Clovis West Sweeps California Valley Sectional Crowns

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. THE city of Clovis, CA. will serve as host for this summer's United States Swimming National Championships, so it was only fitting that Clovis West High sweep to this year's CIF Valley Swimming and Diving Championships.

Clovis West was kingpin on the girls' side, stroking to a 507-208 victory over Buchanan High. Garces Memorial (192), Clovis High (173) and Bullard (123) rounded out the Top five.

On the boys' side Clovis West was not quite so dominant but still won comfortably via its 302.50-185 margin over girls' runner-up Buchanan. Lemoore was third (153.50), Dinuba fourth (152) and Exeter fifth (147).

The meet was held at the Cal. State Bakersfield Pool, home to Coach Bob Steele's Roadrunners, who a couple of months earlier won the NCAA Division II men's title for the third time in the last four years.

Clovis West was led on the girls' side by outstanding froshwoman Kristen Hastrup, who won the 500 free-100 fly combo and anchored the victorious 200-400 free relays. Her older brother John is a junior on the boys' team who just happened to win the 500 free himself.

The younger Hastrup won the 100 fly in 56.87 after a pr 56.40 in the prelims. Bakersfield's Jessica Hall was a distant second (1:00.58 with a 1:00.09 in the heats).

Similarly in the 500 Hastrup was faster in the prelims, going 4:55.97 compared to her final time of 4:59.08. However, as was the case in the 100 fly, Hastrup was unpressed here as second went to Liberty's Shannon Trevino in 5:08.98.

Clovis West junior teammate Shellene Catalano was a double-winner herself, racing to No. 1s in the 200 IM (2:05.37) and the 100 breast (1:05.63 to Immanuel's Kellie West's 1:05.89). In the medley she won by nearly five seconds over Shafter froshwoman Carrera Harris' 2:10.05.

Catalano also clocked a fast 30.38 50 breast leg on CW's winning 200 medley relay, which turned in an automatic All-America 1:51.38 winning time to Buchanan's 1:55.58.

Edison frosh Laura Condon was first in the 200 free (1:54.73 to Bullard soph Laura Leppke's 1:55.40). Garces senior Danielle Townsend had things her own
way in the 50 free (24.18) and made it two-for-two with a 51.63-53.35 win over Condon in the 100 free with Leppke third (53.57).

In the 200 sprint relay Hastrup's anchor leg of 24.11 gave her team a tight 1:39.10-1:39.60 win over intra-city rival Clovis; and in the 400 sprint relay Catalano's third leg (53.52) pushed CW ahead and Hastrup's 51.92 anchor split — fastest of the meet — clinched a 3:24.78 victory.

Centennial's Brittany Renfrow was the dominant diver, scoring a 524.40-3278.75 win on the 1-meter over Liberty junior Laura Lafranchise.

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The CLovis West boys were led by junior Hastrup, who won the 500 free (4:34.38 to Redwood senior Ben Britten's 4:39.45) and was third in the 200 free (1:45.62 to Lemoore junior Kyle Simas' 1:45.27 and Bakersfield Christian's Mash Woodward's 1:45.30

The other Clovis West individual winner was junior Ryan Donaldson, who went 1:51.75 in the 200 IM to Immanuel sophomore Brian Freeman's 1:54.68. Their
sole relay title was in the 400 free where Hastrup's third leg (47.47) and Donaldson's anchor (45.57) were the keys to a 3:12.68-3:14.50 win over Stockdale.

Lemmore senior Ryan Fetterly was fastest in the sprints, taking the 50 in 21.12 and the 100 in 45.79 to Donaldson's 46.06. Fetterly also anchored the
winning 200 free relay in a blazing 20.33 — the only sub 21.0 split of the meet.

Redwood's Britten, runner-up in the 500, moved to the top spot inthe 100 fly off his 52.30-52.94 win over San Joaquin Memorial freshman Ronald Myer. Lemoore's Simas, winner of the 200 free, also clocked 52.94 to tie for second — and he was fastest qualifier (53.32).

Selma junior Patrick Ota (50.72) was fastest in the 100 back with Immanuel's Freeman (51.72) second.

Dinuba's Derek Ogata was No. 1 in the 100 breast (58.49) and had the only sub 1:00.0 clocking of the competition. His 25.91 50 breast split on the 200 medley relay, a second and-a-half faster than anyone else's, was all that was required to give Dinuba a win in the 200 medley relay — 1:38.55 to Clovis West's 1:39.31.

The 1-meter diving title went to Exeter junior Ashton Burkett (473.10 points) with teammates Adam Marks (419.50) and Sean Stidham (394.30) second and third.

— Bill Bell

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