COMMUNITY COLLEGE STATE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS : OCC Wins Men’s, Women’s Titles

There wasn’t a dry eye among the members of the Orange Coast swimming team as they celebrated their men’s and women’s titles at the three-day State championships, which ended Saturday at Cypress College.

The OCC women won their sixth consecutive title and the program’s 10th in the last 11 years for Coach Don Watson. Watson, selected the State women’s coach of the year, was the first to be tossed into the pool at the end of the meet.

After that, swimmers went around the pool deck tossing teammates and assistant coaches into the water, dressed for it or not.

The OCC women finished with a meet-record 639 points and Saddleback, also a member of the Orange Empire Conference, was second with 294. Cuesta (227) was third, American River (205) was fourth and West Valley (195) fifth. Rancho Santiago (154) was ninth and Fullerton (149) finished 10th.

The OCC men won with 521 points, Golden West (417) was second and Long Beach (351) third. It was the third title in four seasons for OCC.

“I enjoy seeing the kids happy,” Watson said. “You grow fond of them and seeing them improve and grow up. That’s the very best part.”

The race of the day and the meet was the men’s 200 backstroke, in which Santa Monica’s Lenny Krayzelburg set a national record, finishing in 1 minute 47.91 seconds. Krayzelburg beat OCC’s Matthias Otte, who held the lead at 50, 100 and 150 yards. But Krayzelburg was able to take the lead just before the final turn. Otte held the previous record of 1:48.26 set in 1992.

Grant Ferguson of OCC beat teammate Jim Emmons to win the 200 breaststroke. Ferguson’s time of 2:02.96 was the fastest in the state this year. Emmons (2:04.39) came in second. OCC closed out the meet by winning the 400 freestyle relay in 3:05.51.

OCC’s Brandi Kossub led an Orange County sweep in the women’s 100 backstroke, winning in 59.11. She has won the 50 and 100 backstroke races in two consecutive State meets. Erin Snow (1:00.07) of Orange Coast was second and Rancho Santiago’s Heather Burton (1:00.91) finished third.

Saddleback, which barely lost to Orange Coast in the 800 freestyle relay Friday, came back to beat the Pirates Saturday in the 400 freestyle.

OCC was ahead by less than a fourth of a second after three legs, but Saddleback’s Emilie Paylovich passed OCC’s Michelle Pereira in the final 25 yards. Saddleback won in 1:40.46 and OCC was second in 1:40.61.