Walnut, Calif. – Fresh off a third-place finish at last year's 3C2A State Championship meet, the Mt. San Antonio College Men's Swim and Dive Team is ready to compete in the 2026 season; and this time they want to go for the gold.
Head coach Marc Ruh welcomes one of the largest rosters the program has seen in years, bringing both excitement and opportunity to the pool deck.
"We started the offseason with about 50 athletes, which is double the normal size for us," Ruh said. "We're down to about 42 right now, and there's a lot of talent. It's a really good group of guys—they're fun, they work hard, and they've bought into what we're doing."
Despite graduating a large sophomore class last year, Mt. SAC returns key contributors, including Luke Marsden, a state qualifier, and Ethan Darmon, a standout distance freestyler who Ruh expects to compete at the state level this season.
"We lost a lot of guys last year, but this year we have a lot of newer swimmers with real potential," Ruh said. "We should be able to take 15 or 16 guys to state, which is five or six more than last year. There's a lot of young talent here."
After finishing third at state a year ago, expectations inside the program have only grown.
"Our goal is to exceed that," Ruh said. "We don't know exactly what everyone else has, but our goal is to win a state championship with this group—and that's coming from them. They put that goal on themselves, which makes it even better."
The Mounties will get an early measuring stick when they open the season against several of the state's top programs, including American River, last year's runner-up, and Las Positas, a perennial top-five team.
"That first weekend up north is going to tell us a lot," Ruh said. "Then we'll face Sierra later in February, and by then we'll have a really good feel for where we stand."
From an event standpoint, Mt. SAC boasts strength across nearly every area of the lineup.
"We've got really good IM swimmers, distance freestylers, backstrokers, breaststrokers, flyers, sprinters—you name it," Ruh said. "Our relays should be really fast. We've got depth, and everyone has improved a lot through training."
That depth includes an impressive group of newcomers. Ruh highlighted several freshmen who are already making an impact, including Lincoln Jones, Cooper Golling, Leon Mikulski, Max Wang, Connor Keith, and Aidan Staton, along with several strong additions from Upland High School. Tim Chun, the younger brother of former Mountie standout Ray Chun, has also stepped in as a sprinter.
"There are so many guys," Ruh said. "We just have a lot of really good kids. That makes it fun—and it makes decisions tough."
As the season approaches, Ruh is enjoying watching the group come together.
"Honestly, I'm looking forward to getting out of their way and watching them go," he said. "Training has been fun. They're lifting hard, they're responsive, and they're enjoying it. I'm excited for the whole thing."
With talent, depth, and motivation all aligned, the Mounties enter the season ready to build on last year's success—and chase something even bigger.
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.