M & W SWIMMING: Abbey Brooks won the 50-yard backstroke, giving the VC women's swimming team a highlight on day two of the Western State Conference Championships Friday at Los Angeles Valley College. Meanwhile, the Pirate men's 200-medley relay team of Nick Vallejo, Joe Yamamoto, Chris Sands and Mitchell Ongstad won their final (1:35.05), and Vallejo finished first in the 100-yard butterfly (50.50) as the Ventura men remained in first place with one day remaining in the championships. The VC women remained in seventh place of the 10 competing teams.
The relay victory and Vallejo's win were the first golds for the Pirate men in the meet in which they seemed to be placing swimmers in bunches to head the field. The pattern continued Friday as Rodrigo Siracusa was second in the 400-yard individual medley and Renan Mendes finished third. Sands followed Vallejo with a third place finish in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard freestyle had three Pirate place winners: Shea O'Shea (2nd), Alec Kruse (3rd) and Nick Miranda (8th). Yamamoto was third in the 100-yard breast stroke and Ongstad came in as runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke. The 800-yard freestyle relay team of Vallejo, Sands, Kruse and O'Shea also finished second.
Heading to the final day of competition, VC had 428 points, followed by Cuesta (394) and Bakersfield (390).
Brooks' win in the 50-yard backstroke was the highlight for the VC women. Also earning points for the Pirates were Sara Koler (8th in the 200-yard individual medley) and Jessica Peace (6th in the 50-yard breast stroke). The 800-yard freestyle relay team of Koler, Kristin Shaffer, Jessica Glenn, and Peace also placed seventh.
The championships conclude on Saturday April 19 at the Los Angeles Valley College pool in Valley Glen.