2014 Ventura College Swimming & Diving News
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Men Place 6th at State Swim
May 03, 2014The Ventura College men's swim team capped off an inspiring run with a 6th place finish at the CCCAA State Championships at East Los Angeles College Saturday. The Western State Conference champions totaled 240 points to finish behind Diablo Valley (259) and ahead of conference foe Cuesta (203). Nick Vallejo placed in his third individual event in the three-day meet, finishing sixth in the 100-yard freestyle. Joe Yamamoto scored in the 200-yard breast stroke while Chris Sands produced VC's best individual finish, placing third in the 200-yard butterfly. The 400-yard freestyle relay team also came in fifth. -
Pirates Hanging Tough at State
May 02, 2014The Pirate men's swim team hung tough Friday, remaining in fifth place overall after day two of the three-day CCCAA State Championships at East Los Angeles College. The 200-yard medley relay team came in fifth and Nick Vallejo and Chris Sands placed fourth and seventh, respectively, in the 100-yard butterfly. Joe Yamamoto scored points with a 10th place finish in the 100-yard breast stroke and Mitchell Ongstad was sixth in the 100-yard backstroke. VC's lone female competitor, Abbey Brooks, scored in her first event, the 50-yard backstroke.
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VC 4th After Day 1 at State
May 01, 2014The Ventura College men's swim team had a solid first day at the three-day CCCAA State Championships Thursday at East Los Angeles College. The 200-yard freestyle relay team finished third and the 400-yard medley relay team was fourth, while Mitchell Ongstad placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle and Nick Vallejo was 8th in the same final. The Pirates scored 87 points, behind Golden West (121), Orange Coast (110.5) and Mt. San Antonio (108). VC was tied with Santa Rosa and West Valley was sixth with 74 points. Competition continues Friday and Saturday May 2 and 3 in Monterey Park.
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Pirate Men Claim Unlikely Title
April 19, 2014For the past decade, the Pirate men's swimming team had been the hunted. Winners of 10 straight conference titles form 2003-2012, VC was caught by Cuesta College a year ago as the Cougars claimed first place. This year, Ventura was projected to finish third in the Western State Conference championships. With the serious illness that had affected head coach Larry Baratte since August, third would have been good, but the Pirates had other things in mind. Behind Chris Sands' first place finish in the 200-yard butterfly, and the 400-yard relay team of Mitchell Ongstad, Kyle Berg, Alec Kruse and Shea O'Shea's careful third place finish in the meet's final race, the Pirates claimed the WSC crown for their head coach, the team's 11th title in 12 years.
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Brooks Wins; VC Men Still First
April 18, 2014Abbey 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.
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VC Men Lead WSC on Day 1
April 17, 2014The 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.
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Pirates Swim in WSC No. 3
March 28, 2014Ventura College swimmers competed in the third Western State Conference meet of the season Friday at Los Angeles Pierce College, with the men placing second of four teams and the women finishing fifth of the five competing schools. Nick Vallejo turned in a pair of individual firsts and was part of the meet-winning 200-yard medley relay with teammates Joe Yamamoto, Christopher Sands, and Mitchell Ongstad, as well. Sands also recorded a pair of individual first place finishes while Nick Miranda also recorded an individual first. Abbey Brooks and Sara Koler both earned points in two individual events and a relay.
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Ventura Men Win WSC No. 2
March 14, 2014The Ventura College men's swimming team had a strong showing Friday at the Western State Conference No. 2 meet at Santa Monica, finishing first of four teams. The Pirates scored 187 points followed by Santa Monica (127), Los Angeles Valley (113) and Canyons (51). The Pirate women, meanwhile, finished fourth of the five participating teams. Chris Sands produced a solid day with a pair of individual firsts and a runner-up finish. Nick Vallejo won an individual event and was also a part of two winning relay teams for Ventura. Kristin Shaffer led the women with two top-3 finishes.
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Pirate Results Mixed in Pool
February 28, 2014On a day in which the first Western State Conference scoring meet of the season had its competition cut by the weather, the Ventura College men's and women's swimming teams met mixed results Friday at the Ventura Aquatic Center. Citrus and Cuesta did not brave sometimes treacherous driving conditions, leaving just Los Angeles Pierce and VC on the men's side and the Pirates, Brahmas, and Santa Barbara City College competing on the women's events. VC's men defeated Pierce 206-83, but the women placed third with 70 points behind SBCC (188) and LAPC (127). Chris Sands led the way for the Pirate men with three individual wins while Abby Brooks also had an individual victory.
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M Swimming & M Tennis Earn Academic Honors
February 11, 2014The California Community College Athletic Association has announced its academic awards for the 2012-13 year, and the Ventura College Pirates were named the State Scholar team for both men's swimming and men's tennis. The 2013 men's swimming and diving team had 19 team members and posted an overall grade point average of 3.30. Each student athlete averaged 15.9 units (12.0 units is considered full-time). Meanwhile the men's tennis team achieved a team GPA of 3.38 and each of the eight student athletes completed an average of 13.6 units.
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Chung Presented State Award
November 04, 2013Former Pirate swimming sensation Henry Chung capped off his stellar VC career by earning the California Community College Athletic Association and California Community College Sports Information Association Male Athlete of the Year award last spring. Chung, now a junior at the University of California Berkeley, was recently presented his award by his new coach, David Durden, at a meeting with his Cal Bear teammates.
