SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Swimming

Clash of the Titans

Bonita Vista edges Eastlake in thrill-seeking fashion

CHULA VISTA, May 4, 2005 -- For once in Steve Wiggs’ 12-year coaching career with the Bonita Vista High School swim team, the Barons entered a Metro Conference meet as the underdogs. Such was the case in Wednesday’s championship double-header meet at Southwestern College that pitted Bonita Vista and Eastlake to determine the Mesa League dual meet championship and Otay Ranch and Mar Vista to determine the South Bay League championship.

The first meet between the Barons and Titans, who were fielding perhaps the best team in school history, went down to the final relay event before Bonita Vista pulled out a double victory to maintain its dynasty.

Wiggs and his two assistant coaches launched themselves from the high dive after the meet in a ceremonial dunking.
“It’s a different feeling,” said Wiggs, his face painted in Barons gold and blue, about entering a South County meet not as the favorite. “We need all the enthusiasm we can get these days. The coaching in the Mesa League has really become strong and all the teams have come up.”

Eastlake and Bonita Vista exchanged leads throughout most of the boys meet, with the Titans engineering a one-two finish in the 100-yard breaststroke event courtesy of Marc Uy and Juan Ibanez to take an 82-80 lead into the final event: the 400 freestyle relay.

If Eastlake won the final relay or took second and third with its two teams, the Mesa League banner would be unfurled in the Titans’ gym. However, if Bonita Vista came through with a win and a third-place finish in the event, the banner would remain in the Barons’ gym. A Bonita Vista victory and second- and third-place finishes by Eastlake would have created a tie and a co-championship.

“Is this the most exciting meet you’ve been to in a while?” Titan coach Bryan Monzon asked out loud.
Depth and talent has traditionally defined the Barons swim team and, with the respective teams about even in talent this year, it was depth that carried Bonita Vista to its latest championship.

The Baron quartet of Chris Sanchez, Tony Arroyo, Marc Lewis and Carlos Escaba finished with a winning time of 3:27.61 ahead of the Titan unit of Tom Dziadkowiez, Benny Garduno, Jeff Demoss and Gavin Fluhart that finished second in 3:34.35. There was little drama, however, for third place as Bonita Vista’s lineup of Ross Diaz, Derrick Clair-Williams, Dennis Schulz and Robert Newman handily out-paced Eastlake’s second team.
Final score: Bonita Vista 90, Eastlake 86.

The girls meet also came down to the final events, with the Barons holding off the Titans 97-86 in another spirited contest.

“Both the girls and the guys meets came down to the final relay. I don’t know if our effort can be repeated. This was the most heart I’ve seen from one of my teams in 12 years,” Wiggs said. “It came down to depth on our side. We knew who their top guns were and we positioned ourselves in the scoring to take 2-3-4 or 3-4-5.”

The loss was bittersweet for Monzon, who coached many of the Barons’ seniors as an assistant coach at Bonita Vista four years ago. “We ran out of depth in our last relay,” the Titan coach said. “The only thing I can say is to come back next year.”
Monzon paused in reflection before adding, “But this is what it’s all about.”

Bonita Vista, in particular, juggled its lineup in an effort to maximize scoring. Sanchez, whose best events are the backstroke and 200 freestyle, swam the 200 individual medley in an effort to counter Eastlake’s Uy. Sanchez, who earned Swimmer of the Meet honors at the Mt. Carmel Invitational earlier this season, came away with wins in 200 IM (besting Uy by five seconds) and the 100 freestyle (winning by three seconds against Eastlake’s Sam Gottlieb).

Arroyo also doubled for Bonita Vista in individual events, winning the 100 butterfly (57.30) and 500 freestyle (5:04.76). Escaba took first place in the 100 backstroke (58.53). Newman finished second in both the butterfly (57.60) and 500 freestyle (5:15.16).

Eastlake received first-place finishes from Demoss (200 freestyle, 1:564.74), Gottlieb (50 freestyle, 23.69), Uy (100 breaststroke, 1:03.62) and Karl Crail (diving). Gottlieb and Fluhart (24.39) finished first and second in the 50 freestyle.
A surprise disqualification on Bonita Vista in the 200 freestyle relay allowed Eastlake to tie the team score, 65-65, with three events left.

Eastlake’s boys team led 37-31 through five events.

On the girls side, the Barons (who graduated nine seniors from last year’s team) were buoyed in Wednesday’s meet against Eastlake by Sasha Beltran, Katie Leahy, Sarah Glick and Karla McDonald. Beltran won the 200 IM (2:21.25) while Leahy took first in the backstroke (1:06.90). Lauren Way was the top finisher with 170.1 points in the six-card diving event.

Eastlake received a pair of first-place finishes from Heather Voigt and Dani Kimmel. Voigt was victorious in the 200 free-style (2:02.29) and 100 butterfly (1:07.19) while Kimmel won the 50 freestyle (25.34) and 100 freestyle (55.04). Also for the Titans, Daphnee Dion took first place in the 500 freestyle (5:46.05) while Andrea Williamson was first in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.58).

Of the nine individual events in the girls meet, Eastlake took six first-place finishes. Bonita Vista excelled in relay events, however, winning two of the three. In the 12 events, the Barons outscored the Titans in six events and drew even in another.

Of the nine individuals events in the boys meet, Bonita Vista had five first-place finishes. The Barons won two of the three relays, outscoring Eastlake in seven events overall.

In a show of sportsmanship (and a fitting touch to the championship proceedings), the teams shook hands (ala playoff hockey games) after the meet was over.

South Bay League
Otay Ranch, fielding just a second-year team, had the opportunity with a victory to forge a tri-championship with both Mar Vista and Hilltop. With 65 swimmers (just two juniors and no seniors) at its disposal this spring (nearly double last year’s inaugural turnout), Otay Ranch was still in the thick of the scoring race well into the meet against the 70-strong Mariners, who wrapped up their fifth consecutive league championship with a sweep.

Julian Czerwiec, who will attend LaVerne this fall on an academic scholarship but will participate in both collegiate water polo and swimming, won both the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke individual events in Mar Vista’s 119-69 win in the boys meet.

The girls meet was closer, with the Mariners recording a 97-85 win. Otay Ranch trailed 57-50 at the midpoint of the meet.
Mar Vista swept Hilltop on April 20 to set up Wednesday’s championship meet against the Mustangs. The Mariners swam past the Lancers 109-77 in the boys meet and topped Hilltop 108-75 in the girls meet.

Don Sales paces the Mar Vista boys team with automatic CIF entry times in the 200 IM, 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. The Mariners have also qualified two relay teams (200 medley and 200 freestyle).

Mar Vista’s girls team is led by UC Santa Cruz-bound Jennifer Parra, fellow senior Vivid Love, juniors Meredith Moses, Devon Love and Vanessa Valadez, sophomore Danielle Sales and freshman Justine Moses. Parra won both the 50 and 100 freestyle events against Otay Ranch.

The Mustangs, however, proved they had its own arsenal of weapons when Elise Dayrit topped Meredith Moses in the 200 IM. Dayrit was Otay Ranch’s lone CIF qualifier last season but has qualified for four events this season: 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 IM and 200 freestyle.

The Mustangs (5-2 overall) have also qualified three girls relay teams and one boys relay team. “We expect that at the South Bay League swim championships we will qualify more,” Otay Ranch head coach Ernie Medina said.

South Bay League Girls Standings
Mar Vista 4-0
Hilltop 3-1
Otay Ranch 2-2 (overall 5-2)
Marian Catholic 1-3
Castle Park 0-4

Mar Vista Boys 119, Otay Ranch 69
Mar Vista Girls 97, Otay Ranch 85

School and Event CIF Consideration Times
GIRLS
200 Med Relay MV 2:10.78 ORH 2:18.00
200IM ORH E. Dayrit 2:33.43
50 Free MV Parra 27.48
100Fly MV J. Moses 1:12.13
100 Free MV Parra 1:00.12
200 Free Relay MV 1:55.37 ORH 1:59.06
400 Free Relay ORH 4:24.38 MV 4:34.85

BOYS
200Med Relay MV 1:51.68
200IM MV Griffin 2:21.93, MV Knox 2:23.64
50 Free MV Sales 23:68
200 Free Relay MV 1:42.22
100 Back MV Czerwiec 1:04.93
100 Breast MV Ferrari 1:11:28
400 Free Relay MV 3:56.47

Metro Conference Swim Championships
Mesa League
Prelims: Thursday, May 12, at Loma Verde pool, 3 p.m.
Finals: Saturday, May 14, at Loma Verde pool, 1:30 p.m.

South Bay League

Prelims: Wednesday, May 11, at Loma Verde pool, 1:30 p.m.
Finals: Saturday, May 14, at Loma Verde pool, 8:30 a.m.