Results Like These Prove Swimming Is A Team Sport

Alot of people will look at the nature of swimming, or watch individuals compete for Olympic Gold, and dismiss Swimming as a team sport. But when the AquaDons took on the Cardinals Thursday afternoon, "TEAM" was on display in the 98-64 victory for El Rancho. The AquaDons only stood on the 1st place podium in 3 of the 8 individual events, but as a team... they won 7 of the 8 individual events, outscoring the Cardinals 76-48. In the three relay events, El Rancho only won 1 of 3, but managed to outscore their neighbors 22 to 16.

Looking across at the score sheet, you will notice five times the Cardinals were able to take first place, but the only individual race they won was the 100 Fly (6-10). In the four other instances a Whittier swimmer took first, our boys in blue swam clean races, and avoided being DQ'ed (disqualified) and earned enough points for the victory. In three specific events, the 200 Free and the 500 Free, the boys really came through on some big victories. In the 200, Junior Fernando Antonio (C), and Freshmen Isaiah Figueroa and Leo Rivas went 1-2-5, posting a +6 point round for the AquaDons. Before the 100, El Rancho and Whittier were going back and forth, letting a 7 point lead shrink to 3 points. The Freshman trio of Dominic Ramos, Jordan Bravo, and Julian Chaves went 1-3-4 in the 100 Free, helping to grow the lead to a 10 point difference. And just like the effectiveness of a 1-2 combo punch, Junior Mateo Ramirez, Freshman Isaiah Figueroa, and Sophomore Sean Valencia went 1-2-4 in the 500 Free, scoring another +9 point advantage and stretching the lead to 19 points. The AquaDons took 3 of the last 4 events, including an uncontested 4x100 Relay, to seal the 34 point victory.

Top 3 Point earners (2 Individual + 2 Relays = 28 possible):
T-1st> Mateo Ramirez & Dominic Ramos: 18 points
T-2nd> Matt Calderon, Fernando Antonio, Isaiah Figueroa, adn Jordan Bravo: 16 points

Time Drops: 

Jordan Bravo: -1.sec 100 Free 

Matthew Calderon:  -0.8sec 200 Medley Relay /  -2.5sec  200 Free Relay
Julian Chaves: -1sec 100 Free /  -1sec 200 Free Relay

Devin Clardy: -0.5sec 50 Free / -1sec 100 Fly  

Isaiah Figueroa: -20sec 200 Free / -14sec 500 Free / -1sec 400 Free Relay

Jarod Gonzalez: -3sec 400 Free Relay

Dominic Ramos: -.5sec 200 Free Relay / -1.5sec 100 Free  

Leo Rivas: -4sec 200 Free / -1sec 200 Free Relay

Jacob Salazar: -9sec 200 IM / -11sec 100 Fly

Sean Valencia: -0.2sec 200 IM 

When The Dust Settles, JV Lands On Top

Freshman Aaron Salinas and 1st year Senior Daniel Bernal return to JV after a successful first Varsity meet last week to join our three Unified Athletes in their punch-counter punch victory of Whittier. 

Whittier immediately went up 8-0 after the Medley Relay. We don't usually field a team in this event because the JV team is so small (4-5 kids). Each swimmer can swim 2 relays, so we elect to field teams in the 200 and 400 Free Relay, playing to our strengths. But the JV team struck back quickly, with a 9-4 win in the 200 Free, cutting the 8point lead down to 3. Senior Daniel Bernal missed his 100 IM due to rookie confusion, wasting a chance to take the lead. Ruben Magallanes beat three Whittier swimmers in the 50 Free, and with the additional point from Matthew Cruz-Ramirez, took away an opportunity from the Cardinal to really increase their lead. Daniel Bernal made up for his rookie mistake by taking all 6 points uncontested in the 50 Fly. Now that might sound easy, but the Fly is not an easy swim, and a lot of JV swimmers DQ due to lack of strength needed to power through this event. 

Up by 1, Marcus Alvarado and Matthew Cruz-Ramirez would outscore the 1st place Whittier swimmer, 7-6, doubling the Dons lead to 2pts. The 200 Free Relay team had an exciting come from behind victory to increase the Dons' lead to 6 points. Ruben Magallanes, having never competed in the anything but Freestyle, attempted to swim the 50 Backstroke. And in Ruben-fashion, he just beat out the second Whittier swimmer, to put enough points up to keep our lead at 1pt. Aaron Salinas would also debut in the 50 Breast, and in typical Aaron fashion, he kept the races close in the first 35 yards, and somehow found a way to outtouch his opponent in the last 15 yards, increasing our lead to 3pts. With the final relay of the night, the Dons swam uncontested, adding 8 more cherries on the top of the 50 Breast victory, for a 55-44 JV Boys victory!

Congratulations on their first place victories: Aaron Salinas (200 Free / 50 Breast), Daniel Bernal (50 Fly), and Ruben Magallanes (50 Free).

Top 3 Point earners (2 Individual + 2 Relays = 28 possible): 1st> Aaron Salinas:  28 points
2nd> Ruben Magallanes: 26 points
3rd> Daniel Bernal: 22 points

Time Drops:
Daniel Bernal:  -1.2sec 200 Free Relay
Matthew Cruz-Ramirez: -12sec 200 Free Relay
Ruben Magallanes:  -2.1sec  (50 Free) /  -3.3sec (200 Free Relay)
Aaron Salinas: -3.5sec (200 Free) /  -0.5sec  (200 Free Relay)