Successful Season Opener

The CCC Crush swim and dive team opened the season on Friday, February 1 by splitting dual meets with hosts Santa Rosa Junior College and Alan Hancock College in Santa Maria.

The women finished with a win against the Bulldogs of Alan Hancock (69-35), but falling to perennial CCCAA powerhouse, Santa Rosa (60-36). Highlighting the women's meet was a double event winner, and returning CCCAA state meet scorer, Kristina Copeland, who outlasted the competition in the 1000 freestyle and 500 freestyle. Freshmen Helen Harris and Chloe Telian also picked up individual event wins in the 200 freestyle and 200 butterfly, respectively.

The men faced a daunting task of challenging, last year's 4th ranked, Santa Rosa in their home pool and ultimately lost to the hosts by a score of 75-23. Both returning CCCAA All-Americans sparked some excitement for the Crush by winning their individual events. Dante Ramos touched the wall first in the 1000 freestyle and the 500 freestyle, while Jaylan Neal dove to wins in the 1m and 3m springboard events.Next, the Crush athletes competed in an eight team relay invitational, at Santa Rosa, on Saturday, February 2.

The Crush men's and women's swim and dive teams competed at the Norcal Relay Invitational in Santa Rosa, hosted by Santa Rosa Junior College. This meet featured a very atypical format, offering ONLY relay events, including relays that are not part of the CCCAA state meet lineup, the 300 backstroke relay and the 400 individual medley relay. This meet was a great opportunity to gain some racing experience as well as observe abilities of all the new athletes to the team. The meet was not scored, but was attended by some of the traditionally best teams in CCCAA competition: Sierra College (Rocklin), American River College (Sacramento), Las Positas College (Livermore), Alan Hancock (Santa Maria), Consumnes River (Sacramento), and the hosts, Santa Rosa Junior College.

Sophomore, CCCAA All-American, Jaylan Neal (Madera South HS) and Freshman Joshua Depaz (Bullard HS) led the way for the Crush by proving to be the best men's diving combo at the meet by winning the 1 meter springboard competition, in which each diver fielded 5 dives and their scores were added together to make a "diving relay." Their efforts on the 3m springboard were also good enough to finish 2nd in the event.On the women's side, a mixture of freshmen and sophomores provided quite a few top four finishes, highlighted by the women's 150 yard (3x50 breastroke) relay which finished in 2nd place, consisting of all first year team members, Helen Harris (Clovis North HS), Samantha Rockey (Yosemite HS), and Anika Schneider (Sanger HS).

The best men's swimming finish came in the men's 300 butterfly (3x100 butterfly) relay, in which the team of Dante Ramos (Buchanan HS), Jarrett Huffman (Clovis North HS), and Brendon Sirabian (Clovis West HS) finished with a 3rd placed effort.Stay tuned for the results of the Sequoia Kick-Off Classic taking place on February 8 in Visalia at the College of Sequoia, featuring CVC rivals Fresno City College, Merced College, and hosts College of Sequoia's.

Reporter: Coach, Mark Bennett