Cuesta Men's Swim and Dive claimed the program's 19th conference title and fourth consecutive with another dominating performance at the 2024 Western State Conference (WSC) Championships. The program's new trophy moved them behind only men's water polo, which claimed its department-leading 31st in the Fall, women's swimming (22), and baseball (20). | ORIGINAL RELEASE
Cuesta boasted a roster of eleven different men who earned All-Conference honors (Top 5), while compiling 28 individual award-winning performances. Returning All-American Ethan Merritt won three individual events for a meet leading 60 individual points and was honored as the 2024 WSC Swimmer of the Year. Freshman Rylan Stevenson was the meet runner-up with 57 points, two titles, and a Silver, and broke teammate Conner Rocha's school record in the 100-butterfly by less than a quarter of a second to win the event. Rocha and fellow Cuesta Record Holder Brady Lind also landed among the meet's Top 10 scorers as the Cougars grabbed more than a quarter of the 3,898 total points scored and nearly doubled Runner-up and host Ventura's point total, 1,027 to 659.
The Cougars have won nine of their 10 meets this season, including seven in a row, and continue their chase for a 3C2A State Championship in early May. The 2024 3C2A State Swim & Dive Championship shall be hosted at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on May 2-4. Cuesta finished 7th last year but shall continue the college's quest for its first 3C2A State Title since Women's Volleyball went back-to-back in 1985 and 1986. Men's Swimming has finished in 2nd place at State three times. Overall, the aqua-jocks were runners-up in 1995, 2001, and 2002, while also taking the team Bronze in 1992, 1998, and 2022.
