Cuesta hosts the 43rd Annual Arena Swim and Dive Invitational this Friday and Saturday. The Cougars expect this to be a smaller meet, with between 15 and 20 colleges, as many colleges continue to restrict travel do to the pandemic. This is the Cougars first home meet of the season and remains a great opportunity for Cuesta's always impressive aquatics teams. The men have opened the campaign by taking the title in each of their first three meets and will have the home water advantage this weekend. The women have had a slow start this season, due impart to the cancellation of the water polo season and limited fall training, but they have still earned a 3rd and two 5th places in their three meets this season. The Cuesta-Arena Meet, due to its prominence and location, is often considered the State's premier meet and the best preview for the CCCAA State Championship in May. Cuesta shall also host a pre-invitational "Sprint" Meet as a warm-up on Thursday (1:30).
Forty-three years ago, Cuesta Aquatics' Founding Coach Terry Bowen enlisted Guy Wells and Greg Hind as the primary sponsors of his small five-school swimming and diving meet. The meet has changed sponsors over the past four-plus decades with Wells and Company, Straight Down, Finis and current sponsor Arena all taking a roll, while the event grew in popularity and prestige. At its height the invitational boasted over 35 colleges, 68 teams and over 1,000 entries and was the largest collegiate swim invitational in the nation.
