By Phillip Brents

RANCHO BERNARDO, May 21, 2005 -- Eastlake High swim coach Bryan Monzon was speechless. Titan swimmer Dani Kimmel could do was keep pumping a raised fist in victory at Saturday¹s San Diego Section Division I championship meet at Rancho Bernardo High School.

Kimmel had just touched the wall in 1:04.58 to win the girls 100-yard breaststroke title for the second time in two years. The time was nearly two seconds faster than the 1:06.21 she clocked to win the event last year. The Eastlake junior also touched third in the 50 freestyle in 24.61. She had placed sixth in the 50 free (25.33) last year.

"Coming into the finals with a chance to defend my title gave me a little confidence. But I wanted my Junior National cut of 1:04.89. I had gone 1:06.21 in the prelims. I'm stoked," said Kimmel, who entered the meet as the 2005 Mesa League girls Co-Swimmer of the Year.

Kimmel was so caught up in excitement that she kept pumping her arms in

victory long after she had left the pool.

Monzon, who walked off the Loma Verde pool deck at the May 14 Mesa League championship meet as the league¹s Coach of the Year, attributed Kimmel's success to her health. The past two years at the division finals, Kimmel had competed either with a cast or just after having had a cast removed.

Despite competing against elite North County swimmers who train year-round in club competition, Metro Conference swimmers excelled at this year's Division I finals. Bonita Vista placed sixth and Eastlake placed 10th in the boys standings while Eastlake finished eighth in the girls standings.

Among the highlights:

Bonita Vista¹s Chris Sanchez placed second in both the 200 freestyle (1:45.18) and 100 backstroke (53.61). The time in the 100 backstroke was a consideration All-American time.

Eastlake¹s Marc Uy finished third in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.97) and sixth in the 200 individual medley (2:04.67).

Eastlake¹s Heather Voigt placed fourth in the girls 200 freestyle (1:57.24) and sixth in the 500 freestyle (5:20.09).

Hilltop freshman D.J. Payton placed fifth in 100 breaststroke (1:02.94).

Bonita Vista¹s boys 4x100 freestyle relay team set a school record in placing second with a time of 3:19.10, more than two seconds faster than its previous best of 3:21.29 in the prelims that also had set a school record. Swimming legs on the history-making unit were Sanchez, Marc Lewis, Carlos Escaba and Tony Arroyo.

Bonita Vista finished fifth in the boys 200 medley relay in 1:43.77.

Eastlake placed fourth in the girls 200 freestyle relay in1:43.95.

Faster and faster

€Sanchez had entered the finals with prelim times of 54.86 in the 100 backstroke and 1:47.36 in the 200 freestyle. Despite the fast times that kept him beaming on the pool deck, Sanchez said he was most pleased about the team¹s overall performance at the division championships. "As a team we did a tremendous job not having a big team but doing what it takes," he said.

Uy bested both his prelim times with his finals swims, as did Payton.

Uy won the Mesa League breaststroke title in 1:03.09 while Payton had gone 1:05.23 in winning the South Bay League title in the event.

In the 4x100 relay, the Barons beat such long-time North County giants such as Torrey Pines (third, 3:21.01), Fallbrook (fourth, 3:21.26) and Poway (fifth, 3:23.50). Carlsbad won the event in 3:11.88. Bonita Vista won the Mesa League title in 3:24.20. The Barons' seed time at the Mesa League finals had been 3:34.35.

In the Division I finals:

Eastlake qualified for the consolation finals in the boys 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay and qualified as an alternate for the 400 freestyle relay.

Bonita Vista qualified for the consolation finals in the boys 200 freestyle relay.

Eastlake's Sam Gottlieb qualified for the consolation finals in the boys 50 freestyle.

The Mesa League qualified three swimmers for the consolation finals in the boys 100 butterfly: Bonita Vista's Arroyo (Mesa League 100 butterfly and 500 backstroke champion) and Robert Newman and Montgomery's Pablo Carrillo.

Arroyo also qualified for the consolation finals in the 500 freestyle while Newman was an alternate in the 500 freestyle. Carrillo also qualified for the consolation finals in the boys 100 breaststroke.

Bonita Vista's Escaba and Eastlake's Jeff Demoss both qualified for the consolation finals in the boys 100 backstroke.

Eastlake's Juan Ibanez qualified as an alternate in the boys 100 breaststroke.

Bonita Vista and Eastlake qualified for the consolation finals in the girls 200 medley relay.

Eastlake's Daphnee Dion qualified for the consolation finals in the girls 200 and 500 freestyle.

Bonita Vista's Sasha Beltran qualified for the consolation finals in the girls 100 freestyle.

Bonita Vista's Katie Leahy qualified for the consolation finals in the girls 100 backstroke.

Bonita Vista's Sarah Glick qualified for the consolation finals in the girls 100 breaststroke.

Bonita Vista qualified for the consolation finals in the girls 400 freestyle relay.

Hilltop's Andrea Meier qualified as an alternate in the girls 100 backstroke.

In the Division II finals:

Mar Vista qualified for the consolation finals in the boys 200 medley and

400 freestyle relays. Mar Vista's Don Sales (50 freestyle, 100 butterfly) and Julian Czerwiec (100 backstroke) both qualified for the consolation finals. Czerwiec finished as the South Bay League¹s male Swimmer of the Year with championships in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke while Sales won the 100 butterfly event at the league finals.

Mar Vista¹s Garret Griffin qualified as an alternate in the boys 100 butterfly.

CIF Division I notepad

Carlsbad's Spencer Rodman won both the 200 freestyle (1:41.86) and 500 freestyle (4:34.58) while Fallbrook's Daniel McClary captured titles in both the 200 IM (1:54.86) and 100 butterfly (50.79). Other individual titles went to Vista's Jon Rielly (50 freestyle, 21.53), La Costa Canyon's Jeff Giddens (100 freestyle, 47.42), Carlsbad's Andres Carreras (100 backstroke, 52.86) and Poway's Steve Zech (100 breaststroke, 58.29).

Carlsbad set a new section record in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:37.15. The old record of 1:37.63 set by Mt. Carmel had stood since 1982.

CIF Division II notepad

Valhalla won its second boys team title in three years, adding to Division I titles in 2000 and 2001. Overall, the Norsemen have won five division titles and finished runner-up five times since 1986. Valhalla¹s Joe Rizk won both the 50 freestyle (21.54) and 100 backstroke (53.48), breaking his own school record.