2024 NJCAA Champs Day 1: Indian River Gets Out to Huge Leads, Win 10 of 12 Events

2024 NJCAA SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 6-9, 2024
• Anne Wilder Aquatic Complex, Fort Pierce, FL
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Page
• Psych Sheet
• Day 1 Results

TEAM SCORES THRU DAY 1 (TOP 5)

WOMEN

1. Indian River – 375
2. Southwestern Oregon CC – 157
3. Barton CC – 132
4. Jamestown CC – 104
5. Iowa Central CC – 70

MEN

1. Indian River – 307
2. Southwestern Oregon CC – 158
3. Iowa Central CC – 132
4. Barton CC – 121
5. Monroe CC – 44

The 2024 NJCAA Championships kicked off today at the Anne Wilder Aquatic Complex on the campus of Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, FL. If you aren’t as familiar with junior college swimming, Indian River has been a type of powerhouse that we’ve never really seen at any other level of the sport. Indian River has won 49-straight NJCAA men’s team titles, and 45-straight women’s titles. In anticipation of a 50th-straight men’s NJCAA title, Indian River has organized tailgates before the finals sessions on Friday and Saturday.

As Indian River hunts their 50th NJCAA men’s title in a row, they got off to a great start today. Heading into the 2nd day of the meet, IRSC has already jumped out to a 149-point lead in the men’s team standings. Meanwhile, the Indian River women’s team is doing even better, ending day 1 up a whopping 218 points.

Indian River swept the relays on the day. In the women’s 800 free relay, Giulianna Garcia (1:52.39), Ane Meier (1:53.87), Sophia Diaz (1:51.88), and Paola Gonzalez (1:54.03) combined to earn the win for IRSC, swimming a 7:32.17. They won the race by a stunning 27 seconds. Owen McLaughlin (1:39.61), Tom Ferguson (1:38.15), Joshua Parry (1:36.82), and Anderson Brown (1:38.32) teamed up to win the men’s 800 free relay in 6:32.90.

McLaughlin was also an individual winner on the day, taking the men’s 200 IM in 1:46.91, touching just off the NJCAA record of 1:46.73. He was very strong on the back half of the race, splitting 30.62 on breast and 25.37 on free for a 55.99 on the 2nd 100.

Ane Meier was another double event winner on the day, picking up a win in the women’s 200 IM as well as the relay. Meier won the 200 IM in 2:02.53, coming home in a very quick 28.31 on the final 50.

The women’s 50 breast saw Indian River’s Ana Villamil win by more than a second, clocking a 28.66. Meanwhile, IRSC’s Kito Campbell took the men’s 50 breast in 24.78.

Billy Johnson (IRSC) took the men’s 1000 free in 9:22.76, really pulling into the lead on the back half of the race.

Indian River’s Sara Safranko won the women’s 50 free decisively, swimming a 22.93 to touch 1st by nearly a full second.

Iowa Central CC also picked up a win on the day, seeing Luis Oliveira win the men’s 50 free in 20.14. It was a very tight finish, as Indian River’s Riccardo Pandin touched 2nd in 20.17.

Danielle Meinema earned a win for Southwestern Oregon CC, taking the women’s 1000 free in 10:25.17.

In today’s diving event, Indian River’s Alexandra Andueza won women’s 1-meter with a score of 275.70.