High School State Championships: CIF Southern Division 3A Championships

RIVERSIDE, California, May 11. THE first of four California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Sectional Championships took place May 9-10 in Riverside, with the Division 3 swimmers taking center stage. The meets will be held May 9-12, with a Masters' championship on May 15.

Ella Eastin, a freshman at Crean Lutheran, set two Division 3 meet records. Her 53.93 in the 100 fly erased the 55.26 set in 2009 by Emily Andelson, and her 1:59.88 smashed the standard set by Kirstie Chen of 2:01.25, also in 2009. Easton also contributed to Crean Lutheran's victorious 400 free relay team, aided by sophomore Lindsey Engel, freshman Lauren Maurer and sophomore Lizzy Saylor (3:36.03).

Engel posted a division record in the prelims of the 100 back of 53.60. She came back in finals to easily win in 54.00, and was also tops in the 100 free (49.86). Maurer claimed victory in both the 200 and 500 free (1:55.02 and 5:06.33).

La Serna senior Kiersten Shew dueled Costa Mesa junior Kellie Thorsness in the 50 free, with Shew winning by just 1-hundredth, 24.76-24.77. Kathy Pierce, a senior at Valencia, came in first in the 100 breast (1:04.91).

Shew, along with sophomore Alyssa Shew and juniors Gabby Pierandozzi and Melissa Lopez, took first in the 200 medley relay (1:50.68) and the 200 free relay (1:40.21).

In the boys competition, two swimmers grabbed two events each. Bloomington senior Michael Haney took charge in the 100 and 200 free (45.73 and 1:39.99), and Kennedy sophomore Ryan Kao was tops in the 500 free (4:27.38) and 100 back (50.66).

Other individual champions included Pacifica/Garden senior Dylan Alba in the 50 free (21.13), Mark Keppel sophomore Justin Chiu in the 100 breast (57.33), Laguna Beach senior Billy Wild in the 100 fly (51.66) and Immanuel Christian senior Joshua Hanson in the 200 IM (1:50.76).

La Serna's 200 free relay, composed of seniors Oliver Carter, Kevin Rubio, Marcus Delgado and Mitchel Embrey, touched 4-hundredths ahead of Laguna Beach's team of junior Riley Thomas, freshman Cade Baldridge plus seniors Tommy Renner and Erik Henrikson, 1:29.53-1:29.57.

Earlier in the meet, Laguna Beach's 200 medley relay quartet of freshman Erik Juliusson, junior Caleb Scott, Wild and Henrikson posted a 1:37.82, good for first in that event. Kennedy's winning 400 free relay was composed of senior Nathan Umpornpuckdi, junior Christopher Martinez, senior Preston Summers and sophomore Ryan Kao (3:16.40).

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