El Rancho HS met up with cross-605 rivals, Pioneer HS Tuesday afternoon, and won a close one 73-57. The AquaDons had all 6 members of the Varsity team against the 7-person Pioneer team coached by former Don Marissa Lopez, who happens to be the boys waterpolo coach.

Pioneer took the Medley Relay winning 8-4 against a team, but the AquaDons flipped the script on the 200 Free Relay, 8-4 (cancelling Pioneers +4), and then scored an uncontested victory 8-0, going +8 points in the exchange.

Individual events were split 4-4, scoring 53 points to the Titans 45 points. Pioneer went 3 deep for three of the events, and left two events (200 Free and 100 Fly) uncontested. Fernando ANTONIO and Captain Daniel BAUTISTA made sure to take advantage of the two events with a +16 advantage. In the three events Pioneer put three swimmers in, the 50 Free, the 100 Free, and the 100 Back, Pioneer netted +1 total. Captain Robert ROBLES and Sophomore Jared Gonzalez won their 50 Free match-up 9-7 and then repeated their success by sweeping 1st and 2nd in a 10-6 win. Captain BAUTISTA took 2nd in his 100 Back, blocking a sweep 4-11.

With 3 head-to-head meets left in the season, the practice yardage is starting to wear on the team's shoulders, apparent from the lack of improvements in normal swims, but three swimmers tried a new event today and pushed past their team mates for season best swims. RAMIREZ swam the 200 IM for the first time today and posted the 2nd best time for the season. ANTONIO took on the 100 Fly and posted the season's fastest time, as did CLARDY in the 500 Free. If you ask most swimmers which three events they try to avoid, the IM, FLY, 500 are going to be on that list 9 times out of 10... these three tackled touch swims for the team today, and excelled with two 2nds and a 1st. BRAVO ZULU (that's Navy talk for well done!)

Team Captains ROBLES and BAUTISTA led the scoring with 28 and 26 points respectively. Sophomore Fernando ANTONIO scored 22, and his Junior teammate Devin CLARDY posted 20 points. Sophomores GONZALEZ and RAMIREZ rounded up the scoring with 19 and 18 points respectively. Special Congrats to BAUTISTA (103 Season Points) is the first to crack 100 points.  ANTONIO, CLARDY, and ROBLES, all above 80 points, are on track to crack the 100 point mark on Thursday against SCHURR HS if they put up performances like today.

And let's not forget to wish Mateo RAMIREZ a happy 16th birthday! His parents and family were kind enough to bring pizza and cupcakes for both the boys and girls swim team. There is nothing like celebrating a win on your birthday! 

Freshman Magallanes single handily defeats the Titan JV.

Ruben MAGALLANES had simple instructions today... Don't DQ, as Pioneer's lack of a JV team allowed MAGALLANES to swim two events uncontested for the 12-0 win. After a lackluster 50 Free, where MAGALLANES added time to his personal best, he received fresh instructions and encouragment from his team mates in the 100 Free, dropping -5 seconds!  As we debriefed the swim and I congratulated him for the time drop, I swear I saw him crack a smile for a moment, and then replaced it with a serious expression and question, "Can I go home with my mom?"