Wolverines Take Big 8 Conference Title for 15th Time
The Sierra College Wolverines Women's Swimming and Diving team claimed the Big 8 Conference Title for the 7th time in the last 8 years. The Wolverines are no stranger to winning the Conference Title as this is their 15th title in the last 30 years.
To start the Conference Championships, the Divers headed to Santa Rosa Junior College to compete in the NorCal State Qualifying Championships on April 12th, 2025. This is where they would receive points for the team towards Big 8 Conference scoring and get a chance at qualifying for the 3C2A Swimming and Diving State Championships on April 30th-May 3rd.
Diving Results:
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1m Board: 2nd *Qualified for State Championships*
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3m Board: Champion *Qualified for State Championships*
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1m Board: 3rd *Qualifies for State Championships*
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3m Board: 3rd *Qualified for State Championships*
Allura Gardner
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1m Board: 4th *Qualifies for State Championships*
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3m Board: 7th
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1m Board: 8th
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3m Board: 2nd *Qualified for State Championships*
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1m Board: 7th
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3m Board: 5th
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1m Board: 13th
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3m Board: 8th
Total Score After Diving: 167 Points
The Divers for the Wolverines would tally up a total of 167 points for the Big 8 Conference Championship Meet, setting the highest amount of points the Wolverines have earned for Diving at the Conference Meet.
The Wolverines went into the Big 8 Conference Championship Weekend with 167 points, 100 points more than second-place American River College, before the swimming even started. On Thursday, every Wolverine that swam in the morning would get to swim again in the Final that night.
Here are the Final Finishes and Scores after Day One for the Wolverines:
200 Free Relay:
Allyson Boudreaux, Jane Lubiens, Hannah Cockcroft, Hailey Hensley – 4th (1:41.61) *State Qualifying Time*
500 Free:
Jane Lubiens – 2nd (5:14.34) *State Qualifying Time*
Hailey Hensley – 3rd (5:20.73) *State Qualifying Time*
Bailey Hollick – 11th (5:46.91)
200 IM:
Emma Upton – 3rd (2:17.63) *State Qualifying Time*
Hannah Cockcroft – 5th (2:20.73) *State Qualifying Time*
Heidi Green – 7th (2:25.90)
Georgia DeRungs – 11th (2:29.76)
50 Free:
Allyson Boudreaux – 5th (25.15) *State Qualifying Time*
Makenna Perez – 11th (26.13)
Veronika Lapteva – 12th (26.30)
400 Medley Relay:
Heidi Green, Allyson Boudreaux, Hannah Cockcroft, Jane Lubiens – 4th (4:11.83) *State Qualifying Time*
Total Points After Day One: 338 points – 1st Place
Heading into Day Two of the Big 8 Conference Championships, the Wolverines mirrored the first day and for every prelim swim they had in the morning, they had the chance to swim again in the Finals. During Prelims for the 100 Back, Leila Eyer and an athlete from Diablo Valley College would tie (1:06.32). This would lead to a swim-off for 8th place in the Finals at night. Unfortunately, the athlete from DVC would win the swim-off but Eyer dropped more time in her 100 Back. She also won the B-Final and dropped more time from her swim-off time. The night ended with a thrilling win of the 800 Free Relay (8:03.97) which is currently the 2nd fastest time in the State.
Here are the Final Finishes and Scores after Day Two for the Wolverines:
200 Medley Relay:
Heidi Green, Emma Upton, Hannah Cockcroft, Hailey Hensley – 5th (1:55.13) *State Qualifying Time*
400 IM:
Emma Upton – 3rd (4:51.68) *State Qualifying Time*
Hailey Hensley – 4th (4:52.03) *State Qualifying Time*
Veronika Lapteva – 11th (5:24.87)
Caterina Van Zandt – 12th (5:25.89)
100 Fly:
Hannah Cockcroft – 4th (1:01.15) *State Qualifying Time*
200 Free:
Jane Lubiens – 2nd (1:58.95) *State Qualifying Time*
100 Breast:
Allyson Boudreaux – 3rd (1:09.60) *State Qualifying Time*
Bailey Hollick – 10th (1:15.09)
Georgia DeRungs – 12th (1:17.02)
Makenna Perez – 13th (1:17.34)
100 Back:
Heidi Green – 6th (1:03.50) *State Qualifying Time*
Leila Eyer – 8th (1:05.86)
800 Free Relay:
Allyson Boudreaux, Hailey Hensley, Emma Upton, Jane Lubiens – 1st (8:03.97) *State Qualifying Time*
Total Score after Day Two: 506 Points – 1st Place
On the third and final day of the Big 8 Conference Championships, the Wolverines replicated the success they had the two previous days. Every swimmer who swam in the Prelims got a second swim in the Finals.
1650 Free:
Jane Lubiens – 1st (18:04.14) *State Qualifying Time*
Hailey Hensley – 2nd (18:30.82) *State Qualifying Time*
Leila Eyer – 7th (20:34.52)
Caterina Van Zandt – 10th (21:17.92)
200 Back:
Emma Upton – 5th (2:20.08) *State Qualifying Time*
Heidi Green – 6th (2:20.42) *State Qualifying Time*
Leila Eyer – 8th (2:33.55)
Tui Arama – 11th (2:29.32)
200 Breast:
Allyson Boudreaux – 3rd (2:30.96) *State Qualifying Time*
Bailey Hollick – 10th (2:42.35)
Georgia DeRungs – 12th (2:44.95)
Makenna Perez – 13th (2:45.05)
200 Fly:
Hannah Cockcroft – 1st (2:21.15) *State Qualifying Time*
Veronika Lapteva – 6th (2:43.70)
Caterina Van Zandt – 7th (2:46.33)
Savannah Campos – 11th (3:05.19)
Total Score after Day 3: 749 Points – 1st Place
Final Standings for Big 8 Conference:
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Sierra College – 749 points
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Diablo Valley College – 718 points
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American River College – 663 points
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San Joaquin Delta College – 557 points
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Santa Rosa Junior College – 401 points
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Modesto Junior College – 263 points
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Sacramento City College – 128 points
Along with the win, every athlete got a new personal best in every event they swam –proving their hard work through the season finally paying off. Head Coach Scott Decker was unanimously named the Big 8 Coach of the Year, a Title he had received multiple years before. With Decker retiring this year he said "It was the best way to go out. We had a great group of athletes that brought home the program's 15th Conference Title. In my 30 years of coaching this program, this is by far my favorite win."
The Wolverines who have qualified will next head to Santa Rosa Junior College to compete in the 3C2A Swimming and Diving State Championship Meet April 30th - May 3rd, 2025. Congratulations to the Big 8 Conference Champions and good luck to those competing at the State Championships! Go Wolverines!