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