07.44 from November of 2022, dipping under 4:07 for the first time in 4:06.54. McDevitt finished just behind Hazle in 4:07.29, continuing her rapid growth in the event since joining the program in the fall. Her time here tops the 4:08.21 season best from the Minnesota Invite in December and makes her the 31st-fastest performer this season.
Stanford's Strong Performance:
Stanford also had a nice 1-2 punch with Alana Berlin and Levenia Sim climbing the women's 100 back national rankings and into the top 30. Berlin swam the fastest time of her freshman season in 51.40, marking just her third time under 52 in her college career. Sim is directly behind Berlin in 30th, 0.06 seconds slower, in 51.46. That time is more than three tenths faster than her fastest this season, which came at ACCs last week in 51.78.
Zachary Tan's Breakthrough:
Cal's Zachary Tan turned in his first-ever sub-52-second time in 51, moving him into a precarious tie for 33rd in the NCAA this season. Last season, the cutline sat at 29th, with that time being 51.58. There is a strong possibility of some movement ahead of him, which may just do enough to sneak him into the NCAA Championships.
Thought-Provoking Questions:
While Najera's performance is undoubtedly impressive, it raises the question: Can he maintain this form throughout the rest of the season? Similarly, West's relay split is a testament to her versatility, but can she replicate this performance in other events? And what does Stanford's strong showing mean for the rest of the season? These questions and more will be answered as the season progresses, leaving fans eager to see how these swimmers fare in the upcoming NCAA Championships.
