SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Swimming

Norsemen go to top in move down

By Phillip Brents
Posted May 30, 2003

Winning CIF championships is nothing new for Valhalla swim coaches Kent Houston and Jeff Mueller. The Norsemen boys teams won back-to-back San Diego Section Division I titles in 2000 and 2001 before having their reign ended last year with a fourth-place finish.

In the move down the enrollment ranks this season, the reloaded Valhalla team used some inspirational performances — combined with talent — to capture the Division II championship in competition May 24 at Mt. Carmel High School.

Both Houston and Mueller spoke through chattering teeth after the ceremonial dunking reserved for winning coaching staff. They spoke about an all-around team effort in the truest sense that enabled the Norsemen to edge University of San Diego High School by nine points — 195 to 186 — for the division title.

“It came down guys moving up places in the consolation finals. All our relays did better than the prelims. We entered with the sixth, third and eighth best times, moved up to second, third and third in the prelims and finished second, second and second in the finals,” Houston said.

“It came down to bringing the back end up,” Mueller said.

Supporting the front end was senior Clint McLaughlin, who won titles in both his individual events with All-American consideration times — 1:43.32 in the 200-yard freestyle and 51.77 in the 100 butterfly.

At right: Valhalla's Clint McLaughlin powers to victory in 100 butterfly.

Both times were season bests. McLaughlin, who was chasing several school records this season, dropped more than six seconds off his entry time in the 200 freestyle and more than two seconds off his entry time in the butterfly event.

“It feels good. A lot of people were counting on me,” said McLaughlin, who will attend the University of the Pacific this fall. “My brother (older brother Will McLaughlin) had won two events each in two years at this meet. I just wanted to carry it through and do well — but do it in my own way.”

Freshman Joe Rizk, who received the team’s CIF Sportsmanship award, was third in the 500 freestyle (4:58.45) and fourth in the 100 backstroke (58.00) while senior Jeff El-Hajj was third in the 100 freestyle (49.87) and fifth in the 200 freestyle (1:51.21).

Other contributors included sophomore Carlos Riviera, who was fifth in the 100 backstroke (58.56) and seventh in the 100 butterfly (55.43) and senior Eugene Kim (10th in the 100 backstroke, 1:01.06). Sophomore Brandon Kelch was 11th in both the 500 freestyle (5:13.34) and 100 breaststroke (1:08.20).

The time drops were significant in the three runner-up relay finishes. The Norsemen dropped an amazing 7.52 seconds off their entry time of 1:50.19 to finish with a mark of 1:42.67 in the 200 medley relay. Valhalla’s 200 freestyle unit shaved exactly two seconds off its entry time of 1:32.62 and the team’s meet-concluding 400 freestyle relay squad timed 3:20.97 to obliterate its entry time of 3:29.22.

Division II notepad
Grossmont’s North League championship girls and boys teams finished third and sixth, respectively, in the Division II team standings.

Senior Lauren Clements was second in the girls 100 butterfly (1:00.65) to lead the Grossmont girls team while senior Kate Thornton was fifth (1:03.45) in the same event (Thornton also was 10th in the 100 backstroke in 1:05.49). Sophomore Danielle Peebles was third in the 100 freestyle (54.63) and sixth in the 200 freestyle (1:59.64) while junior Mary Westervelt was fifth in the 100 freestyle (55.52) and sixth in the 100 backstroke (1:03.87),

Other team leaders included sophomore David Lefstein, who was fifth in the boys 200 individual medley (2:07.47) and eighth in the 500 freestyle (5:03.85), senior John Tolosko (fifth in the boys 100 breaststroke, 1:05.22) and senior Lauren Clements (sixth in the girls 50 freestyle, 26.45).

Also highlighting the boys side, freshman Matt Clements won the consolation titles (seventh place) in both the 200 freestyle (1:51.45) and 100 freestyle (49.70) while senior Billy DeRidder was 10th in the 200 freestyle (1:59.57) and senior Eric Stone was 11th in the boys 100 backstroke (1:02.23).

The Foothillers’ highest relay finishes came in the girls 200 medley (second, 1:55.55), girls 200 freestyle (fourth, 1:45.37), 200 boys medley relay (fifth, 1:47.29) and girls 400 freestyle relay (fifth, 3:52.28). Grossmont also placed in two boys consolation heat relays: 400 freestyle (seventh, 3:29.09) and 200 freestyle relay (11th, 1:37.57).

Valhalla finished fifth in the girls team standings. The Norsemen’s highest relay finishes came in the 200 medley (1:56.89) and 200 freestyle (1:44.80) — both third. Valhalla also finished 11th in the 400 freestyle relay (4:02.21).

On an individual basis, senior Holly Hansen was fourth in both the 200 freestyle (1:57.56) and 100 backstroke (1:01.67),senior Natalie Luscomb was sixth in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.80), junior Keri Dole was eighth in both the 200 individual medley (2:19.23) and 100 butterfly (1:03.67), junior Lauren Crow was eighth in both the 50 freestyle (25.94) and the 100 freestyle (56.45), sophomore Lauren Chula was eighth in the 100 breaststroke (1:14.41), senior Kelly O’Bryan was 10th in the 100 butterfly (1:04.76).

Santana finished 10th in the girls team standings and 11th in the boys team standings. Senior Michelle Sanks led the Sultans with a fourth-place finish in the 100 freestyle (54.89) and seventh-place finish in the girls 200 freestyle while sophomore Catherine Gordon was fourth in the girls 100 breaststroke (1:10.03).

Senior A.J. Gordon was third in the boys 100 breaststroke (1:04.24) and fifth in the boys 100 freestyle (50.14) while sophomore Catherine Gordon was ninth in the girls m200 IM (2:20.69), senior Andrew McPartland was 10th in the boys 50 freestyle (23.54) and sophomore Jessica Pace was 12th in the girls 50 freestyle (27.00).

Santana was eighth in the boys 200 medley relay (1:51.15), ninth in the girls 200 medley relay (2:04.28), 10th in the girls 400 freestyle relay (4:01.66) and 10th in the boys 400 freestyle relay (3:33.62).

Monte Vista senior Rachelle Denaro was fifth in the girls 50 freestyle (26.02) and 12th in the girls 100 freestyle (59.03) while on the boys side, sophomore Al Kasimatis was eighth in the 100 butterfly (56.64).

Rounding out the East County’s entries in the Division II meet, Steele Canyon placed ninth in the boys 200 freestyle relay (1:35.56) while El Capitan sophomore Jennifer Looney was 11th in the girls 100 breaststroke (1:16.18).

Division I notepad
West Hills senior Tim Fuller entered the Division I meet with the top-seeded time in the boys 200 freestyle and second-seeded time in the boys 100 freestyle and finished in that order. He won the 200 freestyle with an All-American consideration time of 1:42.79 (knocking off nearly four seconds off his entry time) while clocking an automatic All-American time of 46.50 in taking the runner-up finish in the 100 freestyle behind event winner Cheyne O’Gorman, a senior from Rancho Buena Vista, who clocked 46.47.

In championship heats, Granite Hills finished third in the boys 200 freestyle relay (1:31.94), fifth in the girls 200 medley relay (1:55.62) and sixth in the girls 400 freestyle relay (3:44.05), West Hills sophomore Justin Canty placed fourth in the boys 200 freestyle (1:46.49) and sixth in the 100 backstroke (56.26), Granite Hills freshman Sean Scenna was sixth in the boys 200 IM (2:08.43), Granite Hills senior Nicole Fisher was third in the girls 50 freestyle (24.85) and fifth in the 100 freestyle (54.04), West Hills sophomore Tarolyn Robertson was sixth in the girls 500 freestyle (5:15.81), Granite Hills junior Michelle Benzie was fifth in the girls 100 backstroke (1:02.75), West Hills senior Allison Dalldorf was third in the girls 100 breaststroke (1:08.13) and Granite Hills sophomore Justine Elgas was fourth in the same event (1:09.23).