Valley Glen, CA -- The Bakersfield College Women's Swim and Ventura College Men's Swim team both took the lead after the first day of competition at the 2014 Western State Conference Swim and Dive Championships. The Renegades amassed 185 points, while the Pirates grabbed 208.

Bakersfield College grabbed the lead thanks in large part to their consistency early on. The Renegades had at least two swimmers in the top of eight in all but one of the individual events on Thursday, and also had a good showing in the relays. The Renegades won the 200 Free Relay with a time of 1:39.64, on the back of Shelby Bayne, Elizabeth Hargis, Ashley Foster, and Clarissa Gardella. Bakersfield also finished second in the 400 Yard Medley Relay.

Ventura College meanwhile showed the same depth, with four of the top eight places in the 200 Yard Individual Medley, four of the top eight spots in the 500 Free, and second place finishes in the 200 Free Relay and the 400 Medley Relay.

In addition to the team performances, there were some standout individual performances as well. Cuesta's Rachel Gruetzmacher won the 50 Free with a time of 23.61, breaking the conference finals record that has stood since 2009. Bakersfield College's Andrew Hargis also broke a record with his win in the 500 Free, breaking the previous record which has stood since 2003, by a tenth of a second with a time of 4:32.61.