Men’s Swimming and Diving wins 2026 PCAC Championship
HISTORIC WIN: Southwestern College men's swimming and diving team won the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) Championship on Saturday evening at the SWC Aquatic Complex in Chula Vista, California - the first conference title in a purportedly 49 years.
DOMINANT PERFORMANCE: At the PCAC championships, the Jaguar men totaled 685 points with 18 podium finishes in 20 total events.
KEY PERFORMERS: Aslan Lofthus, Jared Ritchie, Dante Kim, Ethan Ongteco, Nicky Cabrera, George Grosselfinger, Ray Artis, and David Abdul Samad.
Aslan Lofthus was named PCAC Swimmer of the Year for his high point performance (60) and 7 gold medals. Jared Ritchie placed 5th overall (51) and had 4 gold performances. Dante Kim finished 7th overall (50) with 1 gold, and Ethan Ongteco, and Ray Artis earned 3 gold medals a piece for Southwestern.
LEADERSHIP: Head coach Steve Wiggs achieved championship success in his debut season and was named the 2026 PCAC Coach of the Year. Wiggs made one thing clear upon his elevation to head coach — he is at Southwestern to win and to win championships.
The standard at Southwestern College is championships and coaches and student-athletes are now at Southwestern to experience competitive success. The team's championship caps off two consecutive years of growth since Wiggs first came on board as an assistant coach in 2024. He turned a team that finished a distant second (145 points) in conference in 2025 into a crowning achievement in 2026. Wiggs has completely shifted the trajectory of the swimming and diving program.
On DAY 1 of the 2026 PCAC Swimming Championships, hosted by Southwestern College April 16-18, the 200 Free Relay team of Aslan Lofthus (Mater Dei Catholic, Chula Vista, CA), Ray Artis (Saint Ignatius, Cleveland, OH), David Abdul Samad (Coronado, Coronado, CA), and Jared Ritchie (Eastlake, Chula Vista, CA) touched the wall first in 1:27.20.
Aslan Lofthus took top honors in the 50 Free, setting a new SWC record time of 21.29.
The 400 Medley Relay team of Ethan Ongtenco (Olympian, Chula Vista, CA), Dante Kim (Eastlake, Chula Vista, CA), Aslan Lofthus, and Ray Artis captured gold with a 3:35.35 finish.
DAY 2 highlights included the 200 Medley Relay team of Ethan Ongtenco, Nicky Cabrera (Olympian, Chula Vista, CA), Aslan Lofthus, and Ray Artis posting a winning time of 1:36.06
In the 100 Fly, Aslan Lofthus beat out all competitors with a time of 51.71.
Ethan Ongteco (52.71) and Jared Ritchie (53.54) swept first and second place in the 100 Back.
DAY 3 action featured another SWC record, this time by Jared Ritchie (1:58.50) in the 200 Back. Ethan Ongteco (2:01.45) finished second.
Aslan Lofthus clocked in with a time of 46.84, followed by Rayon Artis's 47.24 to sweep gold and silver medals in the 100 Free.
The final event of the championships saw SWC convincingly win the 400 Free Relay (Aslan Lofthus, Ray Artis, David Abdul Samad, and Jared Ritchie) and seal the conference championship by winning their fourth relay of the three-day meet.
There are many metrics by which to value a program's success. But in the world of college athletics, where athletic departments across the country are evaluating just that, a swimming and diving championship goes a long way. The right leadership is in place, and the results reflect how critical a head coach is to rewriting the narrative of program.
2026 PCAC Championships – Final Team Standings (MEN)
1. Southwestern – 685
2. Miramar – 649
3. Palomar – 482
4. Mesa – 420
5. Crafton Hills – 374
6. Grossmont – 358
Men's PCAC Swimming & Diving Awards
Swimmer of the Year: Aslan Lofthus, Southwestern
Coach of the Year: Steve Wiggs, Southwestern
WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
At the Pacific Coast Athletic Championships, the Jaguar women totaled 313 points with 7 medal performances, highlighted by an event victory and SWC record in the 200 Breast by Poppy Constantino (2:29.13). Another school record was set in the 100 Breast by none other than Poppy Constantino with a time of 1:07.76
Led by Poppy Constantino (Olympian, Chula Vista, CA), Alyssa Cozart (Eisenhower, Yakima WA) and Mary Kathleen Jackson (Mater Dei, Chula Vista, CA) the Southwestern women are working to continue to move the program forward on a journey to rise to the top of the conference.
Poppy Constantino placed 7th overall (51 points), Alyssa Cozart finished 18th (42 points) and Mary Kathleen Jackson landed in 23rd (40 points) to finish amongst the top 25 female swimmers at the PCAC Championships.
2026 PCAC Championships – Final Team Standings (WOMEN)
1. Miramar – 887
2. Crafton Hills – 441
3. Mesa – 414
4. Grossmont – 318
5. Palomar – 314
6. Southwestern – 313