Vaqueros Show Strength in Depth, Dominate WSC #2
By Jimmy Friery
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City College Women's Swimming team won another conference meet, this time at Western State Conference (WSC) #2 hosted by Los Angeles Valley College on Saturday. The Vaqueros' 626 points were better than the second-place hosts' 455.
It was a remarkable display of Santa Barbara's depth as five different Vaqueros won a race and eight different Vaqueros had a podium finish.
As is customary, the Vaqueros bookended the meet with relay wins. Makena Quinones, May Guidoux, Katie Strohl, and Leah Rummelhoff (4:11.55) won the 400 Medley Relay at the start of the day, and Trinity Link, Strohl, Guidoux, and Rummelhoff (3:46.52) won the closing 400 Free Relay. Link earned the bragging rights with a 54.93 split—the best of all 52 swimmers competing in the event.
Link and Rummelhoff each won a pair of individual races, too. Link's 58.71 in the 100 Fly was four seconds ahead of anyone else, and her 54.37 in the 100 Free was three seconds ahead of anyone else. Rummelhoff topped the 100 IM at 1:05.68, beating teammate Makena Quinones—who shaved 2.58 seconds off her previous time to get to 1:06.89. Rummelhoff was also the fastest swimmer in the 50 Free (25.16), a crown she has earned in every meet so far this season.
Guidoux won the 200 Breast with a personal-best 2:30.13. Jada Ashen claimed third in the event at 2:50.90—more than seven seconds faster than her previous time. Ashen also sped up her times in both the 100 Free and 100 Breast by nearly two and a half seconds.
A similar story in the 200 Free, Strohl clocked in at a first-place 2:06.73. Pamela Hernandez swam a season-best 2:08.97 to earn one of her three third-place times on the day (500 Free, 100 Free).
Zoe McGehee found the podium in the 200 Fly via a third-place 2:45.32. Max Kerr also had a noteworthy result; she was right behind Hernandez in the 500 Free (5:58.80), earning fourth. Riley Olney's 100 IM time of 1:13.01 was the biggest improvement on the day, 3.64 seconds better than her previous time.
The Vaqueros have a week off before Hancock hosts WSC #3 on Friday, March 27.
1st place finishes:
400 Medley Relay – Makena Quinones-May Guidoux-Katie Strohl-Leah Rummelhoff (4:11.55)
100 IM – Leah Rummelhoff (1:05.68)
100 Fly – Trinity Link (58.71)
50 Free – Leah Rummelhoff (25.16)
200 Free – Katie Strohl (2:06.73)
100 Free – Trinity Link (54.37)
200 Breast – May Guidoux (2:30.13)
400 Free Relay – Trinity Link-Katie Strohl-May Guidoux-Leah Rummelhoff (3:46.52)
2nd place finishes:
100 IM – Makena Quinones (1:06.89)
100 Breast – Trinity Link (1:09.78)
400 IM – May Guidoux (4:57.61)
200 Fly – Katie Strohl (2:25.04)
3rd place finishes:
500 Free – Pamela Hernandez (5:54.00)
200 Free – Pamela Hernandez (2:08.97)
200 Fly – Zoe McGehee (2:45.32)
100 Free – Pamela Hernandez (59.20)
200 Breast – Jada Ashen (2:50.90)