Lions Roar Into Top 10
De Anza College's men's and women's swim and dive teams closed out the season with an outstanding performance at the 3C2A State Championships, held last week at Orange Coast College.
The men finished 7th overall in the state, while the women placed 9th.
"Every one of our athletes really showed how hard they are willing to push to be their best," De Anza co-head coach Danielle Altman said.
"Not only did they challenge themselves, they were out there supporting their teammates in every event - which is what this program is all about. The results speak for themselves, with our amazing team finishes and record breaking individual and relay swims. This meet was a culmination of one of the best season's of swimming and diving in De Anza College history. Way to go DA!"
MEN'S FINAL TOP 10 STANDINGS: 1. (Tie), Mt. San Antonio, 421; Sierra, 421, 3. American River, 418, 4. Riverside, 376, 5. Cuesta, 280, 6. Golden West, 279, 7. DE ANZA (239), 8. Orange Coast, 233, 9. San Mateo, (211.5), 10. Diablo Valley (182).
The Lions put together a complete performance, combining record-breaking individual swims with strong relay results.
Gunner Hopkins led the way with a historic meet, placing 2nd in the 200 breaststroke, 3rd in the 400 IM, and 4th in the 200 IM, with each swim setting a new De Anza school record – including breaking a 35-year-old mark in the 200 breaststroke that dated back to 1991.
He was joined by Mathew Cheang, who placed 5th in the 400 IM, 9th in the 200 IM, and 9th in the 200 breaststroke, and Brandon Wang, who added a 7th place finish in the 100 IM.
Yassin Bouali contributed with a 14th place finish in the 200 freestyle and added depth across events.
That same core group carried their momentum into the relays, where Cheang, Bouali, Hopkins, and Wang teamed up to place 6th in the 800 freestyle relay, setting a new De Anza school record.
The 400 medley relay followed with a 7th place finish, and the 200 and 400 freestyle relays also scored, giving the men valuable points across all relay events.
In diving, Milo Switzer delivered two podium finishes with 3rd place efforts on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards, while Christian Halteh added an 11th place finish in the 1-meter event.
WOMEN'S FINAL TOP 10 STANDINGS: 1. Long Beach, 500.5, 2. Santa Barbara, 310, 3. Mt. San Antonio, 304, 4. Sierra, 299, 5. Orange Coast, 281, 6. Las Positas, 253, 7. Diablo Valley, 249, 8. San Diego Miramar, 219, 9. DE ANZA 207.5, 10. American River, 202
The women matched that momentum with a record-setting meet of their own, highlighted by both individual excellence and dominant relay performances.
Erika Correa Gutierrez led the charge with runner-up finishes in the 100 and 200 butterfly and a 4th place finish in the 500 freestyle.
Her 100 butterfly established a new De Anza school record, while her 200 butterfly broke both the De Anza school and Coast Conference records.
Correa Gutierrez, Petrina Olson, Lindsay Schmidt, and Anna Ohdake delivered one of the top performances of the meet with a 3rd place finish in the 800 freestyle relay, setting both a new De Anza school record and a Coast Conference record.
That same group also broke both records in the 400 freestyle relay, while the 200 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay each set new De Anza school records.
Olson added a 7th place finish in the 50 freestyle and scoring swims in the 100 freestyle and 100 IM, while Schmidt and Ohdake contributed key performances across individual events and relays.
The meet marked a strong finish to the season, highlighted by program-record performances, conference marks, and a deep group of athletes contributing at the state level on both the men's and women's sides.
"This meet was a great reflection of the work they've put in all season," De Anza co-head coach Jeff Bissell said.
"To see school records fall, conference records get broken, and both teams finish top 10 at state champs says a lot about the heart of these student-athletes."