El Camino's Mia Park Takes Center Lane As 2023 SCC Women's Swim and Dive Season Unfolds

With the dual meet season shaping into a 2-team battle between Long Beach City College and Mt. San Antonio, the 2023 South Coast Conference women's swimming and diving season has seen El Camino's Mia Park grab the spotlight. 

Park has been breaking Warriors records as she is both a conference Swimmer of the Year candidate as well as a frontrunner in several events for state. Park has the current top state times in six events--the 200, 500, 1,000, 1,650-yard freestyles and both the 100 and 200 individual medleys--and is second in the 100 freestyle, 100 and 200 butterfly, and 400 IM.

She shattered a 27-year old school record in the 200 butterfly (2:10.72) and is establishing a number of standards at the brand new ECC Aquatic Center. On Feb. 10 at the ECC-hosted SCC Pentathlon she swam a perfect 5-for-5 in race wins. Among SCC swimmers only, Park has the best time in a staggering 15 different events. 

In the dual meet standings, last year's champion Long Beach and Mt. SAC each have 4-0 records and the two will meet up on Mar. 31 to likely decide the '23 dual champ. Mt. SAC's Melissa Chavez has the state's #9 best time in the 100 breaststroke and Lexis Brattain swam the conference's best mark in the 200 backstroke. The Mounties have the SCC standards this year thus far in three relay events. 

Long Beach is paced by Isabella Shead, who is conference #2 in the 100 butterfly and 200 IM while #3 in the 100 backstroke.

Pasadena City's Nickey Hale is #2 in the SCC thus far in six events (all behind Park). 

Chaffey's Jaylynn Rodriguez was #2 in the conference 200 butterfly. 

The SCC Championships, which determines the overall conference crown takes place April 20-22 at East Los Angeles College's swim stadium, the site of the '23 CCCAA state meet.

Release by Robert Lewis, SCC SID