AN EVEN DOZEN EVENT WINS FOR OCC'S WOMEN IN STATE SWIM CHAMPIONSHIP RUNAWAY; SIERRA CAPTURES 1st MEN’S CROWN
State Championships [Preview][Psych Sheets][Timeline][Fact Sheet]
Results [Day 1][Day 2][Day 3]
[Day 1 Recap][Day 2 Recap]
Complete domination. That was the only way to describe the 2016 state title achieved by the Orange Coast College women's team at the CCCAA Swimming and Diving State Championships held May 5-7 at East Los Angeles College.
The Pirates won an amazing 12 events, including the first seven swim events of the meet.
"We spent all year working for this weekend and this result is exactly what we were going for," said Orange Coast head coach Anthony Iacopetti. "These results came from discipline and hard work and couldn't be more proud of our team."
Orange Coast closed out the meet by winning its fifth relay, the 400-yard freestyle relay. OCC set a state meet record in the 200 medley relay and sophomore Rebecca Aguilar was Women's Swimmer of the Meet with gold medals in the 50, 100, and 200 freestyle. Alexa Clayfield scored wins in the 200 and 400 individual medleys, Sierra Cox won the 500 freestyle and Hannah Veseth won the 100 breaststroke.
OCC won its 18th women's state team title and first since 2012. The Pirates outdistanced second-place Sierra, 337, and third place Santa Rosa, 294.
Sierra College made some history as it captured its first-ever men's state championship, scoring 543.50 points to unseat 3-time defending state champ Golden West (runner-up with 508). Orange Coast was third place with 382 behind four event victories.
Sierra head coach Chris Breitbart said, "I'm extremely proud of this great team. At the first meeting of the school year, the swimmers said 'we are going to win the state championship this year.' The kids put in the work, and they were able to do it."
The Wolverines won two events, the 400 medley relay and Slava Illin's spectacular gold in the mile freestyle. Sierra sealed the deal by taking second in the 400 freestyle relay.
The East Los Angeles College Swim Stadium continues to produce state meet records, six this weekend for a new count of 47 in the six years that the Monterey Park campus has hosted the state meet.
WOMEN STANDINGS: 1. Orange Coast 569, 2. Sierra 337, 3. Santa Rosa 294, 4. Santa Barbara 281, 5. Golden West 264, 6. San Mateo 234, 7. Las Positas 232.50; 8. Riverside 220, 9. Foothill 196, 10. Grossmont 148.
MEN STANDINGS: 1. Sierra 543.50, 2. Golden West 508, 3. Orange Coast 382, 4. Riverside 378, 5. San Diego Mesa 291. 6. Diablo Valley 280, 7. Santa Rosa 252.50, 8. Las Positas 243, 9. Ventura 106, 10. Foothill 102.
Event 29: Women's 1,650 Freestyle: 1. Susanna Gonzales, Golden West, 17:22.46
As a repeat champion in the mile, Gonzales shaved nearly 35 seconds off her '15 time in a superb performance of endurance. Santa Rosa's Jessica Lee took second in 17:34.19 while Orange Coast's Sierra Cox was third in 17:38.35.
Event 30: Men's 1,650 Freestyle: 1. Slava Illin, Sierra, 15:55.34
In a compelling race, Illin overtook leader Drew Sipple of Santa Rosa in the last 25 yards to win the men's mile. Illin's final split was a sensational 25.64 seconds as he edged Sipple by 1.18 seconds. Sipple's 15:56.52 was enough for the silver with Golden West's Liam Paterson grabbing third in 16:11.66.
Event 31: Women's 200 Backstroke: 1. Madison Varisco, Golden West, 2:02.24
Varisco almost matched her state meet record swim of last year but settled to be repeat champion. Orange Coast's Alexa Clayfield closed strong with a 29.57 final 50 and took second in 2:02.53. San Mateo's Erica Vong was third in 2:03.13.
Event 32: Men's 200 Backstroke: 1. Brandon James, Diablo Valley, 1:45.90
James is a repeat champ but his winning time was well behind his amazing state/national record set last year in this event (1:44.95). James still won convincingly over second-place Connor Patterson of Golden West (1:47.49) and Sierra's Andrew Murch, who was third at 1:47.92. Murch took silver last year here.
Event 33: Women's 100 Freestyle: 1. Rebecca Aguilar, Orange Coast, 50.59
Aguilar repeated as champion here as she swept the three freestyle sprints at the state meet for five golds in her two community college seasons. She tried but could not take down the state meet record of 50.36 set by Anne Scott (American River) in 2007. Pasadena City's Ariahn Givens took the silver in 52.83 while Golden West's Raney Remme won the bronze in 52.88.
Event 34: Men's 100 Freestyle: 1. Brandon Crabtree, San Diego Mesa, 44.12
Crabtree opened with a 20.54 and despite a strong close by second-place Maxence Bouvier (Riverside, 44.48) and Golden West's Chadd Maurer (44.62), who each swam a 22.99 second 50, the Olympian swimmer took the gold. Crabtree missed the state meet record by just .10
Event 35: Women's 200 Breaststroke: 1. Layna Auchard, Foothill, 2:25.96
Last year, Auchard needed a strong final 50 to pick up gold and she does it again as the repeat champion. The Foothill swimmer overtook Orange Coast's Hannah Veseth, who led for much of the race in lane 7, in the last 15 yards for the title. Veseth finished in second at 2:26.71 and OCC teammate Nacinda Paap was third (2:27.94).
Event 36: Men's 200 Breaststroke: 1. Jonathan Panchak, Orange Coast, 1:58.37
*State Meet Record
OCC's Panchak is King of the Breaststroke with his second state meet record and the second time that he broke his own record from the morning prelims. Panchak swam a 1:58.59 in the prelims. Sierra's Alex Shibata was a distant second at 2:02.93 while defending state champ Adrien Deloffre of Riverside settled for bronze at 2:03.48.
Event 37: Women's 200 Butterfly: 1. Morgan Smith, San Mateo, 2:07.62
Smith trailed going into the final 50 but her impressive 32.59 final kick allowed her to win the gold. Chabot's Madison Faulkner led for most of the race and settled for the silver at 2:09.58 (she won the bronze last year) while Orange Coast's Lexi Hill scored a bronze in 2:10.19. OCC teammate Lauren Weins was right behind in fourth, 2:10.56.
Event 38: Men's 200 Butterfly: 1. Diego Pabalan, Orange Coast, 1:50.87
Pabalan's final 100 of 57.5 seconds allowed him to pick up enough ground for the event victory. Early leader Nathan Torres of Golden West took second in 1:52.59 while Sierra's Jason Williams was third in 1:53.78.
Event 39: Women's 400 Freestyle Relay: 1. Orange Coast, 3:31.80
(Nacinda Paap, Alexa Clayfield, Sierra Cox, Rebecca Aguilar)
The Pirates closed out their state title with their fifth relay victory, winning by 4.18 seconds over Golden West (3:35.98). Santa Barbara placed third in 3:36.81.
Event 40: Men's 400 Freestyle Relay: 1. Riverside, 3:01.43
(Adrien Deloffre, Justin Rohn, Garret Shimko, Maxence Bouvier)
The Tigers went after the state meet record but fell short by .22 of a second despite Bouvier's 43.79 anchor leg. Riverside settled for the event gold while Sierra took the silver to insure its state title (3:03.34). Diablo Valley grabbed the bronze in 3:03.40. San Diego Mesa (3:03.64) and Golden West (3:03.65) were all touching the final wall in a group.
Release by Robert Lewis, CCCSIA, CCCAA Meet SID
Pool side contact number 818-679-1335