TORRANCE (4-13-2012) -- Palomar's Liam Acosta scored 238.20 points Thursday to place third behind winner Frank Grey from Cypress (247.25) and San Diego Mesa's Aaron Stinson (245.00) in the 3-meter finals of the Southern California Coimmunity College Diving Championships at El Camino College.

Acosta, who advances to the CCCAA state finals April 26-28 at East Los Angeles College, finished second to Stinson in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference.

Acosta finished seventh in Southern Cal and second in the PCAC in the 1M finals.

All SoCal conferences' diving finals were held concurrently with the Southern Cal finals.,

SAN MARCOS (2-05-2012) --The Palomar men's swimming & diving team brought home the team championship with 741 points and the Comets' women's squad placed second with with 512 points. in the Waterman Festival that concluded a two-day run on Saturday at Wallace Memorial Pool.

In the Pentathlon portion of the meet on Friday, the men's team placed nine swimmers in the top 20, with five in the top 10 . Wyatt Woodworn took first place, followed by PC teammates Drew Thomas (third) Cody MoffatT (fourth), Kevin Reichel (f9fth) and Chaffin Blake seventh.

In the women's pentathlon, Laura Bryant finished second as the Comets placed four swimmers in the top 20.

In the regular porion of the meet on Saturday, Palomar's men took hom six first places -- Thomas in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.47), the 300 breast relay team (3:49.83), Misaki Onoue in the 1000 free (10:10.80), and both the 600 ironman relay team and the 400 free relay team.

For the PC women, the 200 medley relay team (2:03.00), Bryant in the 100 butterfly (1:03.17 and Melanie Consiglio in the 50 free (25.93).

2011 Season ...

PC men 4th in 400 free relay, take 7th in state

MONTEREY PARK (4-29-11) -- Palomar's men placed fourth in the 400-yard medley relay, the final event of the meet, on Saturday to finish seventh in team scoring in the three-day CCCAA State Community College Swimming & Diving Championships

Orange Coast won the men's team title with 422 points, followed by Ventura, Santa Rosa, Diablo Valley, Sierra, Mt. SAC and Palomar in the field of 33 scoring teams at East Los Angeles College Swim Stadium..

The Comets had the third-highest Southern California score (156 points) and topped the other Pacific Coast Athletic Conference teams in the meet.

Rhys Ward, Connor Buckendahl (above left), Kevin Reichel and Kody Moffatt swam a 3:08.20 in the 400 free relay. They brought home the fourth place in back of winner Ventura (3:03.82), second-place Santa Rosa and third-place Diablo Valley. Palomar defeated Orange Coast, the fifth-place finisher.

Also on Day 3, the Comets' Jacob Lammott took fifth place in the 200 breaststroke in 2:P05.65.

The Palomar women's team finished 17th out of 36 scoring teams with 82 points. Orange Coast won the women's title with 551 points, followed by fourth Northern California teams --  Diablo Valley, Santa Rosa, American River and Sierra.

The Comets placed sixth in the women's 200 freestyle relay on Saturday. Kristen Maples (above right), Amanda Richardson, Alex Rodriguez and Melanie Consiglio swam a 3:43.12.

Palomar was the second-highest PCAC finisher. San Diego Mesa finished two spots ahead of the Comets in 15th.

Palomar men 7th after first two days at State

MONTERY PARK (4-29-11) -- The Palomar men's swim team was seventh out of 32 scoring teams after Day 2 of the CCCAA State Swimming & Diving Championships on Friday at East Los Angeles College Swim Stadium.

Led by fourth places by Jacob Lammott with a 57.60 in the 100 breaststroke and by a fourth in the 200 medley relay, the Comets were seventh out of 32 scoring teams with 109 points for the first two days, trailing first-place Orange Coast's 357.

Kevin Reichel (above left), Lammott, Chris Angelotti (above right) and Rhys Ward swam 1:34.68 to finish fourth in the 200 medley relay.

Cerritos' P.J. Gabayerson won the 100 breaststroke in 55.68, while Orange Coast captured the 200 medley relay in 1:32.48.

Also for the Palomar men, Lammott, Cbhaffin Blake, Reichel and Kody Moffatt swam a 7:00.86 to place sixth in the men's 800 free relay.

Palomar's women were 17th out of 34 scoring teams after Day 2, with 54 points. Orange Coast was first with 337 points.

On Day 1 on Thursday, Palomar's women scored 30 points and the men tallied 25 despite a disqualification in the 400 medley relay to open the three-day meet..

The men's 200 freestyle relay team of Lammott, Ward, Connor Buckendahl and Moffatt placed seventh with a 1:25.72.

The women's 200 free relay team.of Melanie Consiglio, Amanda Richardson, Alex Rodriguez and Kristen Maples won the consolation race for a ninth-place finish overall with a 1:42.24.

Swimmer of the Year Consiglio leads title run

SAN MARCOS (4-23-11) -- Melanie Consiglio (left) was named Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Women's Swimmer of the Year after the Comets won the conference meet that ended a three-day run Saturday at Wallace Memorial Pool.

Palomar's Jem McAdams (above right) was selected as PCAC Coach of the Year. The Comets totaled 935 points to easily outdistance runner-up San Diego Mesa, which scored 764 points. Grossmont was third with 651 and Southwestern was fourth with 340.

Consiglio won her third individual race of the meet on Saturday, swimming a 55.23 to capture the 100-yard butterfly. She defeated Palomar teammate Kristen Maples, who finished second in the race in 55.44, by 21-100s of a second.

Later on Saturday's program, Consiglio led off the Comets' winning 400 freestyle relay team, which won in 3:44.33. Alex Rodriguez, Amanda Richardson and Maples swam the other three legs.

Consiglio, a freshman from El Camino High School, previously won individual gold in the 50 free, setting a meet record, and the 50 butterfly. And she led off Palomar's winning team in the 200 freestyle relay, the first event of the first day on Thursday.

Three Comets joined Maples with second-place finishes on the final day -- Mrice Maruna with a 19:30.63 in the 1650 freestyle, Laura Bryant with a 1:04.29 in the 100 backstroke and Richardson with a 1:04.50 in the 100 fly

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Consiglio is PCAC Women's Athlete of Week

SAN DIEGO (4-25-11) -- Palomar swimmer Melanie Consiglio has been selected as Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Women's Athlete of the Week for all sports.

Consiglio, the PCAC Swimmer of the Year,  won three individual events and led off two winning relay teams, setting a meet record of 24.50 in the 50-yard freestyle, in leading Palomar to the PCAC team title.

LaMommott, Reichel break marks; PC just short

SAN MARCOS (4-22-11) -- Jacob Lammott set his second meet record in barely 24 hours on Saturday and Kevin Reichel (left) easily broke the meet mark in his signature event.

But Palomar just missed winning the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference men's team title, losing the three-day PCAC Championship Meet to Grossmont by 6.5 points at Wallace Memorial Pool.

Lammott swam a 2:08.15 in the 200 breaststroke, erasing his own year-old meet record of 2:08.74. He easily outdistanced San Diego Mesa's second-place Francisco Heredia, who was nearly five seconds back in 2:12.54.

On Friday, Lammott set a meet mark by swimming 57.91 in the 100 breaststroke. And he was still to play a role in a big finish to the meet by the Comets as evening approached.

Reichel easily broke the former 200 backstroke record of 2:02.98 that was set by Remington McKittrick of Grossmont in 2008. Grossmont's Ashton Tran also bettered the old mark, with a 2:01.15, and Danny Mahoney from Palomar took third in the race at 2:03.09.

But LaMott's and Reichel's performances -- and a win by the Comets in the meet's final event, the 400 freestyle relay, were not quite enough to catch Grossmont, in team scoring.

The Griffins nosed out the Comets 887 points to 880.5  San Diego Mesa was third with 739.5 and Southwestern finished fourth with 294 points.

In the most exciting finish of the afternoon, Kody Moffatt (above right) anchored the Comets to a come-from-behind victory in the 400 free relay, catching the Mesa anchor on the final leg of a race the Olympians had led most of the way.

Rhys Ward, Connor Buckendahl, Lammott and Moffatt were timed in 3:11.01. Mesa's second-place time was 3:11.93.

Ward (47.24) placed second to Grossmont's Thomas Faucher (46.86) in the 100 free.

Grossmont's Tom Bruce was named Men's Swimmer of the Year in the conference. Brian Harvey of Grossmont was Coach of the Year. 

ABOVE: Palomar's Jacob Lammott wins the 100 breaststroke in 57.91, breaking the meet record. -- Photo by Hugh Cox. BELOW: Kody Moffatt, who anchored the Comets' 800 freestyle relay team to a new meet record of 7:02.91

Comets' Lammott has part in 2 meet records

SAN MARCOS (4-22-11) -- Palomar's Jacob Lammott set one men's meet record and had a hand in another on Friday on the second day of the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Championships hosted by the Comets at Wallace Memorial Pool.

Lammott won the 100-yard breaststroke in 57.91, breaking the meet mark set by Southwestern's Juan Carrillo in 2008.

He also teamed with Kevin Reichel, Chaffin Blake and Kody Moffatt to win the 800 freestyle relay in 7:02.91, breaking the meet record of 7:08.14 in 2009.

Blake and Moffatt held off Grossmont's fast-closing Tom Bruce and Thomas Faucher on the last two legs. Bruce earlier in the day set a meet record of 4:10.22 in the individual medley, while Faucher broke the meet mark with a 1:41.70 in the 200 free.

Faucher edged out Moffatt, who finished second in the race with a 1:42.20.

Palomar's Chris Angelotti placed first in the 100 backstroke in 56.64, defeating teammates Wes Laucher (56.91) in second and Stephan Syonenko (57.74) in third.

The Comets' other victory on the second day came from the 200 medley relay team in 1:35.86.

Kevin Reichel placed second for Palomar behind winner Chris Quiroz of San Diego Mesa in the 100 butterfly. Reichel swam 53.15

Palomar is second in men's scoring entering the final day of the meet on Saturday. Grossmont leads with 643 points, followed by the Comets with 578.5, Mesa 521.5 and Southwestern 223.

ABOVE: Palomar's Melanie Consiglio the 50-yard butterfly in 28.04 on the second day of the PCAC Championships. BELOW: Kristen Maples, moments after taking first in the 200 free for the Comets with a 2;01.13. -- Photos by Hugh Cox.

Consiglio wins 2nd time; women still in 1st

SAN MARCOS (4-22-11) -- Melanie Consiglio of Palomar, who set a meet record in the women's 50 freestyle on Thursday, won again on Friday as the PCAC Championships continued at Wallace Memorial Pool.

Consigio finished first in the 50 butterfly, swimming a 28.04 to defeat runner-up Leslie Rodriguez from Southwestern. Rodriguez was clocked in 28.37.

Her performance helped the Comets remain first in team scoring entering the final day of the three-day meet on Saturday. Palomar has a 608-530 lead on second-place San Diego Mesa. Grossmont (462) is in third, with Southwestern fourth with 245 points.

Palomar also got a victory on Friday from Kristen Maples, who won the 200 freestyle in 2:01.13. The second-place finisher Sareena Castillo, had a 2:0d9.59.

The Comets picked up first places in the 800 free relay (8:24.74) and the 200 medley relay (1:56.39).

Palomar's Laura Bryant was second in the 50 back. Southwestern's Leslie Rodriguez, who finished first, edged Bryant 29.80 to 29.97. Bryant also placed second to Mesa's Monique Beltran in the 200 IM.

ABOVE: Palomar's Brice Maruna swims the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday. She placed second in the finals in 5:39.34 behind San Diego Mesa's Sareena Castillo, who won the event in 5:31.44. -- Photo by Hugh Cox. BELOW: The Comets' Melanie Consiglio, who set a meet record of 24.90 in the 500 free

Consiglio breaks Lutz' 50 free mark: PC leads

SAN MARCOS (4-21-11) -- Melanie Consiglio of irst-day team leader Palomar set a  women's meet record in the 50-yard freestyle  as the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Championships began a three-day run at Wallace Memorial Pool.

Consiglio swam a 24.90, breaking the mark of 24.97 set in last year's meet by Palomar's Rachel Lutz. The Comets went 1-2-3 in the race with Amanda Richardson (25.42) and Alex Rodriguez (26.47) finishing second and third.

Their performances helped the Comets jump out to the women's lead with 254 points after the first day. Grossmont (245 points), San Diego Mesa (216) and Southwestern 75) trail in the four-team field.

Palomar jumped in front right out of the blocks in the day's first event, as Consiglio, Richardson and  Kristen Maples and Alex Rodriguez won the 200 freestyle relay with a 1:41.99.

The Comets (no names listed on official result sheet) also won the 400 medley relay in 4:16.50.

ABOVE: Jacob Lammott of Palomar heads toward the water in his 200-yard IM heat on the first day of the PCAC men's swim championships. He won the heat, then finished second in the finals to Grossmont's Tom Bruce with a 1:57.94. BELOW: Comet Rhys Ward swims a dead heat with teammate Kody Moffatt (not pictured) in their 50 free heat. Ward won the finals with a 21.78. -- Photos by Hugh Cox

Ward helps capture 400 free relay, wins 50 free

SAN MARCOS (4-21-11) -- Palomar's Rhys Ward enjoyed a big day as the PCAC Swimming Championships began a three-day run on Thursday at Wallace Memorial Pool.

Ward won the 50-yard freestyle finals in 21.78, defeating runner-up Andrew Vallely from San Diego Mesa (21.88).

Ward also teamed with Stephan Syzonenko, Connor Buckendahl and Kody Moffatt to win the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:25.98. Their time was only 14-100s of a second off the meet mark of 1:25.84 set by San Diego Mesa in 2009.

Palomar also won the 400 medley relay (no names listed in results) with a 3:33.02..

Comets turn back Mesa in both men's, women's

SAN MARCOS (3-18-11) -- Palomar played rude hosts to visiting San Diego Mesa in a pair of Pacific Coast Athletic Conference swimming  meets on Friday at Wallace Memorial Pool.

The Palomar men got three individual victories from Jacob Lammott, who also swam on the winning 200 medley relay team, to rout the Olympians 171-116..

Alex Rodriguez (above left) won three individual events and led off the winning 200 medley relay team as the women won 156-142 to finish alone in first place in the dual meet portion of the conference season at 3-0.

Palomar Men 171, SD Mesa 116

Kevin Reichel, Kody Moffatt (above right), Lammott and Conner Bukendahl got Palomar off to a fast start, winning the 200 medley relay in 1:40.72, as the Comets finished their conference dual meet season 2-1, in a three-way tie for first place with Mesa and Southwestern.

Lammott won the 100 breaststroke in 56.49, the 200 breaststroke in 2:16.97 and the 200 IM in 2:04.06.

Rhys Ward placed first in the 50 freestyle in 22:52, the 100 ffee in 50:56 and led off the 200 freestyle relay team which won in 1:30.34. Chaffin Blake, Wes Lauchner and Bukendahl swam the other three legs.

Moffatt won the 200 free in 1:52.1\40. Reichel placed first in the 200 backstroke with a 2:05.53.

Palomar Women 156, SD Mesa 142

Rodriguez' triple victory in individual races came in the 50 backstroke (31.02), 50 free (26.30) and 100 backstroke (1:06.63). She also teamed with Kristen Maples, Kimi Walters and Melanie Consiglio to take the 200 medley relay in 2:01.29.

Palomar's other winners were Maples with a 2:08.48 in the 200 free and Consiglio with a 29.39 in the 50 butterfly.

Palomar sweeps to women's, men's victories

CHULA VISTA (3-7-11) -- Palomar swept to a pair of Pacific Coast Athletic Conference wins over Southwestern in men's and women's swimming on Friday on the road.

The Comets defeated the Jaguars 192-60 in the men's meet and 193-75 in the women's meet.

Melanie Consiglio (left), 100 butterfly, 100 freestyle) and Kristen Maples (100 backstroke, 100 individual medley) were double winners for Palomar in the women's meet.

Jacob Lammott (200 free, 200 IM) and Danny Mahoney (above right, 100 back, 500 free) were double winners in the men's meet.

The women advanced to 2-0, both overall and in conference, while the men evened their record at 1-1.both overall and in the PCAC.

Women win dual opener vs. G-House; men fall

SAN DIEGO (2-11-11) -- Palomar's women's swim team defeated Grossmont in its dual meet opener 177-122 on Friday at the Joan Kroc Center.

The men, without divers, saw the Griffins win 158-136 on the strength of 1-2-3 finishes in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events.

Four Comets took two first places each in individual women's events -- Kristen Maples (above left, in the 200 individual medley in 2:28.20 and the 100 IM in 1:08.41), Emma Baldwin in the 1,000 freestyle (11:59.52) and 100 butterfly (1:06.51), Brice Marunu in the 200 free (2:10.75) and 500 free (5:54.12) and Alex Rodriguez in the 50 backstroke (31.22) and 50 freestyle (26.29).

Melanie Consiglio won the 100 free with a 5.8.29 and Laura Bryant won the 100 backstroke in 1;09.16. Palomar also captured firsts in the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay.

In the men's meet, Jacob Lammott was a double winner for Palomar, in the 100 breaststroke (59.70) and 200 breaststroke (2:15.38. The Comets' other men's winners were Kevin Reichel (above right) in the 100 backstroke (59.70) and both the 200 medley (1:42.29) and 200 free (1:29.84) teams..

ABOVE: Palomar's Emma Baldwin is on her way to a first-place finish in the women's 200-yard IM in 2:27.51. LEFT: The Comets' Kevin Reichel, who placed 10th among 140 competitors in the men's pentathlon, hits the water in the backstroke. RIGHT: Reichel's teammate Kody Moffatt, who placed second in the pentathlon. --  Photos by Deb Hellman.

Comets win men's pentathlon, two team titles

SAN MARCOS (2-7-11) -- Palomar opened its 2011 swimming season with a bang on Friday and Saturday in the Waterman Festival, hosted by the Comets at Wallace Memorial Pool.

The pentathlon competition on Friday drew 280 swimmers on nine men's teams and nine women's teams.

The regular portion of the meet on Saturday drew six men's teams and six women's teams.

PENTATHLON (first day)

Palomar's men placed first, while the women finished second behind Riverside Community College.

Team places were determined by each team's top four composite times in the 50 butterfly, 50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke, 50 freestyle and 100 individual medley.

Palomar's Jacob Lammott finished second among 140 men's pentathlon entries with a combined 2:39.27. Cerritos' P.J. Gabayeron was first with a combined 2:36.98. Lammott swam the 50 fly in 25:19, the 50 back in 27.35, the 50 breast in 27.76, the 50 free in 22.23 and the 100 IM in 56.74.

The Comets' second through fourth placers were Kody Moffatt, fifth with a combined 2:44.36, Kevin Reichel, 10th with a 2:46.22 and Evan Rabbetts (11th with a 2:46.28). Also for Palomar among top 25 finishers, Chaffin Blake placed 12th, Daniel Mahoney 19th, Rhys Ward 21st, Connor Buckendahl 22nd and Chris Angelotti 25th.

Cerritos' Jessie Ku won the women's pentathlon with a combined 3:03.72 time, while Melanie Consiglio was the Comets' top finisher in seventh place with a combined 3:14.99. Consiglio swam the 50 butterfly in 29.66, the 50 backstroke in 34.08, the 50 breaststroke in 38.10, the 50 freestyle in 27.42 and the 200 IM in 1:09.57.

Palomar's second through fourth finishers were Kristen Maples, ninth with a 3:17.27; Emma Baldwin, 10th with a 3:18.32; Laura Bryant, 16th with a 3:22.48; and Alex Rodriguez, 14th with a 3:20.04. Brice Maruna, Palomar's next finisher, was 26th.

REGULAR MEET (second day)

Palomar' won the men's meet with 627 points, followed by second-place Chaffey with 603, Cerritos 496, Fullerton 344, San Diego Mesa 319 and Southwestern 67.

The Comets wom the women's meet with 739 points, followed by Mesa with 523, Fullerton 474, Grossmont 335, Chaffey 261 and Southwestern 127.

Palomar winners were the men's 200-yard medley relay team in 1:42.38, Reichel in the men's 100 backstroke in 58.11, Lemmott in the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.23, Baldwin in the women's 200 IM in 2:27.81.

Also, Palomar "A' in the men's 350 backstroke relay in 3:36.31, Palomar "A" in the women's 350 breaststroke relay in 4:56.00, Palomar "A" in the men's 350 breaststroke relay in 3:52.80, Palomar "A" in the women's 350 freestyle relay in 3:35.90, Palomar "A) in the men's 350 free relay in 3:09.70.

Also, Maruna in the women's 1,000 freestyle in 12:02.51, Palomar "A" in the women's 200 medley Under/Over relay in 2:15.28; Palomar "A" in the men's 200 medley Under/Over relay in 1:57.41, Palomar "A" in the mixed 300 free relay in 2:27.51 and Palomar "A" in the women's 400 free relay in 3:59.75.

In combined men's and women's team scores, Palomar finished with 1,440 points, followed by second place Chaffey with 922, Mesa 896, Fullerton 846, Cerritos 496, Grossmont 335 and Southwestern 216.

The Waterman Festival is named for retired Palomar women's swimming and water polo coach (and one-time Comet women's athletic director) Patti Waterman.