Big lead for SRJC women swimmers at state

The Santa Rosa Junior College women's 800-yard freestyle relay team won a state title Friday to help the Bear Cubs retain a commanding lead on the second day of the three-day California Community Swimming and Diving Championships at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.

SRJC finished with 347.5 points, giving the school a comfortable edge on second-place Ventura (270).

The SRJC men's team is in fourth place with 296 points. The men are 50 points behind first-place Diablo Valley College and only five points behind second-place Ventura.

The women's 800 freestyle relay team was composed of four freshmen -- Mandy King, Heather Cramer, Tiana Singley and Allie King. Cramer finished second in the 200 IM, and the 200 medley relay team of Kelly McNeil, Alexandra Hamm, Cramer and Allie King placed second.

On the men's side, Walter Gault broke the school record in the 100 breastroke prelims with a time of 58.58. Gault then broke his own mark en route to a third-place finish of 57.44 in the finals. The 800 freestyle relay team of Tyler Hannis, Dylan Love, Gault and Billy Kump finished third in 7:03.76, lowering a 29-year-old school record by more than five seconds. Hannis swam the opening leg in 1:43.91 to break the school's 22-year-old 200 free record.

HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS

Montgomery's David Hutton and Spencer Crump won their first two matches of the North Coast Section tennis doubles championship at the Meridian Rolling Hills Club in Novato.

Hutton, a senior, and Crump, a junior, defeated Campolindo's Travis Cohan and Jake Peiros, 6-3, 6-3 and in the quarterfinals defeated David Schenker and Connor Feuille of University, 6-3, 6-2.

Hutton and Crump, the No. 4 seeds, will play No. 1 seeds Andrew Kells and Brett Hoppe of Redwood today in the semifinals at Rafael Racquet Club in San Rafael at 10 a.m..

HALLS TO APPEAR

Ryan and Sara Hall, the most prominent couple in U.S. track and field, will appear at Heart & Sole Sports in Santa Rosa on Monday from 5-6 p.m.

Sara Hall (formerly Sara Bei) is a 2001 graduate of Montgomery High and an Olympic hopeful in the 1,500 meters. Hall, 25, a seven-time All-American at Stanford, is the only four-time state cross-country champion in California high school history.

Ryan Hall, 25, qualified for the marathon at the 2008 Olympics with a U.S. Olympic trials record time of 2:09.02 in November. His time of 2:06.17 at the London Marathon in April was the fastest time ever for an American-born runner.

Heart & Sole is located at 65 Brookwood Ave.

SRJC SOFTBALL ACCOLADES

Five Bear Cubs made the Big 8 all-conference team, announced this week. Freshman pitcher Jenny Merrill was the only Bear Cub to make the first team. Sophomore first baseman Janelle Arnold was a second-team selection, and three players received honorable mention: sophomore infielders Brittney Coronado and Carmen Martinez, and freshman catcher Courtney Millard.