The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
The most prolific women’s swimmer in College of San Mateo history added to her legacy as sophomore Erica Vong topped the podium five times Saturday at the Coast Conference Swim Finals at Ohlone College-Fremont.
Last year, Vong became the first woman in CSM history to earn a state championship by capturing the gold medal in the women’s 100-yard backstroke. Through the three-day conference finals, she earned the right to defend that title by taking first place in the 100 back with a time of 55.72 seconds.
Saturday, though, Vong made history in the 200 back by topping the field with a new conference record of 2:01.40.
Vong also earned gold in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:07.97, missing another conference record by a mere .04 seconds. She also earned two relay gold medals — along with Gabriela Montoya, Supriya Sharma and Isabella Paragas — in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:40.21, and in the 400 medley relay with a time of 4:01.85.
Vong and the relay team also shored up two silver medals, taking second place in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:49.40, and also in the 400 free relay with a 3:41.82. The CSM women earned two individual silver medals with Sharma taking second in the 100 back with a 58.92 and Montoya taking second in the 200 breaststroke with a 2:31.50.
Sharma also earned two bronze medals, taking third in the 200 IM with a 2:16.08 and in the 200 back with a 2:08.84. Montoya took bronze in the 100 breast with a 1:08.69.
CSM also claimed two gold medals on the men’s side with Philip Bondar taking first place in the 1,600 free with a time of 18:11.86, and Daniel Cooney out-swimming Bondar in the 500 free with a time of 5:09.15, topping Bondar’s silver-medal swim of 5:13.10.
Henry Houdre also earned silver for CSM, swimming a 1:51.46 in the 200 free. The Bulldogs also racked up a slew of bronze medals with Cooney taking third in the 200 free with a 1:51.49, Jack Dillane in the 100 butterfly with a 53.92, and Henry Houdre in the 500 free at 5:19.14.
In men’s relay action, CSM added two more bronze medals with Dillane, Cooney, Houdre and Nick Dubuk taking third in the 200 free relay with a 1:30.70; and Dillane Cooney, Houdre and Bondar taking third in the 800 free relay with a 7:42.42.
The 2017 California Community College Swimming and Diving Championships will be held May 4-6 at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park.
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