Kwong Medals and Finishes Fourth, Three More Bulldogs Finish in Top 15 at CCCAA Swimming and Diving State Championships
Posted: May 05, 2017

Kwong Medals and Finishes Fourth, Three More Bulldogs Finish in Top 15 at CCCAA Swimming and Diving State Championships

Dria Kwong finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly final for the Allan Hancock College women's swimming and diving team at the CCCAA Swimming and Diving State Championships Friday at East Los Angeles College. Sophomores Maddie Diaz, Rebecca Gonzalez, and Nikki Gurgiolo earned top-15 finishes in individual events during day two of the state meet.

Kwong (pictured below) touched the wall in 58.91 second to earn 15 points for the Bulldogs in the team standings. The Orcutt Academy graduate fourth in the same event at last year's state meet, matching the highest-finish at state by a Hancock swimmer in program history. The six-time Western State Conference champion will compete in the 200-yard backstroke and 200-yard butterfly events on Saturday. Last year at state, she finished ninth in the 200-yard backstroke and 11th in the 200-yard butterfly.


Diaz came in 14th in the 400-yard individual medley final with a time of 4:56.45. She finished 25th in the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday. The Pioneer Valley High School graduate will swim in the 1,650-yard freestyle final on Saturday. She finished seventh in the 1,650 free last year.

Gonzalez swam the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:11.39 to secure sixth-place in the consolation final and 14th overall. Last year, she finished 17th in the event. The Nipomo High School graduate will swim in the 200-yard breaststroke event on Saturday.

Gonzalez, Kwong, Meagan Stevens and Ellyn Clardy teamed up for a 12th place finish in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:55.97. The four already combined to break the school record in the 400-yard medley relay on Thursday with a time of 4:10.53 when they finished tenth in the state. Diaz, Clardy, Stevens and Kwong finished the night with a 13th place finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay with a time of 8:31.60. 

Earlier in the day, Gurgiolo finished 15th in the 3-meter diving final. The Righetti High School graduate earned 115.75 points overall. Gurgiolo was the first Hancock diver to ever qualify for and compete at the state meet.

After two days, Hancock has 55 total points and sits in 15th place out of 47 teams. The point total already surpassed the program record for most points won at a state meet. 

The three-day meet will end Saturday with Diaz, Kwong and Gonzalez competing in individual events. The preliminary heats begin at 9:30 a.m. and the finals start at 4 p.m.