The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

Swim and dive members place at state championship

After a third-place finish to the regular season, the women’s swim and dive team were looking to drop times and show the conference who was the top team.

While the men hoped to show up and place in their events to make it to state.

What happened at the conference championship meet?

The women’s team came out on top over the undefeated Pasadena City College team and the men had several placers headed to the state meet.

The women’s team finished in the top 10 and the Warriors finished as the No. 9 team in state out of 36 women’s teams with 160 points, according to CCCAA sports.

In the women’s 400-yard freestyle relay, starting with Tiffany Oliver, Kjahna O, Jennifer Doyle and Martina Exlerova, El Camino placed sixth in the state on day three, O said.

While the 200-yard medley relay team, including Macielle Osterling, Doyle, O and Exlerova, finished fifth on day two, and timed at 1:50.83 which beat the previous school record of 1:51.11. The previous record was set by this relay team two weeks ago at the conference meet, according to EC athletics.

O who is a freshman butterfly and freestyle swimmer, came off of a “rough conference” said that the team supported her.

“They told me to, ‘brush it off,'” she said. “It’s awesome to get top eight and get points for the team. I was super happy about it.”

Exlerova had a massive impact for the team’s performance, O said.

“She was so awesome, she was a big part of why we made it to state,” O said. “I’m happy to be her teammate, it’s an honor to swim with someone so fast.”

The men’s team would not have as much luck as it finished sixteenth out of 31 teams, with 61 points, according to CCCAA sports.

Coach Corey Stanbury felt that the placing was an accomplishment.

“It’s pretty amazing,” he said. “It isn’t that bad, sixteenth place from the whole state?”

Hogan Inscore placed fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke and David Thomas placed sixth in the 100-yard backstroke on day two.

Sophomore diver Shane Guerrero, who placed first in the one-meter dive event at the conference meet, dove into a seventh place finish for the men’s three-meter dive event and fourth in the men’s one-meter dive at state. Guerrero also earned All-American status for finishing top eight in both events.

Ricardo Branco, sophomore IM (Individual Medley) swimmer thought the women’s team was the focus for the Warriors, but said that the men swimmers did their job.

“Individual events were really good,” he said. “I felt confident, we were prepared.”

Branco had some some words of encouragement for the freshmen continuing on to next year.

“Trust in (Stanbury),” he said. “He always knows what he’s doing. Even if your time isn’t what you want. Trust in (Stanbury) to get you there.”

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