Pirate Swimmers Travel to NorCal for Miyashiro Invite

Pirate sophomore Cassidy Yanca was the top point-earner for the VC women over the weekend at the Bob Miyashiro Invitational at Santa Rosa Junior College. (photo by Larry Gleeson)
Pirate sophomore Cassidy Yanca was the top point-earner for the VC women over the weekend at the Bob Miyashiro Invitational at Santa Rosa Junior College. (photo by Larry Gleeson)

Ventura's men's and women's swimming and diving teams made the trek to Northern California for the weekend to compete in the Bob Miyashiro Invitational at San Rosa Junior College. Ayden Jacobus led the men's effort winning the 1m and 3m diving events while Carlos Gonzalez scored in three individual races. Cassidy Yanca was tops for the women scoring in two individual events and Sarah Glassman placed in both diving competitions.

Yanca swam a personal best in the 500-yard freestyle to place third and also finished 12th in the 200-yard free. On Saturday she qualified for the final in the 100-yard free but VC was unable to compete due to travel obligations.

Meanwhile, Glassman was 10th in the 1m diving event and eighth in the 3m diving, in addition to swimming in three individual races. Caitlyn Hilgenberg claimed eighth place in the 100-yard backstroke and qualified for the final in the 200-yard back while Ava Carey was 12th in both the 400-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle.

The Pirates' quartet of women also came in sixth in the 200-yard freestyle relay, eighth in the 400-yard medley relay and 10th in the 200-yard medley relay.

Jacobus came home with a pair of gold medals as he continued his stellar diving season. he won the 3m diving with a total of 177.30 points and claimed the 1m competition with 204.30 points.

Stephen McNaughten placed in swimming and diving events, finishing 10th in the 3m and 13th in the 1m diving along with 12th in the 1650-yard freestyle. Jessie Zepeda was 11th in the 1m diving event.

Gonzalez placed in three individual events, coming in fifth in the 1650-yard freestyle, 12th in the 400-yard individual medley and 15th in the 500-yard free while Merrick Giles was sixth in the 100-yard butterfly and 15th in the 50-yard freestyle. Giles also qualified for Saturday's finals in the 100-yard free and the 200-yard fly. Meanwhile, Cameron Habib was 16th in the fifth in the 200-yard freestyle and 16th in the 50-yard free, and qualified for the 100-yard freestyle final. Nick Santander came in eighth in the 100-yard backstroke.

Michael Soho touched in 14th in the 200-yard IM and qualified for the final in the 200-yard breaststroke and Luigi Travi came in 11th in the 100-yard backstroke and made the finals in the 200-yard back. Fabian Morales and Kyle Quach each made the final of the 200-yard butterfly and 200-yard backstroke events, respectively.

Ventura's 200-yard medley relay team of Travi, Soho, Santander and Habib finished fifth while the same quartet was seventh in the 400-yard medley relay. Santander, Giles, Soho and Habib finished sixth in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

The Pirates next travel to Allan Hancock College on Friday March 29 for the Western State Conference No. 3 meet hosted in Santa Maria.