Monterey Park, CA – The Occidental's swimming and diving teams concluded their season with strong performances at the 2024 SCIAC Championships held at East Los Angeles College. With Occidental College serving as the host for the year, the Tiger presence was strong in the pool facility. Over four intense days of competition, the Tigers showed their strengths in the pool, resulting in impressive performances and well-deserved recognition.
Diving Depth
The diving team set the stage for success, with Clara Dearden leading the charge by clinching a commendable fourth place finish in the women's one-meter dive event with a score of 423.70. Joining her in the top ten was Callie Rice in eighth place with a score of 365.75 and Elsie Cady in ninth with a score of 362.10. Dearden went on to finish in fifth place in the three-meter dive with a score of 410.30. Audra Baruch scored 342.70 points to earn 10th place in the three-meter. Isaac Bassett snagged two top 10 spots in men's diving. In the one-meter dive, he scored 426.60 and in the three-meter dive he finished in 10th with a score of 399.85.
Relay Resilience
The opening day witnessed thrilling relay events, with the women's 200-yard A relay, composed of Kyler Brumfield, Kamille Pelletieri, Kathy Munoz, and Nathalie Kerrican, clinching a notable fourth place finish with a time of 1:47.90. The men's 200-yard A relay, made up of Carter Park, Matthew Spruance, Alex To, and Josh Biggs, finished in sixth with a time of 1:32.42. The men's 400-yard medley A relay(Park, Pittroff, Spruance, Biggs) finished in fifth place with a time of 3:25.81. The men's 800-yard freestyle A relay (To, Pittroff, Carter Park, and Jack Davis) finished in seventh place with a time of 6:57.40. The women's 800-yard freestyle A relay (Radle, Kerrigan, Amanda George, and Brumfield) was one spot away from the podium with their fourth place finish, posting a time of 7:51.14.
Freestyle Dominance
Sarah Radle showed her skill in the women's 200-yard freestyle, securing a commendable sixth place finish, closely followed by teammates Kerrigan and George. Biggs tied for sixth in the men's 50-yard freestyle with a time of 20.85. George took on the 1650-yard freestyle challenge and finished in seventh place with a time of 17:43.32.
Breaststroke Determination
Meanwhile, Nate Pittroff and Spruance displayed exemplary skills in the men's 100-yard breaststroke, contributing crucial points to the team's success. Pittroff finished in fourth place with a time of 55.88 for a total of 15 points. Pelletieri finished in fourth place as well in the women's 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:06.04.
Butterfly Progression
First year Munoz showed her power in the women's 100-yard butterfly with her eighth place finish with a time of 57.38.
Backstroke Brilliance
First year sensation Brumfield continued to deliver exceptional results and earned a podium finish in the women's 200-yard backstroke. She earned third with a time of 2:07.29, over a second faster than the next contender. Brumfield also finished in fifth place in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 58.52. Her stellar efforts were complemented by teammates Munoz and Caroline Agostini.
Record-Breaking Relay
The women's 400-medley A relay, featuring Brumfield, Pellettieri, Munoz, and Radle, made history by not only securing a podium finish, but also smashing the school record with a time of 3:54.72. Their extraordinary achievement encapsulated the teams unwavering commitment to excellence.
The SCIAC Championships proved to be a testament to the Tigers relentless resolve to compete. Congratulations to the teams for their outstanding efforts throughout the season.
