SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Swimming

2004 Metro Conference championships

Barons, Titans dominate Metro finals

By Phillip Brents
Posted May 20, 2004

At the conclusion of this year’s Metro Conference swimming championships, a suggestion was made to split future meets into a two divisional format. The idea would be to allow for more recognition between athletes from the Mesa League and South Bay League.

After the dominating performance put on by swimmers from Mesa League powers Bonita Vista and Eastlake at last Saturday’s conference finals, that might not be such a bad idea.

The Barons (16) and Titans (7) combined to win 23 of 24 events at this year’s conference finals, including the diving competition and both the boys and girls ends of the swim meet.

Bonita Vista captured titles in all 11 boys and girls championship swimming finals (top eight finishers in each event).

Bonita Vista’s Chris Lopez (boys 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke), Chris Lopez (50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle), Katie Leahy (girls 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke) and Alvizia Alexander (200-yard individual medley and 100-yard butterfly) each captured two individual events. Other Baron event winners included Carlos Escaba (boys 500-yard freestyle), Sasha Beltran (girls 100-yard freestyle) and Brittany Estrada (girls 500-yard freestyle).

Bonita Vista captured titles in five of the six relays at this year’s finals, sweeping the boys 200-yard medley, 200-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle relays while winning the girls 200 and 400 freestyle distances. The Baron team of Beltran, Jeanette Islas, Berenice Jimenez and Estrada set a new school record (1:45.48) in the 200 free relay.
Bonita Vista’s Lopez and Alexander were named the Metro Conference male and female Swimmers of the Year, respectively.

Hilltop senior Kyle Kovar (boys diving) was the lone South Bay League swimmer to win an individual title at this year’s championship weekend.

In combined team points (boys and girls), the Metro Conference’s strength was divided as follows: Bonita Vista (976 points), Eastlake (622), Mar Vista (549), Hilltop (471), Montgomery (225), Otay Ranch (146), Southwest (103), Marian Catholic (101), Chula Vista (66), Castle Park (53) and Sweetwater (27).

Individually, Mesa League swimmers captured the top six of eight finishing positions in the boys 200 free, the top five finishing positions in the girls 100 breaststroke and the top four finishing positions in the girls 50 free and 500 free, boys 100 backstroke and boys 100 breaststroke.

The top three finishers in the boys 200 free all belonged to Bonita Vista: Sanchez, Nicko Marshall and Gabriel Gonzalez. Beto Vasquez was fifth in the event, giving the Barons four of the top five finishers.

Eastlake swept the top two positions in the girls breaststroke, with sophomore Dani Kimmel (also the meet’s girls 50 free champion) leading teammate Andrea Williamson to the touch pad.

Eastlake freshman Marc Uy (boys 200 IM and 100 breaststroke) matched Kimmel with two individual championships. Ashley Perez (girls diving) and Tom Dziadkoweic (boys 100 butterfly) rounded out the Titans’ four individual champions (including six individual events).

The Mesa League’s superior depth also extended to the consolation championships (ninth through 16th places) as Mesa League swimmers captured seven of 16 individual first-place finishes. Overall, the Mesa League won 29 of the 38 contested races (76 percent) at last weekend’s finals, championship and consolation heats combined.

In advance of next year’s potential league finals split, the South Bay League did select its all-league first team for this season based on conference championship heat finish. Dual meet champion Mar Vista dominated the swimming events, capturing 15 of the 23 first team positions. Hilltop had six first team all-league positions, followed by one each from Otay Ranch and Southwest.

Mar Vista’s Don Sales (first in league in both the 200 IM and 100 butterfly) was named South Bay League Boys Swimmer of the Year while Mar Vista’s Meredith Moses (first in league in both the 200 IM and 100 backstroke) was named South Bay League Girls Swimmer of the Year.

Overall, Sales finished second in the conference in both events while Moses was second overall in the breaststroke and fourth in the individual medley.

Mar Vista’s Scott Knox (boys 50 free and 100 free) and Julian Czerwiec (boys 200 free and 100 backstroke) both earned first team All-South Bay League honors in two individual events. Knox finished third in both events in the conference field.

Mar Vista’s other first team all-league swimmers included Jennifer Parra (girls 200 free), Kristi Hall (girls 50 free) and Devon Love (100 breaststroke).

Rounding out the South Bay League All-League First Team are Hilltop’s Kyle Kovar (boys diving, 500 free), Ashley Sandoval (girls 100 butterfly) and Andrea Meier (girls 100 free), Otay Ranch’s Elyse Dayrit (girls 500 free) and Southwest’s D.J. Figueroa (boys 100 breaststroke).

Overall, Kovar finished first in diving and third in the 500 free; Sandoval was third in the butterfly stroke.

South Bay League Boys Finals
Team standings (points): 1. Mar Vista 265; 2. Hilltop 166; 3. Marian Catholic 94; 4. Southwest 80; 5. Otay Ranch 62; 6. Castle Park 26.
(Event winners)
200 medley relay: 1. Mar Vista 1:54.86. Conference champion: 1. Bonita Vista 1:46.77.
200 freestyle: 1. Julian Czerwiec (Mar Vista) 2:02.24. Conference champion: 1. Chris Sanchez (Bonita Vista) 1:49.58.
200 individual medley: 1. Don Sales (Mar Vista) 2:16.12. Conference champion: 1. Marc Uy (Eastlake) 2:07.31.
50 freestyle: 1. Scott Knox (Mar Vista) 24.07; Conference champion: 1. Chris Lopez (Bonita Vista) 23.02.
100 butterfly: 1. Don Sales (Mar Vista) 59.28. Conference champion: 1. Tom Dziadkowiecz (Eastlake) 50.09.
100 freestyle: 1. Scott Knox (Mar Vista) 54.29. Conference champion: 1. Chris Lopez (Bonita Vista) 51.00.
500 freestyle: 1. Kyle Kovar (Hilltop) 5:37.48. Conference champion: 1. Carlos Escaba (Bonita Vista) 5:12.21.
200 freestyle relay: 1. Mar Vista 1:37.83. Conference champion: 1. Bonita Vista 1:33.74.
100 backstroke: 1. Julian Czerwiec (Mar Vista) 1:05.5. Conference champion: 1. Chris Sanchez (Bonita Vista) 55.75.
100 breaststroke: 1. D.J. Figueroa (Southwest) 1:12.08. Conference champion: 1. Marc Uy (Eastlake) 1:02.84.
400 freestyle relay: 1. Hilltop 3:57.66. Conference champion: 1. Bonita Vista 3:38.31.

South Bay League Girls Finals
Team standings: 1. Hilltop 305; 2. Mar Vista 284; 3. Otay Ranch 84; 4. Castle Park 27; 5. Southwest 23; 6. Marian Catholic 7.
(Event winners)
200 medley relay: 1. Mar Vista 2:08.00. Conference champion: 1. Eastlake 2:01.52.
200 freestyle: 1. Jennifer Parra (Mar Vista) 2:09.68. Conference champion: 1. Katie Leahy (Bonita Vista) 2:05.45.
200 individual medley: 1. Meredith Moses (Mar Vista) 2:29.99. Conference champion: 1. Alvizia Alexander (Bonita Vista) 2:21.96.
50 freestyle: 1. Kristi Hall (Mar Vista) 28.79. Conference champion: 1. Dani Kimmel (Eastlake) 25.66.
100 butterfly: 1. Ashley Sandoval (Hilltop) 1:08.20. Conference champion: 1. Alvizia Alexander (Bonita Vista) 1:04.75.
100 freestyle: 1. Andrea Meier (Hilltop) 58.96. Conference champion: 1. Sasha Beltran (Bonita Vista) 56.58.
500 freestyle: 1. Elyse Dayrit (Otay Ranch) 6:16.77. Conference champion: 1. Brittany Estrada (Bonita Vista) 5:38.35.
200 freestyle relay: 1. Mar Vista 1:57.37. Conference champion: 1. Bonita Vista 1:45.48 (school record).
100 backstroke: 1. Meredith Moses (Mar Vista) 1:09.19. Conference champion: 1. Katie Leahy (Bonita Vista) 1:07.25.
100 breaststroke: 1. Devon Love (Mar Vista) 1:20.54. Conference champion: 1. Dani Kimmel (Eastlake) 1:08.67.
400 freestyle relay: 1. Hilltop 4:13.76. Conference champion: 1. Bonita Vista 3:56.11.