Vaqueros repeat 4th-place finish after 400 free relay rallies for 4th

Reese Ellestad rallied SBCC from 7th to 3rd on the third leg of Saturday's final event, the 400 free relay, and Alex Humann turned in a strong anchor leg to hold off Orange Coast and secure fourth place in the relay and in the State Women's Swimming & Diving standings.

The three-time WSC champion Vaqueros have finished 12th, 8th, 4th and 4th in their first four State Championships. They captured fourth place with 269 points, one ahead of Las Positas in the three-day competition at the East L.A. Swim Stadium.

"Today was one of the most memorable meets I have ever been a part of," said coach Chuckie Roth. "We worked hard over the course of three days. We dealt with adversity and found a way to come through on the final day to hold onto fourth place.

"Reese Ellestad and Alex Humann both swam lifetime best times today to help guide us in the individual events."

Ellestad, a sophomore from San Diego, took third in the 100 free in 53.22, the No. 2 all-time mark in school history. Humann was 11th in 54.58 (3rd all-time).

In his fourth season, Roth has led the Vaqueros to three straight WSC titles and a 142-13 regular-season record.

Sierra won its first women's State title with 470 points. San Diego Mesa was second with 322, followed by Santa Rosa (310), the Vaqueros (269) and Las Positas (268).

"Our 4x100 relay swam a wonderful race," noted Roth. "After the second swimmer finished, Reese dove in in 7th place and brought us back up to 3rd. Humann anchored the relay, holding off Orange Coast to finish fourth and secure fourth place by a single point.

"Hats off to our assistant coach Mackenzy Fowler, who spent over two hours calculating all possible team point score scenarios. We did our math and got our grade."

Halie Johnson started the 400 free relay and was followed by Mackenzie Richards, Ellestad and Humann. Their time of 3:38.67 is second-best in school history.

"I am really proud of this group," added Roth. "At the beginning of the year, we thought we would be lucky to finish top 10 in the State and we were uncertain if we would be able to win the conference championship. This group gave so much heart, invested in each other to create a strong bond and inspire teammates to perform better.

"So many of these girls will move on and graduate from SBCC. They are truly a special group of people who will go on to do great things in life. They will truly be missed, but their legacy will live on."