COS Swim & Dive With Strong Team Finishes at COS Invite

College of the Sequoias Swimming and Diving teams made a strong season debut with standout performances across the board in their first meet of 2026. The Giants women's team placed first with 123 points and earned fifthteen top-3 finishes, as the men's also finished in first with 141 points with twenty-two top-3 finishes of their own.

WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

Freshman Kenzie Hyder (Porterville HS) captured first place in three individual events. She won the 200-yard freestyle (2:07.43), 50-yard freestyle (26.53), and the 500-yard freestyle (5:49.14), while also finishing in first-place along with Bella Klawitter, Haru Barajas, and Ellie Lambert in the 200 freestyle relay (1:46.89), and a third-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay (4:21.35).

Sophomore Reannon Herrera (Porterville HS) was impactful, as she swept both diving events with a score of 225.25 in 3-meter and 215.50 in 1-meter. Freshman Myranda Rodriguez (Mt. Whitney HS) put together a consistent day, placing third in the 200-yard freestyle (2:19.47), fourth in the 50-yard freestyle (29.75), and third in the 500-yard freestyle (6:21.47). She also swam on the third-place 200 freestyle relay (1:59.76) and the fourth-place 200 medley relay (2:20.12).

Freshman Ellie Lambert (Golden West HS) made an impact in the breaststroke and butterfly events, winning the 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.70) and the 100-yard butterfly (1:02.31), while contributing to the Giants' first-place 200 medley relay (1:59.59) and 200 free relay (1:46.89).

Sophomore Bella Klawitter (Hanford West HS) showed her range by taking first in the 200-yard butterfly (2:42.00) and contributing to both winning relays. Freshman Haru Barajas (Porterville HS) won the 200-yard IM (2:27.71), placed second in the 200-yard backstroke (2:33.33), and swam on both winning relays.

Additional top finishes came from Lauren Pelayo (El Diamante HS), who took second in the 50 free (26.96); Noemi Santacruz (Mt. Whitney HS), who was 7th in the 50 free (30.57); Sierra Hodson (Tulare Western HS), who was 4th in the 100 back (1:18.42) and 9th in the 50 free (31.00); and freshman Sienna Rivas (El Diamante HS), who swam on the third-place 200 free relay.

Freshman Hayley Shaw (Harmony Magnet Academy) contributed with a 6th-place finish in the 50 free (30.56) and a leg in the 4th-place 200 medley relay. Freshman Dahlia Jiminez (El Diamante HS) also helped power the 3rd-place 200 freestyle relay team.

MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

College of the Sequoias men's swim and dive team continued their 2026 season with a deep and balanced showing, finishing 1st overall, adding in many top-three finishes.

Sophomore Brendan Meyer (Lemoore HS) led the Giants in the distance events, winning the 200-yard freestyle in 1:53.77 and placing 4th in the 100-yard butterfly (56.99). Meyer also anchored the 1st-place 200 freestyle relay team that clocked 1:30.67 alongside Tanner Lopez (Mt. Whitney HS), Quinn Rea (Mt. Whitney HS), and Trent Regier (Kingsburg HS).

Lopez starred in the sprint events with a win in the 100 free (49.34), a runner-up finish in the 50 free (22.29), and a 3rd-place showing in the 200 free (1:56.59). He also contributed to both winning relays.

Rea added a strong 2nd-place finish in the 200 IM (2:08.50) and 2nd in the 100 free (50.35), while Regier took 1st in the 200 fly (2:11.38) and 2nd in the 100 fly (54.06).

In the breaststroke, Chandler Bruton (Mt. Whitney HS) won the 200 breast (2:21.82), while Taylor Greene (El Diamante HS) was 3rd (2:27.74), and Noah Fridlund finished in 4th (2:51.54). Greene also finished 3rd in the 100 breast (1:03.00), ahead of teammates Tanner Kelm (Kingsburg HS), Noah Fridlund (Summit Charter HS), and Alejandro Martinez (Mt. Whitney HS), who packed the 4th-6th spots.

Connor Rohman (Kingsburg HS) opened his season with 2nd in the 200 free (1:53.94) and 1st in the 500 free (5:23.66), as well as contributing to two top-3 relay finishes.

COS had three 200 medley relay teams place: the A team (Rea, Green, Regier, Lopez) won in 1:40.55; the B team (Samuel Feierbach, Bruton, Adam Judson, Meyer) took 3rd in 1:47.42; and the C team (Daniel Landucci, Martinez, Nathan Hunt, Rohman) placed 5th in 2:01.34.

Diving proved a strength for COS as well. Scott Dutcher (Reedley HS) won both the 1M (221.40) and 3M (212.55) events. He was joined on the podium by Luke Gonzalez (Reedley HS), who placed 2nd in the 1M (186.60), and Jacob Hernandez (Mt Whitney HS), who took 3rd in the 1M (112.55).

UPCOMING MEET

COS Swimming & Diving will continue their 2026 campaign next week when they travel to compete at the Delta College Invite on Friday, February 20 at San Joaquin Delta College. The meet will offer another chance for individual time drops and relay refinement as the Giants prepare for conference and state qualifying marks.