MEN'S & WOMEN'S SWIMMING: The Ventura College men's swim team led the Western State Conference championships after day one of the three-day meet, placing in all five swimming events held at Los Angeles Valley College. VC's 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay teams each finished second while Nick Vallejo (500-yard freestyle) Joe Yamamoto (200-yard individual medley), and Mitchell Ongstad (50 yard freestyle) earned the Pirates' top individual finishes, all coming in third in their respective races. The Pirate women, who have struggled with low numbers all season, came in seventh of the nine teams after day one.
Ventura cleaned up the men's 500-yard freestyle, taking four of the top eight spots in the final. Vallejo came in third, followed by Shea O'Shea (4th), Chris Sands (5th) and Nick Miranda (8th). The Pirates repeated the feat in the 200-yard individual medley with Yamamoto (3rd), Kyle Berg (4th), Renan Mendes (5th) and Rodrigo Siracusa (8th). Ongstad came in third in the 50-yard freestyle followed by Alec Kruse (7th).
Two of VC's women's relays placed, with the 200-yard freestyle relay team finishing seventh and the 400-yard medley relay team coming in fifth. Sara Koler had the best individual finish for the Pirate women on day one with a seventh place finish in the 100-yard individual medley.
The competition continues Friday and Saturday, April 18 and 19 at Los Angeles Valley College in Valley Glen.