The 1979 Women's Swim & Dive Team has the distinguished honor of being the first women's state championship team in the history of Santa Rosa Junior College. Led by Coach Bob Miyashiro, the 15 women swept through the Camino Norte Conference Championships and captured the State title for the Bear Cubs. In a resounding win at the state meet in Fremont, they won 8 of 17 events including all relays, set a national record and a number of SRJC records. Statistically, the women's swim team had the second best race-times in the nation.
Prior to the state meet, Coach Miyashiro reminded his swimmers, " We swim to win. We will dominate this meet." And dominate they did. In the individual races, Laura Dumont won the 100 freestyle. Mary Lightfoot won the 50 and 100 backstrokes. Terry Kramer won the 50 freestyle. In the relays the combination of Dumont, Kraemer, Mary Menth and Shari Lopeman set a national junior college record as they won the 200 free relay going so fast the closest competitor was more than two body lengths behind. The combination of Lopeman, Kraemer, Lightfoot, and Shauna Peddicord set a record in their 200 medley relay victory, leading the entire race beating defending state champ and conference rival Diablo Valley College. In a race they weren't expect to win, the Bear Cubs captured the 400 medley relay with the combined efforts of Dumont, Lightfoot, Kraemer and Menth, with a persona best recorded by Menth swimming the anchor leg. Seven individuals and all four relay teams were accorded community college All American honors.
Team unity was an essential ingredient to the success of the 1979 team. Said Kraemer, "it wasn't just one person, it was everybody." Additional members of the team who contributed to the championship season included: Patricia Anthony, Jozi Bihn, Elaine Cavalin, Mary Beth Lynch, Karen Rogers, Adele Shellcross, Julie Stout and Melodie Walts.