By Tadzio Garcia
The women’s swim and dive team won their first home double-dual meet in more than 15 years with their sweep over Los Angeles Trade Technical, 178-82, and Rio Hondo 196-38 colleges.
The Huskies won 11 events, eight of them 2013 records in wins over Trade Tech and Rio Hondo. “I’m happy with the outcome. Making forward progress, the qualitative aspects of races is what I like to see,” Head Coach Erik Matheson said.
East Los Angeles College will compete with over 500 swimmers at the Chaffey Invitational at the Riverside Aquatics Complex at Riverside City College, Friday and Saturday all day.
Kimberly Peralta of Trade Tech won three individual races in the 50-yard freestlye, 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley. Not to be outdone, Denise Burrola won two individual races for the Huskies in the 100-yard butterfly and the 50 free and took first place as part of both Huskies relay teams.
Burrola kicked off the 400 free relay event in ELAC’s first place win, which was by almost two minutes over the Trade Tech relay team. Burrola recorded her fastest times of the young season in all three races along with her relay team teammates including Christina Burrola, Alexandra Gonzalez and Ashley Jauregui.
Other 2013 personal records for the Huskies came from Kimberly Fierros, who won the 200 free and Jacqueline Leal, who took first in the 50 breaststroke. In addition, swimming to their fastest times of the year were Jauregui in the 1000 free and Christina Burrola in the 100 free.
Jauregui added a sweep in the log distance for the Huskies by also winning the 500 freestyle. Gonzalez took first place in the 50 back, second place in the 100 breaststroke and two first nods as part of both relay “A” teams.
“I didn’t even know where I finished in all of my races. My goal was focus on dropping times and support my teammates while they swam,” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez swam a personal best in the 50 backstroke.
When asked to talk about the team amassing multiple record times, Matheson responded, “Many of the girls posted 2013 personal records. “For example, Felicia (Ballesteros) dropped times leaps and bounds from last year. She has stepped up as co-captain of the team along with Alex (Gonzalez),” Matheson said.
ELAC began the day taking first and third places in the 200 medley relay. Both teams swam to 2013 records. The first place ELAC “A” team consisted of Gonzalez in the butterfly, Leal in the backstroke, Denise Burrola in the breaststroke and Christina Burrola in the freestyle. The ELAC “B” team rode the waves to a third place finish in the 200 medley relay in record time.
The team consisted of Jennifer Flores in the fly, Felicia Ballesteros (back), Veronica Orantes (breastroke) and Yazandra Martinez (free). Martinez was the lone diver in the women’s dive competition. Nevertheless, Martinez took first place in her first year of diving.
“It’s hard work but I’m glad to contribute points to the team,” Martinez said. “I stay focused to be able to dive and swim (in a meet) and am excited to be part of this team. Go Huskies.”
Martinez scored 56.85 points in the meet, 64.20 points in last week’s meet. She scored 91 points in the season’s opening South Coast Conference Pentathlon dive events, which is the most diving points in a meet by an ELAC women’s diver in 14 years.
“She is building to score the most points of the season at the SCC finals, which will enable her to advance to the regionals,” Elias Rocha, the dive coach said.