Full Team Efforts Propels Vaqueros to WSC #1 Victory
By Jimmy Friery
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City College Women's Swimming team won the first conference meet of the year—WSC #1—last Friday hosted by Cuesta College. The hosts came close to snapping the Vaqueros long-standing WSC meet winning streak; ultimately, the Vaqueros pulled through with 674.5 points over Cuesta's 657.5 points.
"We are so proud of our women for trying new events for the betterment of the team as a whole," assistant coach Paige Treloar-Ballard said.
As always, the Vaqueros bookended the meet with relay wins. Santa Barbara's A, B, and C teams finished first, second, and third respectively in the opening 200 Medley Relay. The A team of Makena Quinones, May Guidoux, Trinity Link, and Leah Rummelhoff clocked in at 1:53.26. The final 200 Free Relay A team of Link, Quinones, Katie Strohl, and Leah Rummelhoff also won with a 1:42.54 time.
In between, there were plenty of Vaquero victories. Five different swimmers won individual events.
Strohl (2:05.82) and Pamela Hernandez (2:10.68) finished top two in the 200 Free. Strohl also won the 100 Fly (1:04.39) with more than four seconds to spare.
Hernandez later showed her strength in distance, the best swimmer in the 1650 Free (20:34.64), with Max Kerr (21:27.67) earning second.
Leah Rummelhoff won the 50 Free with a blistering 24.86 time. Strohl earned a rare tie for second at 26.59.
Guidoux won the 200 IM (2:21.27) with nine seconds to spare. She finished a touch ahead of Link—only .15 seconds between them—to place second and third, respectively, in the 200 Breast.
Link got redemption in the 100 Free, finishing first at 54.96. The Vaqueros swept the podium in the event—Leah Rummelhoff was second (55.77) and Hernandez was third (1:00.13).
On top of all the women's success, it was a successful day for Will Robinson, making his debut as the lone men's swimmer. He won the 100 Free (50.02) and finished second in the 50 Free (22.12).
The Vaqueros look ahead to a non-conference meet at Mt. San Antonio this Friday and Saturday.
1st place finishes:
200 Medley Relay – Makena Quinones-May Guidoux-Trinity Link-Leah Rummelhoff (1:53.26)
200 Free – Katie Strohl (2:05.82)
50 Free – Leah Rummelhoff (24.86)
200 IM – May Guidoux (2:21.27)
100 Fly – Katie Strohl (1:04.39)
100 Free – Trinity Link (54.96)
1650 Free – Pamela Hernandez (20:34.64)
200 Free Relay – Trinity Link-Makena Quinones-Katie Strohl-Leah Rummelhoff (1:42.54)
100 Free – Will Robinson (50.02)
2nd place finishes:
200 Medley Relay – Sienna Barelli-Jada Ashen-Ava Barclay-Pamela Hernandez (2:08.10)
200 Free – Pamela Hernandez (2:10.68)
200 Breast – May Guidoux (2:34.35)
50 Free – Katie Strohl (26.59)
100 Free – Leah Rummelhoff (55.77)
1650 Free – Max Kerr (21:27.67)
100 Breast – May Guidoux (1:10.14)
50 Free – Will Robinson (22.12)
3rd place finishes:
200 Medley Relay – Riley Olney-Zoe McGehee-Nevaeh Minglana-Sophie McGehee (2:13.69)
200 Back – Makena Quinones (2:26.32)
200 Breast – Trinity Link (2:34.50)
100 Free – Pamela Hernandez (1:00.13)
100 Back – Lucy Grooms (1:13.19)
100 Breast – Ava Barclay (1:19.49)