Monterey Park, Calif. -- On the final day of the South Coast Conference Championships, the Mt. SAC Men's Swim and Dive Team sealed their overall title with a dominant string of performances. In total, the men earned 15 first-place finishes, 11 second place finishes, seven third-place finishes for a total score of 1002. Long Beach City followed in second place with an overall score of 720.5 and Cerritos rounded out the top three with a score of 414.5.
Jack Painton headlined the day with a commanding win in the 1650 Freestyle (15:59.91), followed by teammates Ethan Darmon (16:53.14) and AJ Ceja (17:26.21) who completed an all-Mountie podium sweep. Michael Di Bello topped the 100 IM with a new SCC Record (51.60), joined by Luke Marsden (53.13) and Dylan Liu (53.79) for another sweep.
In the 200 Backstroke, Michael Lu (1:55.65), Luke Pedroche (1:57.07), and Jayden Pak (2:00.63) delivered yet another 1-2-3 finish. Ray Chun established a new SCC record, placing first in the 100 Free (45.56) followed by Gavin Roberts (47.01) in second place. Marsden added a second-place finish in the 200 Breaststroke (2:05.92).
The men wrapped up the meet with a thrilling win and broke a 32-year-old SCC record in the 400 Freestyle Relay as Chun, Di Bello, Painton, Lu and Roberts clocked a blazing 3:06.37.
To cap off an unforgettable weekend, several Mounties were honored by the South Coast Conference for their outstanding performances throughout the season. Ray Chun was named Swimmer of the Year, while Michael Evangelista earned Diver of the Year honors. On the coaching side, Lani Ruh was recognized as Assistant Coach of the Year, and Head Coach Marc Ruh was named Men's Swimming Coach of the Year.
Congratulations to the entire team for an exceptional season of excellence and achievement!
NEXT UP:
Mt. SAC now turns its focus to the 3C2A Swimming and Diving Championships, set for May 1–3 at Santa Rosa Junior College. Keep it up, Mounties – we are cheering for you!
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.