Cuesta College hosted the 2021 Western State Conference Swim & Dive Championships on Saturday, however with the addition of South Coast Conference powerhouse Mt San Antonio it became a CCCAA Southern California Regional Championship. Swimming does not normally have a regional meet, in most years teams qualify for the CCCAA State Meet out of their conference, but the Mounties were the only other team in the Region competing this Spring. The Cougars began the week with six swimmers; however, the team ended the weekend with only four swimmers available for the final relay; which they won. The Cougars mid-meet injuries forced them to shuffle their relays around, but they still managed to win six individual events and three of the four relays. Cuesta led the field with 117 points, which gave them a comfortable lead over Runner-up Ventura (65) and Third Place Santa Monica (60). The meet marked the end of the 2021 California Community College Swim and Dive schedule. The CCCAA is not hosting a state-wide championship meet this year.
Cuesta's Women's Swim and Dive team's final four swimmers were led by Returner Sofia Swayne (Roseville), who put on a show with three individual victories and joined the rest of the "Cougar Quartet" for three relay wins. Swayne won the 50-Butterfly (:27.60), 200-Butterfly (2:18.59) and 200-Individual Medley (2:17.52), while finishing 2nd in the 100-Butterfly. The Cougars also received a pair of victories from 2018 All American Paige Leonard (Grover Beach: Arroyo Grande HS) and one from Freshman Meghan Abbott (Nipomo HS) to round out their six event wins. Leonard won both the 100-Individual Medley (1:03.55) and 50-Backstroke (:28.68), while adding a 2nd in the 200-Backstroke (2:15.93) and a 3rd in the 100-Backstroke (1:00.87). In has been a long road for Leonard, who was injured before the State Championship during her 2018 All American campaign, redshirted in 2019 and lost last season to the pandemic. She currently holds six marks on the Cuesta All Time Top 10, with only two swimmers holding more- former Cuesta College Athletes of the Year Torie White (2018) and Shanna DeMichelle (2003). Abbott was the latecomer this season and joined the swim team after playing water polo. A standout aquatics athlete, the freshman made the seamless transition to become a two-sport star this spring. Abbott won her first event of the day, the 500-Freestyle (5:27.74), and later posted a Cuesta Top 10 mark of her own in the 200-Freestyle (1:59.79- 9th). Returner Tori Blanchard (Hanford) rounded out the foursome and added a pair of individual all-conference performances of her own, while also helping Cuesta win three relays.
Women's Swim & Dive All Western State Conference (Top 5) Women's team, 1ST Place
All-WSC First Team- Sofia Swayne, 200-Butterfly
All-WSC First Team- Sofia Swayne, 200-Individual Medley
All-WSC First Team- Sofia Swayne, 50-Butterfly
All-WSC First Team- Paige Leonard, 50-Backstroke
All-WSC First Team- Paige Leonard, 100-Individual Medley
All-WSC First Team- Meghan Abbott, 500-Freestyle
All-WSC Second Team- Sofia Swayne, 100-Butterfly
All-WSC Second Team- Paige Leonard, 200-Backstroke
All-WSC Second Team- Meghan Abbott, 100-Freestyle
All-WSC Second Team- Meghan Abbott, 200-Freestyle
All-WSC Honorable Mention- Meghan Abbott, 50-Freestyle
All-WSC Honorable Mention- Paige Leonard, 100-Backstroke
All-WSC Honorable Mention- Tori Blanchard, 50-Backstroke
All-WSC Honorable Mention- Tori Blanchard, 500-Freestyle
