Cuesta Aquatics travel to Santa Rosa this weekend for the NorCal Invitational. The NorCal Meet is the last of the teams' three big meet of the regular season.  The men took 3rd at the Mt San Antonio Invitational and 2nd in their own Cuesta Invitational, so they hope to climb one more spot to the top of the standings this weekend.  The women have posted a pair of Top 10 finishes in their first two invitationals, while also slowly moving up the rankings.  They finished 8th at Mt SAC and nudged up to 7th at the Cuesta Invite.  The NorCal Invitational shall run all day this Friday and Saturday at Santa Rosa Junior College.  

The Cougars travelled to Santa Monica last week for the second of their three Western State Conference Mini Meets.  The men claimed their second straight WSC Mini Meet title, while the women landed in 4th place, among the five teams.  Diver Lloyd Esola and Breaststroker Cole Adams were the were the only title winners for the Cougars.  Esola finished 1st on both the 1-meter (173.45) and 3-meter (158.35) planks, while Adams won the 200-breaststroke (2:21.26) and claimed Bronze in the 100-breaststroke (1:04.36).  Esola's fellow Diver, Luke Paley finished second to his teammate off both boards with 111.0 points off the 1-meter and 104.5 at 3-meters.  In the tank, Freshman Edward Wallace also cranked out a Silver in the 400-individual medley (4:41.15) and a Bronze in the 500-freestyle (5:13.53), as the only other Aqua-cat to finish in the Top 3 in two events.  On the women's side, three Cougars combined for five bronze medals.  In the lanes, Annika Pauschek posted new season-highs as she took Bronze in both the 200-backstroke (2:24.20) and 500-freestyle (5:51.24).  Diver Kelly Churchill matched her with a pair of Third place finishes on the planks, with 145.40 points on the low board and 130.00 off the high dive.  Freshman Kailey Ardouin wrapped up the Cougars' medal count with a season-best time of 5:10.64 in the grueling 400-individual medley.