The Hilmar Hammerheads are the Merced County Swim League champions for the first time after years of dominance by the Los Banos Tigersharks, who had won the title the previous 19 years.
Hilmar captured the title by totaling 833.5 points, followed by second-place Kerman with 747 and third-place Los Banos with 619. The Dos Palos Dolphins (428) and the Atwater Stingrays (336.5) rounded out the top five.
Hammerheads coach Howard Tremble posted on his team’s Facebook page, “I have dreamt of this day since I was 6 years old. Thank you for making my dreams reality.”
After hearing the news that the Tiger Sharks had taken third place before the conclusion of the swim meet, the Hammerheads knew there would be a new champion this year. This time, the title belonged to Hilmar.