Pirate women top them all en route to state swimming championship!
CUPERTINO -- Orange Coast College had a VERY worthwhile trip north this past weekend for this year's California Community College Athletic Association State Swim/Dive Championships, hosted by De Anza College. After a one-year absence, the Pirate women returned to the top of the mountain, winning the state title for the 19th time in school history, cruising to a 128.5-point win over the rest of the field.
Coast rolled to a team score of 522 points, well ahead of runner-up Santa Rosa College (393.5), with Diablo Valley (353), San Diego Mesa (306), San Joaquin Delta (254), Santa Barbara City (223), Mt. San Antonio (193), Palomar (161) and Las Positas (150) rounding out the top 10.
"We won all 18 swim events at the conference championships, so we knew what kind of talent we had with our women's team," OCC head coach and State Coach of the Year, Anthony Iacopetti said after the meet. "That last day, it just seemed like every race we had some one in the lead or near the lead. We were prepared to do our best in every event."
After a dominating first two days of competition, the Pirates picked up where they left off on Day 3, as Lauren Weins rallied for an impressive win in the 200-yard backstroke. Trailing by over two seconds heading into the final lap, Weins turned on the jets and edged out Mesa's Julie Parsons at the wall with a winning time of 2:04.25. Parsons touched the wall at 2:04.93.
In the 100 freestyle, Coast returned to the top of the podium, thanks to a strong performance by Kennedy Hood, who lead a 1-2-3 finish for the Pirates with a winning time of 52.43, edging out teammates Lilli Lindgard (52.66) and Meghan Kluck (52.91). The was was Hood's second state title over the weekend, having also won the 50 freestyle.
In the final race of the championship, Coast picked up its fourth relay state title of the weekend, winning the 400 free relay as the foursome of Kluck, Lindgard, Hood and Cheyenne Morris outlasted SBCC (3:24.23) with a winning time of 3:23.24.
In addition to the women's state title, the OCC men also took home the team state title. It was the first time in five years that the same school took home both the men's and women's team titles.
Last weekend's dual state titles give OCC 92 state/national championships in school history.
Complete results from the three-day State Meet can be found HERE.
Day 2 recap can be found HERE.
Day 1 recap can be found HERE.
(Special thanks to Robert Lewis, state representative of the California Community College Sports Information Association, for providing results and recaps throughout the State Meet).
