Las Positas sophomore Zach Zauhar-Kurr made history at the 3C2A State Swimming and Diving Championships at Orange Coast College, becoming the third individual in program history to win a state title.
Zauhar-Kurr won the 400-yard individual medley championship in a school-record time of 3:56.31, also taking third in the 200 IM and fourth in the 200 breaststroke.
The Hawks, who always look to crack the top 10 as a unit at the tough meet, finished eighth in the men's team standings. "Some people swam really well," head coach Jason Craighead said proudly.
Zauhar-Kurr joins Marcu Hulunga (500 free, 1650 free, 2023) and Esteban Perez Del Rio (100 free, 2019) as the program's men's state champions.
Ryan Ridosko also had a big meet making the finals in all three of his individual events: 500 freestyle (fifth); 200 free (sixth); and 1650 free (fifth).
"Ryan did real well – he had some really stiff competition in his races," Craighead said.
Zach Ulrich was fifth in the 1-meter diving and sixth in 3-meter diving, while Ilya Krasny finished in 14th place in the 1-meter.
Zauhar-Kurr hoped to also take the 200 IM state title – his finals time of 1:50.05 was a school record -- but came up short. The result fueled him in the 400 IM final.
"He came back a little more focused and we got after it. He had a really, really good swim in that 400 IM, and just blew everybody out of the water," Craighead said.
The men's 800 free relay finished sixth in the state with a team of Zauhar-Kurr, Logan Borrelli, Ridosko and Jay Jani.
Overall, the colleges enjoyed competing outdoors at the state meet after swimming indoors previously at East Los Angeles College. "A whole new environment. It was great," Craighead said.
Las Positas College did its usual peak during the big meets -- a testament to the program.
The Hawks men won the Coast Conference team title for the seventh time, and for the first time had three high-point winners, each with three individual conference titles: Ridosko (500-yard free, 200 free, 1650 free); Zauhar-Kurr 200 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast); and Borrelli (100 back, 200 back, 400 IM).