Far From Sore Losers

Annastashia Goolsby

Due to a limited number of swimmers, the swim team was badly beaten by Mt San Antonio College and Rio Hondo at the Friday meet at Mt SAC.

The team was short because one swimmer was injured and several others were benched for missing too many practices, coach Corey Stanbury said.

The ECC men’s team lost to Mt SAC 18-113 but beat Rio Hondo 91-35. The women’s team lost to Mt SAC 115-14 and to Rio Hondo 65-52.

“The swimmers mostly just swam solid,” Stanbury said. “They have been working really hard and most of them are extremely tired.”

Swimming the 200-yard freestyle in two minutes and the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:31, Vincent Fiamengo does not feel he swam that great.

“I did OK but I definitely think I can do better next week because we will be at our home pool and be even faster because of our training,” Fiamengo said.

Competing in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:18 and in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:03, Axel Seixas may have a chance to swim at the conference.

“I was definitely fatigued from practice and the only thing keeping me in the pool were the other guys who put in mad work,” Seixas said. ” I think finals will be an opportunity to really show how hard our team works.”

Representing the diving team, Jose Bahena scored 249 and Jacque Periaswamy scored 115.

Bahena had a rough start, but in the tail end he did really well, Stanbury said.

“Jose (Bahena) is the best diver in Southern California and was only barely beat by two divers from Northern California,” Stanbury said. “Bahena is in the top three divers of the state that I know of and he should qualify for finals.”

With only four more weeks to impress in competitions, conferences are just around the corner and a few swimmers may have the possibility of swimming in the finals, Stanbury said.

“Although Nicholas Timko was injured and could not perform at this meet, he has been working really and has a good chance of swimming in the finals,” Stanbury said.

Axel Seixas is swimming about four seconds faster than last year and also has a chance to qualify for finals, Stanbury said.

Stanbury predicts that his home team has the advantage at the next meet against Chaffey and L.A. Trade Tech.

“The women should do well and the men will should be able to win without a problem,” Stanbury said. “It will be a close meet with Chaffey. There will maybe be a 20-point difference.”

The team just needs to be at full strength, Stanbury said.

“If we just keep working hard, tapper our swims, shave down and put on some fancy swimsuits, we should have a chance to compete in finals,” Stanbury said.