The Pirates' men's and women's swimming and diving teams opened their 2020 campaign on Friday hosting the Larry Baratte Invitational. The VC men were second and the women were fourth in the Western State Conference preview event named for Ventura's Hall of Fame coach who retired in 2016. Lester Wright had a record-setting day in the 1m and 3m diving competitions while Arturo Medina and Marcel Hurtubise also won events. Masiel Martinez and Raylynn Lipsky earned the highest finished for the VC women.
Wright swept the diving competitions, shattering school records in the process. He totaled 340.65 points on his six dives in the 1m competition, breaking Deon Crilly's mark of 222.65 set a year ago. Wright also won the 3m competition with a score of 303.50, besting Crilly's record of 185.20.
Medina also had an impressive debut for the Pirates. The freshman won the 100-yard breast stroke with a time of 1:02.89, a full 1.5 seconds ahead of second place. He also came in second in the 200-yard Individual Medley and third in the 100-yard backstroke.
Hurtubise claimed Ventura's only other individual gold, winning the 100-yard butterfly in 54.79. He was also fourth in the 200-yard IM.
Collin Spargur also had a strong VC debut, finishing in second in the 50-yard freestyle, just .09 off the leader, and fifth in the 100-yard freestyle. Brandyn Robles came in seventh in the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle events while Ethan Enquist was fifth in the 100-yard backstroke.
The Pirates 200-yard medley relay team of Enquist, Medina, Hurtubise and Spargur came in first place and the 200-yard freestyle relay quartet of Spargur, Hurtubise, Robles and Jake Peters finished second.
For the Pirate women, Martinez finished second in the 1m diving competition. Lipsky, meanwhile, claimed bronze in the 50-yard freestyle and fourth in the 100-yard free. Sierra Cameron was fifth in the 100-yard freestyle and seventh in the 50-yard free and Ary Martinez was sixth in the 100-yard butterfly.
Ventura's 200-yard freestyle relay team of Lipsky, Martinez, Drew Reyes and Caitlin Burditt finished in fourth place.
Santa Barbara won the women's competition with 329 points, followed by Cuesta (272), Bakersfield (244), and Ventura (219.5). Allan Hancock was fifth with 214 points.
In the men's competition, Cuesta totaled 466 points while VC had 426. Bakersfield was third with 350 points and Santa Monica was fourth (196).
The Pirates return to the pool on Friday Feb. 14 at the WSC #1 at Citrus College in Glendora.