Sputum Bowl win eludes Rancho Cordova Respiratory Therapy team

Sometimes you just want to spit. After placing fourth in 2014, and then fifth at the 2015 Sputum Bowl, SJVC’s Rancho Cordova team, Auscultate This, was disappointed but not disheartened.

“They, of course, wanted to win,” says Respiratory Therapy instructor and Bowl coach Julia Foss, “but it’s not all about winning – they have enough stress in their studies – they wanted to just go and enjoy the experience.”

This annual California Society for Respiratory Care (CSCR) convention event, held in June this year in Sonoma, attracts students, graduates and professionals in the Respiratory Therapy field from across California. Attendees sign up for presentations, networking and — of course — to cheer on Sputum Bowl competitors.

This year, 16 Sputum Bowl teams from 15 schools (Rancho Cordova had two teams: Auscultate This! and Respiratory Arrest) participated in buzzer-system rounds that advanced winning teams until the final four faced off.

Unfortunately, Respiratory Arrest was knocked out early in the competition.

Rancho Cordova’s teams: 

Auscultate This!: (Julia Foss, Coach)

• Miranda Rasband, Captain
• Emily Jacobson
• Michael Button
• Siena Chavez, Alternate
• Jessica Sheldon, Additional Alternate

Respiratory Arrest:

• Chris Tanaka, Captain
• Shaina Charaya
• Mallorie Mullendore
• Leysa Wagner, Alternate
• Mario Gonzalez, Additional Alternate

Both teams had been practicing for almost 18 months with once-a-week sessions that punched up to 3 times a week during the final weeks leading up to the competition. “They gave up their lunch to practice,” says Julia. “It is important to know that students did this on their own time – no extra credit. It was something they wanted to be a part of.”

“It was very moving to me to see how many people came out to watch and how our team bonded,” says Team Captain, Miranda Rasband. “I did not expect it.”

Auscultate This! came out strong and won their first round. “We celebrated every single play,” says Miranda.

Julia was very proud of their team spirit and finesse in the heats. “Getting ready to go to the final round, they were in overtime,” recalls Julia. “Their competitors buzzed in and didn’t win, and my students buzzed in and won and went on to compete in the finals.”

Their eventual bump out of competition was taken in good stride. “This was everybody’s first time and it was a blast,” says Miranda. “We were happy with it and the experience.”

“This event joins the school, our students and the teams in a way that would not happen if it were not for this event,” says Julia. “It is a kind of unity beyond sitting in a class together and creates a more intimate interaction.”

A proud footnote to this story: SJVC’s Temecula campus took home the win.