Kwong and Diaz Win Two Events Each, Hancock Swimming Finishes Second at WSC#1

Sophomores Maddie Diaz and Dria Kwong won two individual events each to help the Allan Hancock College women's swimming team to a second place finish in the first five-team Western State Conference meet of the season Friday at Ventura College.

The Bulldogs finished with 92 total points, just two points behind first place Cuesta. With 88 points, Ventura finished third, Citrus came in fourth with 78, and L.A. Pierce finished fifth with 25 points.

Diaz opened with a win in the 1000 yard freestyle with a time of 11:38.67 to earn nine points for the Bulldogs. She finished 27 seconds ahead of the runner-up. The Pioneer Valley High School graduate later took first in the 500 free with a time of 5:42.99, 12 seconds faster than the second place swimmer.

Freshman Meagan Stevens finished third in the 1000 free in 12:12.40 to earn five points. Shannon Copeland came in sixth in the 500 free in 6:12.32 for two more points.

Kwong, who won three conference titles last year, took first in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 1:01.52 to earn nine points. The Orcutt Academy graduate also touched the wall first in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 1:03.47, nearly four seconds ahead of the second place swimmer. 

Diaz, Makena Blanco, Copeland and Brannica Casabar teamed up to take second in the 200 yard freestyle relay. Their time of 1:53.98 set a new school record and earned 10 more points.

Sophomore Rebecca Gonzalez earned six points with a second place finish in the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:13.30.

Gonzalez, Diaz, Stevens and freshman Ellyn Clardy turned in a second place finish with a time of 2:01.21 in the 200 yard medley relay. Clardy also finished fourth in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:08.77 to earn four points in the team standings, and fourth in the 100 free with a time of 58.97 seconds. 

Blanco earned a sixth place finish in the 50 yard free with a time of 28.51 to earn a pair of points, and came in fifth in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:11.68. Casabar also earned two points in the 200 yard individual medley.

The Bulldogs will return to action next Friday, March 10, at the two-day Cuesta Invitational.