Red-shirt sophomore Louie Espinoza and freshman PJ Gabayeron look to make a splash for the Cerritos College men’s swimming as it takes its first dive into the newly built aquatic center this season.
‘I can already see the impact the new pool has made in our training,’ head coach Joe Abing said, ‘We have a lot of space to train.’
Espinoza swam for Cerritos two seasons ago and after taking a year off is now back as one of the top swimmers for the Falcons.
‘I am more serious and dedicated this season then I have been in the past,’ he said.
Espinoza started swimming competitively at the age of 8, but said that he was more focused on water polo until he got to Cerritos.
‘My first season there was a swimmer Niko that broke a bunch of records and won state in three events and since that it’s been all about swimming for me,’ he said.
Gabayeron, who swims 100-breaststroke and the 200-indivual medley, believes he has something to prove this season.
‘Last year, my senior year at Cerritos High School, I was done with swimming and a lot of my friends from other schools smoked me in the water,’ Gabayeron said, ‘So, now I have to show them that that’s not who I am as swimmer.’
He also believes he has a few areas he needs to improve.
‘My technique in the butterfly stroke is bad and I can’t swim it much more than a few laps,’ he said.
Both Espinoza and Gabayeron will be competing in the same events but haven’t really said much to each other yet this season.
‘We are kind of play shy right now, we really don’t talk much,’ Espinoza said, ‘but there is definitely a little competition between us.’
Abing believes both swimmers will have a chance at breaking a few school records this season.
The swimmers train five days a week and three of those days they train twice a day.
‘We swim about 20 miles a week plus weight training and a little running,’ Abing said, ‘It is a very challenging sport mentally and takes a lot of dedication.’
The Falcons begin there season Feb. 5 at the Palomar invitational and will have four home meets this season.
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