The Central California Conference swim trials got underway on Friday at Pitman High as both the Pride and Turlock High Bulldogs look to end the season on a high note. Pitman and Turlock boys had 15 top eight finishes and 10 individuals will be moving on to the finals. The girls finished with 29 top eight finishes and will have 19 representatives on day two.
“You know, we went over some strategies of pacing themselves and we gave them a time that would make the top eight,” Turlock boys head coach Erich Richter said. “With those times [we] will be ok I told my squad, we will see how we finish tomorrow.”
“We needed a couple of people to step up and seed in the top eight because that’s finals,” Pitman girls head coach Michaela Solario said. “We need to place in the top eight because those points are the ones that count the most.”
Rebekah Gotegruth placed first in the 50 free and fifth in the 100 free and will be moving on to the finals. She is also a favorite in most of her events.
“I was excited, I mean we had people dropping times,” Turlock girls head coach Sonja Raynes said. “Since majority were dropping times, obviously it made [me] as a coach very happy. Making it into tomorrow makes it more exciting.”
Hollie Tinley, Taylor Jarvis, Annika Jasek-Rhysdahl, Lucy Deitz, Hailee Baldwin, Kelli Coffelt, Anna Porter, Christiana Ushana, Rebekah Groteguth, Emma Burke, Stephanie Simmons, Jordyn Kennell, Hannah Bonner, Kamarin White, Ana Viss, Jessica Kern, and Sarah Phillips represent the girls for the Pride and ‘Dogs in the finals.
Ian Belloli, Cameron Sondeno, Max Rodriguez, Blake Phillips, CJ Cossey, Darrio Torres, Jacob Alvarez, Garrett Roof, Nick Ogden, Ryan Horn, and Marcelino Ramirez represent the boys in the finals.
“[We] kind of expect more from our performers tomorrow,” Pitman boys head coach Ryan Bullar said. “We need to be very competitive in the events and hopefully we do well.”
Pitman’s Natasha Sondeno placed first as a freshman, with a score of 385, an All-American mark at Thursday's diving trials. Alex Schoeffling placed third representing Turlock High. For the varsity boys, from Pitman, Riley Silva placed fifth and Alan Quinn sixth. Juan Carrillo from Turlock took the eighth spot.