Cuesta Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving completed their regular season with a five-team Western State Conference Mini Meet in Santa Maria last week. 

 

The men, competing in their seventh event of the season, took the team title, despite winning only five individual events, including three by 2025 CCCAA State Swimmer of the Year Grant Huston.  Huston claimed the 100-freestyle (:47.96), 200-breastroke (2:10.85) and 50-freestyle (:21.61), while in the 200-backstroke Jett Hardy (2:10.86) and in the 200-butterfly Manel Grossi (2:17.27) each won their event.  

 

The women claimed the Team Bronze, with All American Annika Pauschek earning the team's only victory in the 200-backstroke.  Freshmen Tristen Bettencourt and Evangeline Brown joined Sophomore Kailey Ardouin as they each picked up an individual Silver.  Bettencourt took 2nd in the 1,650 (20:29.24) and Ardouin finished Second in the 200-breaststroke (2:47.38) for the Cougars' second best finish, while Brown was the runner-up in the 50-free (:26.30).

 

Cuesta's Swimmers will begin their taper this week, while the divers travel to the CCCAA Regional Diving Meet next Friday and Saturday.  The meet allows all of the regions divers to be scored by the same judges, with the top scorers will automatically advance to the 2026 3C2A State Championships.