Letterman Carmen Ung Ready To Lead PCC Women's Swim Into 2020 Season

Carmen Ung will shoot to break more school records as the PCC women's swim season begins.
Carmen Ung will shoot to break more school records as the PCC women's swim season begins.
Posted: Feb 10, 2020

After a brilliant freshman campaign when she set school records in the 50, 100 and 200-yard breaststroke swims, Carmen Ung is back to pace the Pasadena City College women's swim team in 2020. Ung also will try to extend an amazing streak to eight years for a PCC swimmer to win the South Coast Conference Swimmer of the Year award.

Ung, the Co-SCC Swimmer of the Year last season, is one of six swimmers entering their sophomore seasons, four returning from 2019 and a pair coming back after redshirting from 2018 squad. Fernanda Alvarez, Anna Herrin, and Yvette Rosales are back with '18 returnees Maryjane Martinez, a state meet relay participant, and Josie King. Rosales placed second in the 200 butterfly at the '19 SCC Championships.

The freshmen include top newcomer Emily Gray, from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, and three players off the '19 PCC women's water polo team in All-SCC performers Lori Nalbandian (Pasadena High) and Jackie Collier (Arcadia), and Marissa Lopez (El Rancho HS). The talented Collier, a goalie in water polo, is specifically a diver, which will help PCC in team scoring at meets.

Ung scored three champion titles at the '19 conference finals in the 50 freestyle and the two speciality breaststroke events. At the CCCAA State Championships, she scored a silver medal in the 100 breastroke (school record 1:03.20) and a fourth place in the 200 (another PCC standard of 2:20.72). Her 50 free time of 24.53 was good enough for fourth at state, but was just .05 off the school record set by Ariahn Givens in 2016. 

Coach Terry Stoddard begins his 21st season in charge of the program. At the season-opening Waterman Festival held at Palomar College, Martinez was third overall in the 100 butterfly at 1:08.13 while Gray scored third in the 100 backstroke (1:10.92). Ung had a prior school class commitment and did not participate in the meet. The Lancers officially placed fourth out of five teams at the event. However in individual pentathlon scoring, combined over five different swims, Martinez was No. 4 and Gray No. 5 out of 55 total swimmers. 

PCC will next take part in the SCC Pentathlon on Friday, Feb. 14 at Mt. San Antonio College.