RUSTLER MEN’S SWIMMERS’ SOLID PERFORMANCES AT ORANGE COAST

Costa Mesa, Calif. - The Orange-Empire Conference teams met for the second time this season but the first time at Orange Coast College, the site of the conference championships and the State meet as well.

Riverside, as they did in the first invite, accumulated the most points to win the meet with 786.Golden West edged the host OCC for second 587-526. Cypress, the most improved team in the conference, earned 426. Saddleback (234) and Fullerton (22) rounded out the field.

 

Every individual event was again offered and some patterns are starting to form. First of all, the sprints go through Ryder Tonkovich, the freshman sensation from Golden West. He again prevailed winning the 50 free (21.67) and the 100 free (47.32), the latter time being the current eighth fastest time in the state. Wyatt Mitchell, another freshman, won his specialty for the first time this season with a 1:44.81 effort, good for the 7th fastest state time. Ryan Novak, a three time State championship meet finalist last year, won the 500 free going away in a time of 4:42.09 which is the third fastest time recorded in California this season. He also went for a third in the 100 back and fourth in the 100 fly. Avery Pellicano, a freshman from Sacramento easily won the mile, breaking 17:00 for the first time this year in the state's fifth fastest time for 2026. He also secured second in the 500 free and just missed the school record in the 100 IM with a 55.35 mark.

 

The team's success was not limited to that quartet. Daigo Fujita, a state finalist last year in the 400 IM came in second (4:30.46) in the same event along with a third in the 200 fly and fifth in the 500 free. Jack Wright, a sophomore from Newport Harbor High, was second in the 200 back (2:11.48) and fourth in the 1650 free. Taylor Juarez, a sophomore from Huntington Beach HS, grabbed thirds in the 400 IM (4:39.52) and 1650 free (18:20.57). Matt Wood, a freshman from Chicago, nabbed third in the 200 IM (2:08.79) and a fifth in the 200 breast (2:24.69). Boston Frost, the California State Player of the Year in water polo, popped a 23.04 good enough for fifth in the 50 free. Finally, Szabi Kern continued to improve with a four second drop in the 200 backstroke to earn fifth place points.

 

The two contested relays, the 400 free relay and the medley relay saw Golden West come in third and fifth, respectively. Pellicano, Tonkovich, Little and Novak sped to a 3:16.98 total in the free relay. To finish the meet, the quartet of Pellicano, Little, Juarez and Szabi and entered as the Rustlers' B team (Pellican and Juarez had just finished the mile six minutes earlier) showed enough to come in with a solid 3:51.83 time.

Coach Maurer was realistic about the results. "We have been working really hard the past few weeks so it was not a surprise our times were better but our best efforts are in front of us. This conference has gotten faster but it will prepare us for the State meet. The next few weeks are critical for our training."

 

Two weeks from now, the Rustlers return to OCC for the Pirate Invitational which will include out of the area teams.