Men and Women’s Swimming

By Amber Rae Smith
Corsair Staff Writer

May 7,2008

Marilyn Taylor/Corsair
Azad Al-barazzi races to the finish during the morning prelimaries for the Men's 100 Yard Breaststroke on day two of the 2008 Swimming and Diving State Championships at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA on May 2, 2008. Al-barazzi, who placed 4th in his heat during the preliminaries went on to the Finals, placing 7th overall and breaking the SMC school record in the Finals for the event.

Injured limbs and extreme illness didn’t stop Santa Monica College swimmers at the highlight events of the season.

Despite a severe sore throat and upset stomach, Travis Bishop swam his way to first place, with a time of 1:56:85 in the 100-yard individual medley, at the Western State Conference Championship held at Ventura College on April 26, one week before the 2008 Swimming and Diving State Championships held at Saddleback College from May 1-3, in which Santa Monica College placed well among other schools.

Coming into the state championships having just swum the 200-yard free stroke the week before at a time of 1:45, Bishop was eager to make it to the top. On May 1, SMC men’s swimming placed ninth out of all the schools in the state. Women’splaced fifth.

In the women’s 200 yard freestyle relay, SMC placed ninth with a team relay seed time of 1:43:70.
As for the men’s team, impressive individual performances were delivered by Bishop in the 200-yard individual meet with a time of 1:56:85 and Azad Al-Barazzi, who had a time of 1:57:21. Al-Barazzi’s shoulder had popped out of place the previous week at the Western State Conference, but despite the injury, Al-Barazzi valiantly carried on.

He said that he was experiencing a considerable amount of pain, but on finishing the conference and going on to state championships, Al-Barazzi said, “You gotta do what you gotta do, right?”
Grinning as he placed his red-coated goggles back over his eyes, Al-Barazzi dipped back into the water and continued practicing.

Bishop also mentioned the odds he was up against. He had said that he wasn’t taped like the other swimmers racing against him and still managed to come in first.