PCC's Givens, Echeverria Co-South Coast Conference Swimmers Of The Year

Although officially finishing in second place at the South Coast Conference Championships, the Pasadena City College women's swim team was a first in event victories, school feats, and awards at the 3-day meet held at Cerritos College April 21-23.

The Lancers broke the school record for most conference event wins with 11, beating the 10 won by the 2013 and '14 teams. PCC won all five relay events, the first time it has ever accomplished the feat. The Lancers won four in 2003 and did it again in 2013.

Sophomores Ariahn Givens and Liza Echeverria were named SCC Co-Swimmers of the Year after each won three individual events. It was the second year in a row that Givens attained the accolade. Pasadena head coach Terry Stoddard took the title of SCC Women's Coach of the Year for the fourth time, second consecutive and third in the past four years. Stoddard has coached a SCC Swimmer of the Year in each of the last four seasons.

After her win in the 50-yard freestyle on Thursday, Givens (from Venice High) later swam to victories in the 200 freestyle (1:57.64) on Friday, then the 100 freestyle (54.02 seconds) to cap the meet on Saturday.

Givens also participated in four of the relay gold medal winning squads. On Friday, she anchored the 800 freestyle relay with Phoebe Lee, Echeverria, and Deborah McCandliss in a time of 8:21.12. On the final day, Givens anchored the 400 freestyle relay winner with Anais Hacobian, Echeverria and Lee (3:44.30). Like Givens, Echeverria participated on four relay first place finishers, including the 200 medley relay with Hacobian, Sharon Perez and Lee (1:58.49).

Echeverria followed up her meet-opening win in the 200 individual medley by capturing the conference titles in the 400 IM (4:46.30) and the 200 breaststroke, where she set a school record with a 2:31.60 time. Out of South Pasadena High, Echeverria had set the SCC record in the 400 IM as a freshman. These two events were added to the event list for women's swimming only in the past two seasons as California Community Colleges reached gender equity in the sport with the men.

In the team competition, Mt. San Antonio won the women's title with 649 points as PCC placed second for the second straight year at 552. Cerritos took third with 531. 

"We would have loved to have won the team crown, but we performed extremely well here," Stoddard said. "To win all five relays was truly a major accomplishment for the program. We are blessed to have two great swimmers in Ariahn and Liza. The others stepped up especially in the relays."

One of the team's best events was the 100 freestyle as PCC swimmers took four of the top five places topped by Givens. In the 100 breaststroke, the sophomore Perez grabbed second (1:13.38) and letterman Nancy Chen was third (1:14.41).

PCC now will prepare for CCCAA State Championships to be swam once again at East Los Angeles College May 5-7.

[Photo--Liza Echeverria (left) and Ariahn Givens (right) were selected SCC Swimmers of the Year, image by Richard Quinton.]