Ceres High varsity girls swimming standout Julia Pata added to her title total after sweeping the 100 free and 50 free at the Western Athletic Conference Championships on April 29 in Los Banos.
"Becoming WAC champ was one of my goals," Pata said. "I'm proud to have achieved that. It's surprising and not surprising. I did work hard to get where I'm at. It wasn't a cakewalk."
Julia won eight individual conference titles during her four-year career with the Bulldogs.
She took first in the 200 free and 100 breast in 2016.
Pata finished first in the 100 free and 50 free her sophomore and freshman years.
"I was a little nervous because it was my last time competing in the WAC," Julia said. "I ended up setting personal-best times in both events. I was surprised I was able to do it in the 50 free. I've been stuck at a certain time. I just tried to catch the imaginary person in front of me."
Pata, Ciana Sather, Camryn Silva, Jullissa Arreola, Kassandra Armas, Kiera Brownlee, Rhiannon Wynne and Micaela Franco helped lead the Bulldogs to a runner-up finish in the WAC standings.
Los Banos (173) edged out Ceres High (165) for the team title.
Livingston (69), Pacheco (40), Central Valley (39) and Patterson (32) took third, fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
"I'm very proud of my team," Pata said. "We missed first place by eight points."
Ceres High's 200 free relay team of Pata, Sather, Arreola and Silva placed first.
Ceres High's 400 free relay team of Pata, Sather, Arreola and Armas placed first.
Sather successfully defended her 100 fly title and placed first in the 100 back.
Silva placed first in the 200 IM and sixth in the 100 free.
Arreola placed second in the 500 fee and fifth in the 50 free.
Armas placed second in the 200 free and eighth in the 100 back.
Brownlee placed third in the 100 breast and fifth in the 200 IM.
Zielke placed fifth in the 500 free and sixth in the 100 fly.
Wynne placed sixth in the 200 free.
Franco placed seventh in the 100 fly and 30th in the 100 free.
Bulldog teammates Tania Garfias, Ninweh Garfias, Jennifer Martinez, Silver Harvey, Ana Perez, Valerie Ramos, Priscilla Nunguray and Sarah Cuevas also participated at the WAC Championships.
Garfias placed ninth in the 200 IM.
Gorges placed 10th in the 200 free.
Martinez placed 10th in the 100 breast and 12th in the 200 free.
Harvey placed 13th in the 100 back.
Perez placed 14th in the 50 free.
Ramos placed 19th in the 100 back and 32nd in the 50 free.
Nungaray placed 32nd in the 100 free and 34th in the 50 free.
Cuevas placed 35th in the 50 free.
Central Valley's varsity girls swim program had 15 individuals compete at the conference finals.
Leilani Ortiz placed second in the 50 free and 100 breast.
Aryanna Jimenez placed third in the 100 free and fourth in the 50 free.
Leticia Sandoval placed seventh in the 500 free.
Belle Martinez placed 18th in the 100 free.
Kylie Smith placed 26th in the 50 free.
Iris Arellano placed 27th in the 50 free, Jocelyn Meza placed 28th in the 100 free.
Noelia Barron placed 29th in the 50 free.
Hannah Duncan placed 33rd in the 50 free.
Emilie Romero placed 37th in the 50 free.
Puneeta Salhan placed 38th in the 50 free.
Naomi Carrera placed 40th in the 50 free.
Madeline Lopez placed 41st in the 50 free.
Iran Torres placed 43rd in the 50 free.
Amrit Batth placed 45th in the 50 free.
