State Champions - Again and Again and Again

GOLDEN WEST 3RD STRAIGHT MEN'S TITLE

Eight more state records were set during the 2015 CCCAA Swimming and Diving State Championship Meet but none quite matched the spectacular swim of Diablo Valley's Brandon James, who shattered a national CC record in the 200‐yard backstroke at 1:44.95.  

James broke a 15‐year‐old state meet record after posting a state meet record earlier in the meet in his opening 100 backstroke (second fastest in nation this year) of the 400 medley relay Thursday.  

James accomplishments took some of the thunder from a third straight state meet title by Golden West College, the Rustlers' 15th team crown since 1995.  

Golden West head coach Mark Schubert enjoyed another celebratory leap into the pool with the team and assistant coaches following the program's third straight title.  

"It never gets old," he said. "It really helps to have a veteran team. We only have the swimmers for two years but the sophomores we had provided great leadership for our freshmen in Gabriel Hernandez, Fletcher Norseen and Jeremy Grden. Diablo Valley gave us some great competition and you have to give them credit for pushing us." 

DVC accomplished state runner‐up honors while Sierra took third place. Golden West finished with seven event victories, including three relays.  

Santa Rosa Junior College captured its first state women's crown since 2009 and the fifth under the direction of State Coach of the Year Jill McCormick. It was the college's seventh overall state title. 

Santa Rosa won by 25 points over second place Orange Coast while Diablo Valley was third. The Bear Cubs only event wins were by Christine Lewis in the 100 breaststroke and Logan Williams in the 1‐meter diving.

The state meet featured four new events for the women in the 400 individual medley, and the 200 lengths for the butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke.

The East Los Angeles College Swim Stadium has produced 41 state meet records in the past four years.

WOMEN STANDINGS:  1. Santa Rosa JC 424.5, 2. Orange Coast 399.5, 3. Diablo Valley 364, 4. Golden West 328.5, 5. Pasadena CC 243, 6. Grossmont 225, 7. Sierra 221, 8. Santa Barbara CC 212, 9. El Camino 160, 10. Cuesta 157.5

MEN STANDINGS: 1. Golden West 555.5, 2. Diablo Valley 479, 3. Sierra 361.5, 4. American River 266, 5. Riverside CC 265, 6. Ventura 256, 7. Orange Coast 205, 8. San Diego Mesa 197, 9. Mt. San Antonio 184, 10. Santa Rosa 165

Event 29: Women's 1,650 Freestyle: 1. Susanna Gonzales, Golden West, 17:57.08 Gonzales led from start to finish and was never really threatened in winning the mile swim. Gisel Chavez‐Vega (Southwestern) took second in 18:01.84 just edging Katherine Warren (Santa Barbara) in third in 18:02.41. Gonzales was the only swimmer in the state who broke 18 minutes this year as she swam a season‐best 17:42.26 at the Orange Empire Conference Championships.

Event 30: Men's 1,650 Freestyle: 1. Jake Struckmeyer, American River, 16:00.61 Struckmeyer made a bid to break 16 minutes but settled for the title in winning the mile by more than nine seconds over second‐place Phillip Wright of Mt. San Antonio (16:09.98).  And, while the fastest seeds were grouped in the finals heat, three swimmers grabbed hardware from the prelims first heat including Golden West's Mark Olsen in third (16:13.58).

Event 31: Women's 200 Backstroke: 1. Madison Varisco, Golden West, 2:02.19

*State Meet Record*

The debut of this event was a sharp victory for Varisco, who consistently swam splits slightly faster than second‐place Miranda Howell (Santa Rosa, 2:04.71). McKenna Stevulak (Las Positas) placed third in 2:04.99 while Alexa Clayfield (Orange Coast) used a blazing 30.93 final split to get fourth in 2:05.46. Varisco becomes a triple champion after wins in the 100 back and 100 butterfly.

Event 32: Men's 200 Backstroke: 1. Brandon James, Diablo Valley, 1:44.95*** NATIONAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE RECORD‐‐*State Meet Record*

James destroyed a 15‐year‐old state meet record (1:46.14 by Christian Harcsas, Golden West) and also broke the national community college record in the backstroke. James opening 50 was 24.34 and his second 50 also was dolphinesque in 25.87. Sierra's Andrew Murch placed second in 1:49.06 and San Diego Mesa's Neil Franka took third in 1:50.22

Event 33: Women's 100 Freestyle: 1. Rebecca Aguilar, Orange Coast, 51.26

Aguilar caught first half leader Laura Woods with the title on wall touch finish in defeating Woods by .04 of a second (51.30). Aguilar becomes a double champion after also winning the 50 free sprint earlier in the meet. Cuesta's Rachael Gruetzmacher placed third in 52.08.

Event 34: Men's 100 Freestyle: 1. Mitchell Ongstad, Ventura, 44.90

Ongstad opened with a 20.93 split and fought off Golden West's Fletcher Norseen (44.99, second place) in another photo finish. Santa Monica's Gabriel Miranda took third behind a race‐best 23.38 final 50 for a 45.10 mark. Ongstad is a double champion as he won the 50 free earlier in the meet.

Event 35: Women's 200 Breaststroke: 1. Layna Auchard, Foothill, 2:24.24

*State Meet Record*

While most of the swimmers were trying to keep pace in the last 50, it was Auchard who put on an impressive close of 36.61 to overtake leader Yingfei Zhang (East Los Angeles) and take the debut event title. Zhang finished in 2:24.56 and Bakersfield's Alexis Zimmerman placed third in 2:25.43.

Event 36: Men's 200 Breaststroke: 1. Adrien Deloffre, Riverside CC, 2:05.31

It was a fantastic finish with two swimmers going for the wall as Deloffre wins the title just .03 ahead of Diablo Valley's Dominic Baldwin (2:05.34). Mt. San Antonio's Jacob Altree wasn't far behind in third at 2:05.87.

Event 37: Women's 200 Butterfly: 1. Kelsey Leonard, Diablo Valley, 2:04.32

*State Meet Record*‐‐Leonard's prelims swim of 2:03.78

Leonard is a 2‐time triple champion at the state meet as she etches her name among the top female swimmers in California CC history. Leonard couldn't match her prelims mark in the finals, but did win by nearly seven seconds. Rachelle Visser (Santa Barbara CC) placed second at 2:11.29 and Chabot's Madison Faulkner grabbed third at 2:11.69. Leonard was named Swimmer of the Meet for the second straight season.

Event 38: Men's 200 Butterfly: 1. Gabriel Hernandez, Golden West, 1:48.69  Hernandez is a double champion after recording the three fastest splits over the first 150 yards. The Rustler finished ahead of Diablo Valley's Monty Randall (1:49.94) and Ventura's Christopher Sands (1:50.94). Hernandez was a Swimmer of the Meet (high points) for the second consecutive year.

Event 39: Women's 400 Freestyle Relay: 1. Diablo Valley, 3:31.76 (Kelsey Leonard, Laura Woods, Callie Klein, Hannah Dillon)

DVC swimmer Kelsey Leonard opened with a 51.47 to cap her brilliant CC career as the Vikings edged Orange Coast (3:32.29) for the relay title. Sierra placed third at 3:36.11. Santa Rosa couldn't clinch its women's state title until this event as it swam a safe race in eighth place. Pasadena City (3:40.65) took fifth and clinched its best team finish ever at the state meet in fifth place.

Event 40: Men's 400 Freestyle Relay: 1. Golden West, 3:02.12 (Bradley Toland, Dalton Kenefick, Jeremy Grden, Fletcher Norseen)

Fittingly, the Rustlers capped their third state title in a row by winning the meet's final race. GWC beat out Diablo Valley (second, 3:03.69), Sierra (third, 3:04.68) and Ventura (fourth, 3:05.29). Grden's third leg split of 45.53 was followed by Norseen's 45.32 anchor. Ventura anchor Mitchell Ongstad swam the race's top 100 at 43.83.

15‐5‐2‐SWIM

Release by Robert Lewis, CCCSIA, CCCAA MeetSID