M. Swimming: Cerritos splits final conference dual meet

The Falcons split their final conference dual meet
The Falcons split their final conference dual meet

In their final South Coast Conference dual meet of the season, the Cerritos College men's swimming team split with Pasadena City College and Los Angeles Trade-Tech College on Friday. The Falcons (2-5) defeated LA Trade-Tech, 200-52, but lost to the dual meet conference champion Lancers, 156-103. The team will take two weeks off before competing in the conference championships, which will take place on April 19-21 at Mt. San Antonio College.

A part of all three of the team's first place finishes was sophomore Jake Evans (Long Beach Wilson HS), who won a pair of individual races and also as part of a relay. In the 100-yard freestyle, Evans posted a time of 53.12 to hold off Sevana Avanessian of Pasadena City, who touched up in 53.44, with teammate Zach Estrada (St. John Bosco HS) in the hunt with a third place time of 53.98. It was another close race in the 200 yards, with Evans registering a time of 1:59.78, which was just ahead of Avanessian's time of 2:00.01. Also fighting for the top spot in the race was Ryan Cruz, with his third place time of 2:00.33.

In the final race of the day, the Falcon quartet of Billy Catton (La Quinta HS), Estrada, Evans and Sam Turley (La Quinta HS) placed first in a time of 3:35.05 in the 400-yard freestyle relay, while the foursome of Omar Serrano (Gahr HS), Justin Rudisill (La Quinta HS), Cruz and Dylan Sun (Cerritos HS) finished in second place at 3:47.42. In the other relay, Cruz, Catton, Estrada and Serrano finished in second place in the 200-yard medley in 1:50.88.

Earning three second place finishes was Turley, who posted a 100-yard backstroke time of 58.40, while he was barely defeated in the 200-yard backstroke by PCC's Sydney Odet. Turley completed the race in 2:04.81, with Odent recording a time of 2:03.96. In the 200-yard IM, Turley finished in second place with a time of 2:09.44.

Catton posted a second place time of 1:05.95 in the 100-yard breaststroke, while his clocking of 24.58 put him in third place in the 50-yard freestyle. Sun also posted a second place time in both the 100-yard butterfly (1:00.82) and 200-yard butterfly (2:16.01). In the 1000-yard freestyle, the duo of Miguel Reynoso and Serrano placed second and third, respectively. Reynoso turned in a time of 11:59.54, with Serrano finishing in 12:09.33.

Photos by Daryl Peterson