COC Swims to School Best Finish in 2016
COC head coach Sean Kakumu guided the men’s team to a school-best third place finish in the Western State Conference (WSC) standings, while also seeing his swimmers set several new program records.
In 2016, the College of the Canyons swim & dive program turned in what might be considered the most successful season in school history!
Head coach Sean Kakumu guided the men's team to a school-best third place finish in the Western State Conference (WSC) standings, while also seeing his swimmers set several new program records. On the women's side, Canyons finished in seventh place in the WSC.
Sophomore All-American and Western State Conference (WSC) Male Swimmer of the Meet Griffin Scott made the biggest splash, by becoming the first swimmer in school history to win that award.
Along the way he also racked up individual conference titles in the 200y Individual Medley and 100y Butterfly, before combining with teammates William Karren, Naphong Aneksirikul and Ryan Swindell to help COC take titles — and establish new school records — in both the 200y Medley Relay and 400y Medley Relay.
Karren also won a conference championship in the 50y freestyle event.
Scott went on to compete at the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships in the 100y and 200y Butterfly, as well as the 200y Individual Medley. His fifth place finish in the 200y Butterfly at the state meet also represented a school best mark.
Karren qualified for the State Championships in the 100y Backstroke, 50y Freestyle and 100y Butterfly.
COC's 200y and 400y medley relay teams, and the 400y Freestyle relay team (Karren, Aneksirikul, Scott and Swindell) also qualified for the state meet, representing the largest contingent COC has ever sent to the State Championships.
At season's end Scott was named a CCCAA All-American in the 100y Butterfly, 200y Butterfly and 200y Individual Medley.
The team of Scott, Karren, Aneksirikul and Swindell also earned All-American honors in the 400y Freestyle Relay, 800y Freestyle Relay, 200y Medley Relay and 400y Medley Relay.
Sophomore Jessica Yamauchi had the highest individual finish with her second place finish in the 200y Individual Medley.
She followed up that effort with a fourth place finish in the 100y Backstroke and fifth place finish in the 200y Backstroke at 2:26.90.
Breanna Hummitzsch also set a school record in the 200y Breaststroke while finishing in 10th place.
Canyons did not participate in dive events during the 2016 season.