Warrior Nic Swider Tames the Westmonster
Nicholas Swider, a member of the °µÍø±¬ÁÏapp cross country and track and field teams won the sixth annual Westmonster July 17, edging out three-time champion Ricky Ho by three seconds. Jihanna Allard of Norwich, England, was the top female finisher followed by Desa Marie Mandarino of Santa Barbara.
Swider, an incoming sophomore at °µÍø±¬ÁÏapp, graduated from San Marcos High School. He finished 26th on a 10K course at the GSAC Cross Country Championships Nov. 8 in Santa Clarita. On the track and field team he finished sixth in both the 5K and 10K at the GSAC Championships April 24-25 at °µÍø±¬ÁÏapp.
Dubbed Santa Barbara’s toughest 5K race, the Westmonster is a fundraiser for °µÍø±¬ÁÏapp student-athlete scholarships. The course, which climbs 284 feet, weaves through °µÍø±¬ÁÏapp’s beautifully wooded campus in the Montecito foothills.