Sierra women eye first state title, Golden West men look to return
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. —Last year, Sierra College made history with its first-ever state men’s championship. After two days of the 2017 CCCAA State Swimming and Diving Championships, it’s Sierra’s women’s team that hopes to accomplish its first team title in the sport.
The Wolverines have a commanding 100-point lead over Santa Rosa after 28 events Friday at the East Los Angeles College Swim Stadium. Meanwhile, Golden West, the state champion for three straight years before Sierra knocked them off last year, is looking to return to the state podium with a 65-point lead over fellow Orange Empire Conference foe Riverside.
The women’s side has three North teams occupying the top three spots with Las Positas right behind SRJC.
It was a rare night for the ELAC site as there were no state meet records set.
WOMEN STANDINGS: 1. Sierra 326, 2. Santa Rosa 226, 3. Las Positas 224, 4. San Diego Mesa 219, 5. Santa Barbara City 217, 6. Palomar 182, 7. Orange Coast 146, 8. San Mateo 133, 9. Cuesta 132, 10. Riverside City 124.
MEN STANDINGS: 1. Golden West 379, 2. Riverside CC 314, 3. Sierra 312, 4. Las Positas 215, 5. Santa Rosa 174, 6. San Diego Mesa 152, 7. Diablo Valley 141, 8. Orange Coast 133, 9. Pasadena City 98, 10. San Joaquin Delta 95.
Event 13: Women’s 200 Medley Relay
1. San Mateo, 1:47.71 (Erica Vong, Gabriela Montoya, Supriya Sharma, Isabella Paragas)
Vong continued to be a focal point at this state meet with her opening 25.08 backstroke giving San Mateo a hefty 2-second lead. The Bulldogs never looked back and posted a near 2-second victory over second-place Santa Rosa (1:49.65) and third finisher West Valley (1:49.73). In an amazing year for North relays, five NorCal teams finished 1-to-5 in the final. Cuesta had the best South mark in sixth at 1:51.40. It was San Mateo’s first-ever relays state crown.
Event 14: Men’s 200 Medley Relay
1. Riverside CC, 1:32.54 (Arnaud Magnan, Maxence Bouvier, Lazar Raca, Kyle Acevedo) Riverside trailed Sierra after the opening leg, but Bouvier’s 24.87 second breaststroke swim allowed the Tigers to take the lead. Santa Rosa though would go ahead after 150 yards thanks to R.J. Williams butterfly leg of 21.44. That lead was fleeting as anchor Acevedo was a speedy 20.54 leading to the Tigers .53 relays win. Sierra was second at 1:33.07 and Golden West a finger-tip away at 1:33.09 in third.
Event 15: Women’s 400 Individual Medley
1. Sierra Cox, Orange Coast, 4:35.99
After a tough last-second loss in the 500 freestyle on Thursday, Cox was determined to win gold here. She traded leads at different junctures, falling behind San Francisco’s Sophia Greco twice and then giving up the lead to Palomar’s Michelle Jacob after three legs. But Cox’s freestyle is her bread and butter and the sophomore swam 59.68 over the last leg to allow her to beat regular season top seed Claudia Guillory (silver, 4:37.09) and Santa Rosa’s Mary Lane (bronze, 4:40.41). It was the second year in a row that a Pirates swimmer won the event.
Event 16: Men’s 400 Individual Medley
1. Farouk Zaoui, Riverside, 4:02.22
Zaoui was in tight quarters trying to fend off two swimmers, including Golden West’s Santiago Rivera by .08 of a second after 300 yards, but he kicked into high gear over the final 100 yards and won the longer IM title going away over second-place Rivera (4:04.56) and third-place Timothy Hornyak (LA Valley, 4:04.72).
Event 17: Women’s 100 Butterfly
1. Mary Faridnia, West Valley, 56.65
Faridnia got out in front in the first 50, then held off a closing Emma Thomas of Palomar (56.74), beating her to the wall by .09 of a second for a state title. Golden West’s Samm Crocker placed third at 58.24.
Event 18: Men’s 100 Butterfly
1. R.J. Williams, Santa Rosa, 48.57
Williams won his second title in as many days with a strong opening 50 of 22.41. He ended up winning by a hefty margin for a 100 race as Donny Hadden (Orange Coast) took second at 50.41, Santa Monica’s Oliver Kabilka was third (50.48) and Sierra’s Riley Meyer in fourth (50.65).
Event 19: Women’s 200 Freestyle
1. Anna Stahlak, San Diego Mesa, 1:52.26
Stahlak got out early at 26.87 and 54.37, handling the field in winning a state crown. Only Pasadena City’s Melissa Cienega was able to challenge her with a 28.85 over the last 50 that gave her second with a PCC school record 1:53.88. Las Positas’ Paris Sinclair was third at 1:56.92 and San Diego Mesa’s Samantha Schmidt right behind her at 1:56.94.
Event 20: Men’s 200 Freestyle
1. Zhen Teo, Santa Monica, 1:38.62
In an easily the most exciting race of the day, Teo needed the final wall touch to just beat out Golden West’s Chadd Maurer (1:38.64) for the state title by .02 of a second. Teo, who led after the first 100, made up .40 over the last 50 yards to overtake the speedy Rustlers’ swimmer who was prevented from repeating as 200 free champion after his 1:39.04 win last year. San Diego Mesa’s Christopher Evangelista finished third at 1:41.63.
Event 21: Women’s 100 Breaststroke
1. Dominique Yoder, West Valley, 1:04.75
Yoder held off Santa Rosa’s Taylor Sargis (1:04.97) by .22 to win a state crown. Cuesta’s Lauren Davis scored a third place at 1:05.37.
1. Maxence Bouvier, Riverside CC, 54.93
Event 23: Women’s 100 Backstroke
1. Erica Vong, San Mateo, 54.77
Vong made her magic in Thursday’s epic state meet record backstroke swim of 54.46 in the medley relay, but she was certainly happy to win her second event of the ’17 meet with an easy triumph over the rest of the field. Santa Rosa’s Hailey Vance placed second (57.78) and Riverside’s Mary Myers was third (58.02). Las Positas’ Alex Torres grabbed fourth (58.13).
Event 24: Men’s 100 Backstroke
1. Samuel Jo, Pasadena City, 50.20
Jo had three swimmers on his tail after the first 50, but his explosive 25.55 final 50 was the knockout blow as he set his school’s new record in the 100 back. Jo became the first Lancer in five years to win a men’s state title. Golden West’s Aidan Lund grabbed the silver at 51.27 while Las Positas’ Matt Lee scored a bronze in 51.65. Long Beach City’s Aaron Mowl hit the wall right behind in fourth at 51.78.
Event 25: Women’s 800 Freestyle Relay
1. San Diego Mesa, 7:50.68 (Anna Stahlak, Andreanna Mill, Anya Lavoie, Samantha Schmidt)
The Olympians started with 200 free state champ Stahlak’s opening 100 of 55.78 and then led from wire to wire in a 5.10 second rout for this state relay title. Orange Coast took second at 7:55.78, Sierra was third in 7:58.41 and Santa Barbara CC was the only other team to break 8 minutes in 7:58.67.
Event 26: Men’s 800 Freestyle Relay
1. Golden West, 6:47.16 (Garrett Wasserman, Blake Williamson, Jacob Thompson, Chadd Maurer)
Golden West knows the importance of relay titles and points as it again won the final relay of the night as it did on Thursday. GWC leads the team standings. Bouvier gave Riverside a slim lead after the first 200, but Williamson’s 1:41.82 second leg put the Rustlers’ ahead at the midway point. Thompson held that lead and then anchor Maurer soared at 1:40.47 to cap a relatively easy victory. Riverside took second at 6:51.61 and Sierra was third in 6:51.93.
Event 27: Women’s 3-meter Diving
1. Alejandra Gomez, Cypress, 259.15 Points
Gomez found herself in third after four dives, but she moved to second on her fifth attempt that included four 8s from the judges on a forward 1-1/2 somersault, 1 twist, free dive. Then Gomez scored the gold with a brilliant 49.20 point score on a forward 2-1/2 somersault pike. Gomez beat out Las Positas’ Valentina Barbalinardo (247.25 points) and 1-meter state champ Gina Jacobson (Santa Barbara, 241.65). Defending 3-meter state champ Nicole Cox of Sierra was fourth with 226.75 points.
Event 28: Men’s 1-meter Diving
1. Noah Luna, Chaffey, 252.50 Points
Luna was consistent throughout his six dives, including scoring six 8s (two plus .5) on a reverse dive pike on his fourth attempt. It was his reverse 1-1/2 somersault tuck that scored him 44.10 points and put things away on his fifth dive as the Chaffey diver was crowned short board champ. Three-meter state champ Travis Russo took the silver with 233.70 points and Las Positas’ Johnny Stalie was third with 203.40. No other diver scored higher than 169 points. Luna was second a day earlier in the 3-meter dive.
Release by Robert Lewis, CCCSIA, CCCAA Meet SID
Pool side contact number 818-679-1335