NJCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

QUALITY& QUANTITY

That’s the same winning formula that Indian River’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have been using for nearly a half-century at the NJCAA Championships. The Pioneer men now have won 47 straight team titles; the women, 39—and 43 of the past 47.

BY ANDY ROSS

MEN’S RACE: INDIAN RIVER 1,340, IOWA CENTRAL 690.5, SOUTHWESTERN OREGON 598

Indian River State College’s men continue to have the longest unbroken U.S. championship winning streak in any sport at the collegiate level. They did it by winning 20 of the 25 NJCAA Championship events at their home pool in Fort Pierce, Fla., April 28-May 1. They also qualified 46.67% of all of the swimmers who competed in the A-finals.

Coach Sion Brinn’s men snatched the top four places in two races, top three in five, and top two in 11 (including both diving events). And they swept all five relays.

Michael Deans (breast), Brennan Hammond (fly) and Dean Walker (free) swam with backstrokers Nicholas Fauteux (200) and Jhon Moncada (400) to win both medleys (1:30.67, 3:17.59). IRSC dominated the freestyle relays, winning the 200 by 4+ seconds (1:21.57—Fauteux, Walker, Luke Altmann, John Zeiger), 400 by 6+ seconds (3:00.61—Altmann, Caleb Brandon, Walker, Zeiger) and 800 by 11+ seconds (6:41.70—Brandon, Chance Conde, Hammond, Zeiger).

IRSC’s Aramis Rivera was named Male Swimmer of the Meet, sweeping the 100-200-400 yard IMs (50.21, 1:48.63, 3:54.56) and finishing second in the 200 breast to teammate Michael Deans (1:56.82). Taking top honors in diving was TJ Ray, who swept the 1- and 3-meter boards (402.35, 426.80).

Joining in on the Pioneer party was distance specialist Chance Conde, who won the 500-1000-1650 freestyles (4:24.56, 9:12.43, 15:31.21) and placed fourth in the 200 behind winner Caleb Brandon (1:38.50). Brandon was also involved in a 1-2-3 sweep in the 100

] [PHOTO BY MOLLY BARTELS, INDIAN RIVER STATE COLLEGE

<< Indian River’s Taryn Dailey (first) celebrates with teammate Isabela Cabrera Duarte (third) after IRSC captured the top four places in the women’s 200 fly at NJCAAs. Dailey (right), who won the 100 free, 100200 fly and 200 IM, shared honors for Female CoSwimmers of the Meet with teammate Victoria Ortiz, who also won four individual events.

free that was led by Luke Altmann (45.20) and 50 champ Dean Walker (20.66).

Brennan Hammond was a two-time champ, winning the 100 fly (48.79) by 3-hundredths over teammate Liam Henry (50 fly winner, 21.89) and the 200 fly (1:47.03).

Southwestern Oregon’s Alejandro Robles Ruiz was a triple winner in the 50-100-200 back (23.13, 49.62, 1:49.48), while Barton’s Johan Cue Carrillo won the 50-100 breast (24.53, 53.37).

WOMEN’S RACE: INDIAN RIVER 1,374, SOUTHWESTERN OREGON 674, IOWA CENTRAL 562

Indian River’s women were just as impressive as the men. They won 19 of 25 events and qualified 48% of all of the swimmers who competed in A-finals. They took the top four places in seven events, top three in nine, top two in 13 (including the two diving events)... PLUS the top six swimmers in the women’s 500 yard free! And IRSC swept the relays.

Catherine Royden-Turner (back), Rylee Woelk (breast), Taryn Dailey (fly) and Sydney Weatherspoon (free) joined forces to sweep the medley relays (200 1:45.50, 400 3:53.53), with Royden-Turner, Dailey and Weatherspoon combining with Kailea Green to win the 200 freestyle relay (1:37.15) by nearly four seconds.

Dailey and Green also swam on the winning 400 free relay (3:32.36) with Victoria Ortiz and Lillian Lewis, while Ortiz, Green and Lewis followed leadoff swimmer Esther Rydbeck to win the 800 free relay (7:41.21).

Dailey and Ortiz also won four individual events apiece and shared honors for Female Co-Swimmers of the Meet. Dailey displayed her versatility, winning the 100 free (51.59), 100-200 fly (55.32, 2:03.15) and 200 IM (2:06.00). Meanwhile, Ortiz commanded the four freestyle events from 200 yards up to the 1650 (1:52.24, 4:53.59, 10:11.62, 16:56.82). Her 500 time was just 11-hundredths off Gwen Cross’ (Brevard) NJCAA record set 38 years ago in 1983!

IRSC’s Lainie Rivas won both springboard diving events (409.05, 390.10) and was named the Female Diver of the Meet, while teammate Royden-Turner was a double winner in the 50 and 200 backstroke (25.73, 2:05.27). She also finished second in the 100 back to South Georgia State’s Aimee Miller (55.86). Ella Gates (50 fly, 25.25) and Rylee Woelk (400 IM, 4:31.96) brought Indian River’s total number of individual event winners to six.

Iowa Central’s Magali Mouton dropped more than three seconds from last year in the 100 breast to win in 1:03.91 and more than four seconds in the 200 for a 2:20.54 victory. She also went from fifth a year ago to first in the 50 (29.99) to complete her breaststroke sweep.

The meet’s top freestyle sprinter was Karianne Yuchnitz of Jamestown CC, N.Y. (50 free, 23.87), while Jacqueline Feurtado of Southwestern Oregon won the 100 IM in 58.52. v