2017 Ventura College Swimming & Diving Team News
The Ventura College men's and women's swimming and diving teams finished strong on the final day of the CCCAA State Championships at East Los Angeles College Saturday. Buoyed by their seventh place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay, their highest finish of the meet, the Pirate men came in 11th place overall. Meanwhile, Maria Petraitis had her third individual finals appearance of the championships to help the VC women to a 15th place finish overall.
On the strength of a 10th place finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay, and a ninth place finish for David Peterson in the 200-yard freestyle, the Pirates' men's swimming and diving team was 12th Friday with one day remaining at the CCCAA State Championships at East Los Angeles College. The VC women stood in 17th place with Maria Petraitis earning the team's lone individual points on the day, to go along with the 800-yard freestyle relay team.
The Ventura College men's and women's swimming and diving teams had a solid outing on day one of the three-day CCCAA State Championships at East Los Angeles College Thursday. The Pirate men were in ninth place overall and the women were in 13th out of 28 and 27 scoring teams, respectively. Combined, the teams scored in nine of the 12 events on the day. The women's 200-yard freestyle relay team of Kaitlyn Peters, Sabrina Cherfane, Kelsey Golden and Paige Treloar-Ballard posted the best finish, touching the wall in seventh in the first finals race of the evening session.
In the final race of the Western State Conference Championships Saturday in Santa Maria, VC's 400-yard freestyle relay team of David Peterson, Kaleb Rodarte, Jack Burleigh and Jack Pickett blew away the competition, winning the conference title by four seconds. That win capped a stellar weekend for the Pirates' men's and women's swimming and diving teams during which the men ran away with the competition for their fourth straight WSC title, and the women finished a strong runner up.
On the second day of the three-day Western State Conference Championships in Santa Maria, the Pirates' men's swimming and diving team augmented its lead over second place while the VC women solidified their standing in second. Kaleb Rodarte won Ventura's first individual gold Friday while Maria Petraitis and Paige Treloar-Ballard each earned individual silver medals.
The Pirates' men's swimming and diving team had a sizable advantage after day one of the Western State Conference Championships in Santa Maria Thursday. Meanwhile the Pirate women were in second place in the three-day competition hosted by Allan Hancock College. The men's 200-yard freestyle relay highlighted the day with a conference title, with numerous other solid individual performances.
The Ventura College men's swim team had two divers compete in the Western State Conference and SoCal Regional Championships at El Camino College Friday and Saturday. Deonn Crilly and David Kromka earned 66 points for the Pirates for the upcoming WSC Swimming Championships April 20-22 in Santa Maria. Additionally, Crilly qualified for the CCCAA State Championships to be held May 4-6 at East Los Angeles College.
The VC men's and women's swim teams had solid performances Saturday at the Pasadena Invitational. Both teams came in seventh overall, the men out of 16 scoring teams and the women out of 19 teams, despite swimming mainly on one day of the two-day event. Maria Petraitis and Brittany Oliver both had excellent days for the women while Deonn Crilly had the best finish of the meet for the VC men.
The Pirates' men's swim team continued their dominance in conference competition,a nd the VC women continued to show their thin margin for error Friday at the third Western State Conference meet at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria Friday. The Ventura men finished first of the three teams participating while the VC women were fourth, just five points from second while missing two key swimmers. David Peterson and Thomas Bunker both earned two individual firsts in the competition.
The Pirates' men's swim team finished first and the women second at Friday's Western State Conference Swim Meet No. 2 at Los Angeles Pierce in Woodland Hills. David Kronka had two firsts for the men in the 1m and 3m diving competitions while Jack Pickett earned two top finishes in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events. Thomas Bunker also had two firsts on the day in the 1000 and 500-yard freestyle. Brittany Oliver and Kaitlyn Peters claimed golds for the women in the 1000 and 50-yard freestyle races, respectively.
The Ventura College men's and women's swim teams hosted the Western State Conference #1 Meet Friday at the Ventura Aquatic Center with the men finishing first of the three participating teams and the women third of five schools. Jack Pickett led the men with two individual first place finishes and one relay gold while Maria Petraitis, Paige Treloar-Ballard and Alejendra Medina each placed in two individual events for the women.
The VC men's and women's swimming and diving teams took part in the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational Friday. VC accumulated 198.5 points with the men for their 10th place finish of 17 scoring teams while the women totaled 150 points for 10th out of 21 scoring teams. The Pirates managed this while participating in one day of the two-day meet in Walnut. Jack Pickett led the men placing in the top-10 in three events while Maria Petriatis placed in the top-10 in four events for the women.
The Ventura College men's and women's swimming and diving teams opened the 2017 season with the John Joseph / Western State Conference Pentathlon Friday at the Ventura Aquatic Center. Six Pirate men placed in the top-20 overall, led by Kevin Smallwood who placed fourth. Meanwhile, six VC women also placed six in the overall top-20 paced by Brittany Oliver in ninth place.
After 29 years on the pool deck and a lifetime full of memories, longtime Ventura College head swim coach Larry Baratte has retired. Coach Baratte, the architect of the Pirates' dominant men's and women's swimming programs, retired as a full time faculty member last spring, and made his retirement from coaching official in the fall. He is succeeded by veteran women's water polo coach and VC alumna Mary Giles, who has worked with Baratte with the sim teams for the past three years an associate head coach.