COS Finishes in 2nd in both Men's & Women's Swimming at Merced Invite

MERCED, Calif. – The College of the Sequoias swim team delivered a strong performance at the 2025 Merced College Sprint Invitational, notching several top finishes in a competitive field. 

At the end of the meet, both the COS Men's and Women's teams placed among the top contenders in multiple events, showcasing depth and speed in sprints, relays, and individual strokes. 

TEAM SCORES 

MEN 

Modesto – 390.5 

College of the Sequoias – 355 

Clovis – 308.2 

Merced – 239 

San Joaquin Delta – 210 

Consumnes River – 184 

WOMEN 

San Joaquin Delta – 413 

College of the Sequoias – 402 

Clovis – 234 

Fresno City – 221 

Merced – 220 

Modesto - 183 

MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS 

The COS men's 200 Medley Relay team of Vincente Sanchez (Golden West HS), Josh Mitchell (Redwood HS), Brendan Meyer (Lemoore HS), and Jack LoBue (Monache HS) put together a solid swim, finishing third in 1:44.54, just a tenth of a second behind Clovis. The B relay team also made it into the top five, placing fourth in 1:48.86. 

Meyer also delivered strong performances in the freestyle events. He finished fourth in the 50 free (22.88) and followed it up with a third-place finish in the 100 free (50.96). LoBue was close behind in the 50 free (23.45, 8th place). 

In the 50 back, Sanchez led the COS squad, securing third place with a 28.14, while Jared Ojeda (Monache HS) finished fifth (28.69). 

The 100 IM saw a strong COS performance from Quinn Rea (Mt. Whitney HS), who finished in third at 1:00.66, followed closely by LoBue (8th, 1:03.56). 

For breaststroke, Dylan Hunt (Central California Connections Academy) led the way with a sixth-place finish in the 50 breast (31.23), while Taylor Greene (El Diamante HS) (9th, 32.12), and Mitchell (10th, 32.24) also made their mark. 

In the 100 fly, COS standout Isaac Maillard (Mt. Whitney HS) placed fourth (1:01.14), while he also scored seventh in the 50 fly (26.60). 

The 200 Free Relay squad of Rea, LoBue, Sanchez, and Meyer took second place (1:33.55), narrowly missing the top spot. 

WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS 

The COS women started strong in the 200 Medley Relay, with the A team finishing second in 2:04.52, led by Lauren Pelayo (El Diamante HS), Kallysta Cox (Strathmore HS), Azulema Ayon (Exeter HS), and Kenzie Hyder (Porterville HS). 

Hyder dominated the 50 free, touching first in 26.45, while teammate Pelayo added a top-five finish (28.01). Hyder continued her form by winning the 100 free (57.19), over two seconds ahead of the field. 

In the 50 back, Sierra Hodson (Tulare Western HS) (2nd, 32.45) and Pelayo (4th, 33.46) put up strong performances, while Mikenna Curtis (Dinuba HS) followed closely in 6th place (33.93). 

Breaststroker Ayon put up a great showing, placing second in the 50 breast (35.25) and winning the 50 fly (29.10). Autumn Gibson (Lemoore HS) and Cox also contributed in the 50 breast, finishing 6th (37.23) and 8th (37.80), respectively. 

The 100 back saw Savanna Gates (Hartland Charter) earn second place (1:12.46), while Hodson (5th, 1:16.43) and Myranda Rodriguez (Mt. Whitney HS) (6th, 1:18.58) added valuable team points. 

Wrapping up the meet, the COS Women's 200 Free Relay A team took home first place, with Ayon, Curtis, Pelayo, and Hyder combining for a 1:48.40 victory. 

UP NEXT 

The Giants will continue their season at their next meets. The Shasta Relays will be on Thursday, February 6 at 4:00 p.m. and the Shasta Tri-Meet will be on Friday, February 7 at 9:00 a.m. They will look to build on their early success and fine-tune their performances as the season progresses. They will have their first home meet, COS Invite, on Friday, February 28 at 12:00 p.m. 

Event Winners for College of the Sequoias 

• 50 Free Women: Kenzie Hyder – 26.45 

• 100 Free Women: Kenzie Hyder – 57.19 

• 50 Fly Women: Azulema Ayon – 29.10 

• 200 Free Relay Women: Ayon, Curtis, Pelayo, Hyder – 1:48.40 

Top Finishes 

• 50 Back Women: Sierra Hodson (2nd – 32.45), Lauren Pelayo (4th – 33.46) 

• 100 Back Women: Savanna Gates (2nd – 1:12.46) 

• 50 Breast Women: Azulema Ayon (2nd – 35.25), Autumn Gibson (6th – 37.23), Kallysta Cox (8th – 37.80) 

• 100 Back Men: Vincente Sanchez (2nd – 1:01.03) 

• 50 Free Men: Brendan Meyer (4th – 22.88) 

• 100 Free Men: Brendan Meyer (3rd – 50.96) 

• 200 Free Relay Men: Rea, LoBue, Sanchez, Meyer (2nd – 1:33.55) 

• 200 Medley Relay Men: Sanchez, Mitchell, Meyer, LoBue (3rd – 1:44.54)