Athletes from VC's men's and women's swimming and diving team competed on the first day of the Western State Conference Championships Thursday at LA Valley College. The Pirate women were in third in the standings that included last week's diving competitions while the Ventura men were seventh. Carlos Gonzalez had the best finish for the men i the 500-yard freestyle while Shelby Jackson had the best finish for the women in the same event.
Jackson had VC's best finish of the day with a silver in the 500-yard freestyle. Allison Donnelly touched in sixth place and Cassidy Yanca won the "B" final for a ninth place finish.
The Pirate women also had three scorers in the 200-yard individual medley with Ahna Davis placing fifth, Stephany Dijar coming in seventh and Caitlyn Hilgenberg touching in 12th.
Ventura's 200-yard freestyle relay team of Jackson, Dijar, Hilgenberg and Yanca came in fifth while the 400-yard medley relay quartet of Donnelly, Dijar, Jackson and Davis placed fourth.
Gonzalez had the men's best finish, sixth place in the 500-yard free and Hunter Johnson came in 14th in the 50-yard freestyle. The 200-yard relay team of Johnson, Michael Andrews, Ramon Rodriguez and Rafael Rodriguez was seventh and the 400-yard medley relay team of Gonzalez, Sebastian Ayala, George Bonilla and Raf. Rodriguez finished sixth.
The Pirates continue competing in the WSC Championships on Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22 at LA Valley with preliminaries each morning and finals each afternoon.