SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Track & Field

CIF-State Meet report

MV's Swier runs to fourth-place state medal

Mariner distance kings sets school record in 1600 meters

By Phillip Brents
Posted June 10, 2003

If Mar Vista High School junior Troy Swier hadn’t already cemented his standing as perhaps the top distance runner ever to compete at the Imperial Beach school, his performance at last Saturday’s 85th annual CIF state track and field championship meet at Cerritos College in Norwalk sure did.

Swier clocked a personal record record 4:11.59 to place fourth in the final field of nine 1600-meter runners. The time — which granted him a coveted state medal — surpassed the school record 4:11.95 he had run in the previous day’s prelims at the same site to earn honors as the top qualifier in the event.

Swier finished behind race winner Phillip Reid, a senior at Rio Mesa in Oxnard, who timed 4:08.49, and runner-up Humberto Rojas, a senior from Estancia in Costa Mesa, who finished in 4:10.58. Loyola senior David Torrance finished third in 4:11.58.
Medals went to the top six finishers. Swier was the only underclassman among this year’s six medalists.

He had the sixth best time among all Division II runners at last fall’s state cross country meet.

The school record in the 1600-meter event had stood for more than a decade, set by MV alumnus Hector Hernandez.

Swier had entered last weekend’s state track finals ranked 10th in the state.

“This is what I consider a coach’s dream and a runner’s dream — to PR at the end of the season. All the rest is cannon fodder. You want to run your best at the end of the season. That’s what you remember,” said Mar Vista distance coach Benny Holt.
Holt has coached at the school for 23 years after competing himself there. He admitted he is hard pressed to find another runner with Swier’s potential in the Mariner track or cross country logs.

“His potential is unlimited,” Holt said in regard to the MV distance king.

Swier had finished ahead of Torrance (4:14.04) in the prelims while both Reid (4:14.76) and Rojas (4:15.41) both competed in another heat, finishing first and second, respectively, ahead of Burbank senior Kyle Ivie (4:15.73). Swier captured his heat ahead of Loyola sophomore Mark Matusak (4:12.66), Dana Hills senior Brandon Babiracki, Aptos junior Jacob Evans (4:12.81) and Esperanza senior Mike Chavez (4:12.87). Torrance was sixth in Swier’s heat and ninth overall in qualifying.

Six of the nine qualifiers came from Swier’s heat, making it the fastest of the day.The Mariner runner went into the lead with 500 meters to go on the third lap.

Swier, Matusak and Evans were the only underclassmen to make the finals.

Swier won the event with a time of 4:14.20 at the San Diego Section CIF/Masters championships the previous Saturday at Poway High School.

“The strategy was to go out no slower than 62 seconds and no faster than 60 seconds on the first lap, then 2:04 in the second lap and the third lap to run 3:06 to 3:08 and then to hang onto your buns,” Holt said. “That first 58-second lap he ran at the CIF finals, it’s hard to come back that last lap.”

After that first 58-second lap in the Masters field, Swier clocked in at 2:02 for his second lap and 3:07 for this third lap. He timed 1:07 for his final lap. He won by a margin of nearly six seconds ahead of El Camino freshman A.J. Acosta.

Acosta finished with a prelim time of 4:18.30 to place sixth in the slower heat. La Jolla junior Paul Coover finished eighth in Swier’s prelim heat in 4:21.05. Acosta’s time was 13th best among the 29 prelim runners.

With both Acosta and Coover coming back next year, the San Diego Section looks to make a medal assault in the 2004 state finals.

Swier opened the cross country season by setting local course records at the West Hills Wolf Pack Invitational, Baron Invitational at Rohr Park and Southern California Invitational at Guajome Park in Oceanside. He followed with one of the best times ever by a junior (15:04) at the Mt. Carmel Invitational at Morley Field in Balboa Park and then proceeded to record the best time (14:38) by a junior that day at the prestigious Mt. San Antonio Invitational in Walnut -- annually regarded as a preview to the state finals. Swier took over the top ranking among Division II runners after finishing second in the boys varsity sweepstakes field to defending Division V state champion Tim Nelson of Liberty Christian (14:33).

Swier did not stop there. He captured track titles at the Bronco, Mt. Carmel and Orange Glen invitational meets, setting a personal record 4:15.15 in the 1600 meters in the CIF prelims before just matching that the following week in the CIF/Masters finals.

During the regular season, Swier owned the best times in both the 1600- and 3200-meter runs of 4:17.92 and 9:15.69, respectively.

As for future greatness in college and the Olympic Trials?

Holt just smiled — a very satisfying smile — before finally offering, “He’s on course.”

State notepad
Swier was one of 20 section medalists at last weekend’s state meet that featured four section champions: Helix senior Derrell Hutsona (boys long jump), Mission Bay senior Jared Bray (boys shot put), Rancho Buena Vista senior Brandon Bornes (boys 300 intermediate hurdles) and San Pasqual’s Claire Rethmeier (girls 3200 meters).

The Helix boys squad also became the first section team in 25 years to win a state title after nosing out Compton Dominguez 23.5 to 19.5 points. The Highlanders finished the meet with five event medalists: Hutsona (first in long jump, fifth in 100 meters), Deun White (third in 200 meters, fifth in 400 meters) and Bryon Barmer (fourth in 300 IH).
Swier was among four Metro Conference qualifiers to the state prelims. Bonita Vista senior Russ Foster finished 13th in qualifying in the boys shot put (54-6.25). Also missing the finals cuts were Bonita Vista sophomore Crystal Shields in the girls high jump and Sweetwater senior Jordan Rosure in the boys triple jump (44-10).

All placed third in their respective events at the CIF/Masters meet.

Shields tied for the top section mark this season at 5-5 while Foster set his season best at the section Masters meet at 57-0.5. Rosure’s top mark this season was 45-10, set at the Mesa League championship meet.

San Diego Section state medalists

Champions

1. Derrell Hutsona (Helix) - boys long jump (25-5.75)

1. Jared Bray (Mission Bay) - boys shot put (63-3.25)

1. Brandon Bornes (RBV) - 300 boys intermediate hurdles (38.00)

1. Claire Rethmeier (San Pasqual) - girls 3200 meters (10:27.32)

Second place

2. Kelly McCann (La Costa Canyon) - girls 800 meters (2:10.80)

2. De'Sean Cunningham (University City) - boys 400 meters (47.50)

Third place

3. Deun White (Helix) - boys 200 meters (21.36)

3. University City, boys 4x400 relay (3:16.34)

Fourth place

4. Troy Swier (Mar Vista) - boys 1600 meters (4:11.59)

4. Bryon Barmer (Helix) - boys 300 intermediate hurdles (38.27)

4. Matt Steverson (Rancho Bernardo) - boys pole vault (15-0)

4. Nick Allotta (Rancho Bernardo) - boys discus (182-10)

4. Jolanda Diego (El Camino) - girls 200 meters (23.84)

4. El Camino, girls 4x100 relay (46.71)

Fifth place

5. Derrell Hutsona (Helix) - boys 100 meters (10.75)

5. Deun White (Helix) - boys 400 meters (48.32)

5. Nick Allotta (Rancho Bernardo) - boys shot put (59-7.75)

5. Shakara Lott (University City) - girls 400 meters (54.99)

5. University City, boys 4x100 relay (42.13)

Sixth place

6. Alicia Lowery (Morse) - girls 100 meters (11.87)