HAYWARD, Calif. -- More than five months of training culminates this week for the No. 23 ranked Cal State East Bay swim team, as the Pioneers travel to La Mirada for the 2018-19 Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Championships in search of their first PCSC title. 

12 teams will race in 20 swimming events over the next four days, each of which features prelim sessions in the morning and event finals in the evening. A new champion will be crowned after defending champ UC San Diego departed the conference this year ahead of its move to Division I.

The Pioneers took third place in 2017-18, which marked the program's sixth straight top-three finish. This year they are one of several teams contending for the title, which is shaping up to be an exciting, tightly-contested battle.

East Bay and No. 22 Fresno Pacific, which placed second last year, are the only two PCSC squads to appear in the Division II national top-25 coaches poll. But Pepperdine, Azusa Pacific, UC Santa Cruz, Concordia-Irvine, and Loyola Marymount are all strong contenders for the team championship as well. It's also important to note that the Pioneers will, as always, forego any chance to accrue points in the two diving events, which gives them even less room for error in their quest for a title. 

In addition to the team competition, the swimmers will also be striving to achieve NCAA qualifying times to secure their spot at next month's national championship meet. This is also the meet where school records often fall. Sophomores Peyton Wayment and Serene Augustain already hold individual program records, while senior Vivy Hua and junior Allie Klinger have been outstanding all year and may have a chance to lower some existing marks.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Wednesday, Feb. 13
1-Meter Diving
1000 Freestyle
200 Medley Relay
800 Freestyle Relay

Thursday, Feb. 14
500 Freestyle
200 Individual Medley
50 Freestyle
200 Freestyle Relay

Friday, Feb. 15
3-Meter Diving
100 Butterfly
400 Individual Medley
200 Freestyle
100 Breaststroke
100 Backstroke
400 Medley Relay

Saturday, Feb. 16
1650 Freestyle
200 Backstroke
100 Freestyle
200 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
100 Individual Medley
400 Freestyle Relay