Pasadena City College and El Camino College collectively played host to the annual South Coast Conference meet for swimmers and divers where the Cerritos College Falcons returned to campus earning victories in their own respective categories.
On that note, Men’s swim coach Joe Abing offered his insight on the months leading to the conference.
“In swimming, you are always trying to achieve your best performance and fastest times at the end of the year. And so, this was our Conference Championship meet, so it was a culmination of all of our hard work through the season, leading up to this last meet,” he said.
Leading the victory path was the Falcons Women’s Swim Team, placing third in the entire conference with 485 points. Just 191 points shy of a State Championship over Chaffey college.
Early in into the competition, the women’s team held a 2 point lead over the Mt. San Antonio that eventually subsided and landed Mt. SAC in second place.
Nevertheless, the women’s team enjoyed record breaking times in the freestyle 500 and placing on the State Championship for three meter dive board.
“Our freshman swimmer, Katherin Gabayeron, not only did she have three First place finishes as an individual event at the conference championship. She was also voted Conference Swimmer of The Year and because she did so well in her individual events this past weekend. She qualified for the state championship which takes place this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.” Women’s Swim Team coach Sergio Macias said.
“Katherine and ‘Yuri’ Yuridia Vela are going to compete on this weekend’s State Championship. Kat is going to compete in the 500 Freestyle on Thursday. Currently, she is seated number two in the state. She is also going to compete on the 200 I.M/ 200 Freestyle on Friday, which I believe she is seated between number 10 or number 12 in both events. Then our diver (Yurida Vela) is going to compete on Friday as well. It’s a pretty good event and hopefully Katherine can continue to improve her personal best times and maybe she can move in the rankings.” coach Macias continued.
As for the men’s team, Freestyle swimmer Derick Klotzer earned a third place position in the 200 yard Backstroke hosted in the Pasadena City College campus. Following a second place victory in the 400 yard Individual Medly the day prior.
Meanwhile, in El Camino College, returning divers Luis Hashburn and Gerson Ortega competed alongside female diver Yurida Vela against over 61 different divers from all over the state. Each diver succeeded in gaining 40 points reflected in the overall score of the Cerritos Falcon swim team.
