By MICHAEL COIT
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

The only program with both men’s and women’s teams reaching the state championships podium, Santa Rosa Junior College has 13 swimmers earning All-American honors.

Those same swimmers were All-State, with another four named Big 8 All-Conference.

“Our team consistently breaks records and continues to compete at a top level against other teams in the state,” SRJC coach Jill McCormick said. “You have to still go in there and swim it.

“We had several individuals and relays rank in the top three in the nation, which was pretty awesome.”

Santa Rosa’s women finished third at the 2014 California Community College Athletic Association Swimming and Diving championships. The contest was close enough that Santa Rosa needed just a handful of better times to capture a seventh state title.

Highlights included Miranda Howell winning two state titles and taking home a third with times for each race among the top three in the nation for junior colleges this season. Home schooled in high school, Howell is from Santa Rosa. Ashley Boyle, from Analy, had a pair of national top three times.

For the men, Santa Rosa finished third at state against much deeper teams. Leading the Bear Cubs was John Bing, from Roseburg, Ore., with both a state title and a third place.

SRJC All-Americans (time ranks in top 16 of nation for junior colleges):

Women, including high school attended and events: Michelle Spratt, Rancho Cotate (500 Free, 1650 Free); Christine Lewis, El Molino (500 Free, 50 Breast, 100 Breast); Erin Sullivan, Montgomery (200 IM); Allison Straus, Cardinal Newman (50 Fly, 100 Fly); Logan Williams, Analy (3m Diving); Kristin Schmidt, Analy (3m, 1m Diving); Howell (50 Fly, 50 Back, 100 Back); Boyle (50 Back, 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 IM).

Five of the women’s relay teams set All-American times. The teams featured different combinations of the swimmers above with the addition of Megan Warren, out of El Molino.

Men, including high school attended and events:

Clark Hale, El Molino (1650 Free); Andrew Hayes, Granada, Livermore (200 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Back); Ben Crabb, Windsor (400 IM, 100 Back, 200 Back); Stephen Mackanic, Livermore (100 Back, 200 Back); Bing (50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 200 Breast).

Four of the men’s relay teams set All-American times. The teams featured different combinations of the swimmers above with the additions of Morgan Baldwin, from Casa Grande, and Tom Francievich, out of Petaluma.

SRJC swimmers making Big 8 All-Conference not listed as individual All-Americans: Lauren Tokunaga, Durham; Savannah Moen, Montgomery; Bowen Brooks, Healdsburg; Baldwin.

SRJC swimmers also earned Academic All-American and/or All-Conference honors.

Women: Spratt, Schmidt, Sullivan, Straus, Moen.

Men: Crabb, Mackanic, Hale, Baldwin.

You can reach Staff Writer Michael Coit at 521-5470 or mike.coit@pressdemocrat.com.

(Visited 88 times, 1 visits today)