Tyler McGee / Roundup
The Pierce College swimming and diving seasons may still be a few months away, but the teams are preparing now for success come Conference time.
This season is already looking up for the Brahmas as they have their home pool for the season. The Brahmas spent all of last season away from the Steven E. Schofield pool, training instead at rival Valley College.
“Last year was tough because we had to drive across the Valley every day,” said Fred Shaw, Pierce head swim coach.
Shaw says this season is different. First of all, the team’s meets that have historically been historically dual meets have become quadruple meets, with the exception of the showdown with the Valley, in an effort to cut travel costs.
The team hopes to participate in the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational, Cuesta Invitational and the Pasadena Invitational.
Also new for the team is the amount of possible swimmers they have. Pierce has had a recent tradition of having low amounts on swimmers on the men’s team, but Shaw said he has more male swimmers than usual.
“We’re having a better quality and quantity of swimmers this year,” Shaw said.
Assuming they are on the team when the season starts, Shaw expects strong showings from Daniel Parlato in the freestyle and butterfly; Philip Chu in the breast stroke; Adam Greschener in the backstroke and Bryce Kroetz in the individual medley.
Parlato said the team is training in the gym twice a week and is cross training. He also said the team is working on starts and turns.
Parlato said he is coming off a slight hiatus, a sort of pseudo-retirement of five years. He swam in high school and for a club while in the age bracket but decided to stop when he turned 18.
He said the team is looking to break records, adding the team is mainly focused on the 200M relay. The team seeks to break individual records as well.
“Most of the individual records are pretty fast and pretty gnarly,” he said. “Most of them were set back in the 1980s. Those guy are pretty nuts.
“We’re also trying to give Ventura and some other pretty fast teams in our conference,” he added.
On the women’s side of things, Shaw expects impressive performances from Krissa Gosnell, Sareen Hagopian in the individual medley, Elizabeth Herrera in the distance freestyle and hopefully Samantha Price in the breast stroke.
Even the diving teams have had some differences from the past. The men’s dive team has two divers this season including returning diver Alex Dashiell and Greschener.
For the women’s dive team, the Brahmas are counting on U.C. Davis transfer Jamie Flynn.
Flynn, a city champion as a senior while at El Camino Real of Woodland Hills, will have one season of eligibility for the Brahmas.
Flynn also dove for Trojan Dive Club.
Shaw said he was counting on good points from the Brahmas’ divers this season.
“We’re optimistic. I’ve never had this many people so enthusiastic and training this hard this early,” he said.
He said the team may still lose people due to ineligibility, work schedules and changes of heart.
“I’m not sure they’re on the van on the way to the first meet,” Shaw said.