Mission Viejo Rolls, Thomas Shines at CIF Southern High School Section

PASADENA, Calif., May 16. MISSION Viejo rolled at the 2006 CIF Southern Section-Toyota High School Championships in Pasadena, Calif. While Mission Viejo swept the relay titles, Beckman junior Tara Thomas provided the individual fireworks in the 100-yard butterfly with an impressive triumph.

Girls 200-yard medley relay

The Mission Viejo quartet of Meghan Dwyer, Camille Hopp, Chelsea Greene and Kristen Yoon came back in the evening with a title-winning time of 1:50.26 after touching in a meet-record time of 1:50.22 in prelims.

Meanwhile, University High School’s contingent of Gina Sirijariyavat, Katrina Linden, Katelyn Schumacher and Jessica Jehorek led during the championship final after the third leg, but dropped to second with a 1:50.32. Rounding out the top three, Palm Desert’s squad of Shannon Landgrebe, Katlyn Pawelczyk, Emily Andelson and Cailin McLennan posted a 1:51.43.

Boys 200-yard medley relay

On the other side of the equation, Mission Viejo made it two in a row by shattering the boys 200-yard medley relay meet record in the event. The team of Andrew Godbe, John Criste, Daniel Owens and Scott Sorge cruised in with a 1:34.70 to dominate the field. After trailing at the first exchange, Mission Viejo dropped the hammer the rest of the way to win by more than three seconds.

Moreover, Oaks Christian’s quartet of Kevin Nielsen, Nolan Koon, Collin Baratte and Michael Blanchard snared silver in 1:37.88, while Palos Verdes’ squad of Nick Doyle, Brian Matuk, Chris Shoemaker and Kevin Graner pulled bronze in 1:38.77.

Girls 200-yard freestyle

More meet standards fell in the girls 200-yard freestyle as Crescenta Valley’s Sara Sun notched a record-time of 1:49.57 for gold, while El Segundo’s Mattea Perrotta (1:50.16) and La Reina’s Emily Bibb (1:50.40) also eclipsed the meet standard for second and third, respectively.

Sun demonstrated remarkable staying power as she came from behind at the halfway mark to win by .59.

Boys 200-yard freestyle

Northwood’s Lugar Choi cleared his prelim time of 1:41.25 with a 1:40.87 in the evening to set the bar even lower for the meet record in the 200-yard freestyle. Meanwhile, Nu View Bridge’s Wil Whaley claimed second in 1:41.56, while Edison’s Tom Shields finished third in 1:42.04.

In another come-from-behind triumph, Choi made up nearly a second deficit after 150-yard mark to power into first.

Girls 200-yard IM

In an incredibly fast championship heat that featured five swimmers touching under the meet-record time, Santiago’s Courtney Kilkuts posted a gold-winning effort of 2:02.76, while Corona del Mar’s Stephanie Gabert took second in 2:04.34. Additionally, La Serna’s Samantha VandenBerg placed third in 2:04.65.

In the first race of the evening that lacked drama throughout, Kilkuts nearly led from wire-to-wire. She only trailed after the first 25 yards by .01 to sixth-place finisher, Villa Park’s Lyndsay DePaul.

Boys 200-yard IM

The boys 200-yard IM came down to a shootout between Riverside Poly’s Scott Clary and Mission Viejo’s Criste. Clary came out on top with a meet-record time of 1:50.47, while Criste snared second in 1:50.89. Beckman freshman Charlie Rimkus came in a distance third with a 1:54.28.

After trailing by more than three seconds at the 50-yard point, Criste almost came back to win the event.

Girls 50-yard freestyle

Beckman’s Tara Thomas eclipsed her meet record from prelims with a 23.18 in the girls 50-yard freestyle, while Yucaipa senior Jessie Perazzo clocked a silver-winning effort of 23.43. Rounding out the top three, Glendora’s Kirsty Ferrell touched in 23.78.

Boys 50-yard freestyle

On the boys side of the sprint corps, Don Pueblos senior Kevin Kuga shattered his prelim meet-record time of 21.19 to become the first CIF Masters swimmer to break the 21-second mark with a gold-winning time of 20.98 in finals. Damien junior Alex Verdegem took second in 21.04, while Palm Desert junior Miran Terzic placed third in 21.32.

Girls one-meter diving

During the diving break, L.B. Wilson senior Raquel Bartlow posted a meet-record tally of 299.05 for the title, while Marina senior Jaclyn Funke took second with a 269.40. Additionally, San Clemente freshman Kelsey Heiken rolled to third with a 262.15.

Boys one-meter diving

The boys also snared a meet record as Mission Viejo junior Taylor Dehn posted a first-place 297.85, while La Canada senior Edgar Simonyan placed second with a 268.45. Meanwhile, Mission Viejo junior Steven Starks posted a third-place 244.35.

Girls 100-yard butterfly

Beckman’s Thomas blew away the field with a swim of 53.73 to capture her second title of the meet. That effort wasn't far off the 53.62 of Kaitlin Sandeno from 2001. Meanwhile, L.B. Wilson junior Elise Etem claimed second in 55.16, while Elsinore sophomore Tanya Krisman took third in 55.35.

Boys 100-yard butterfly

Esperanza junior Collin Gladys grabbed gold in the 100-yard fly with a meet-record time of 49.40, while Mission Viejo’s Owens finished second in 49.89. Both young men became the first swimmers in CIF Masters history to surpass the 50-second barrier in the event. Claremont junior David Chen closed out the top three with a 50.34.

Girls 100-yard freestyle

A pair of seniors took down the meet record in the 100-yard freestyle. Yucaipa’s Perazzo grabbed the title in 50.95 to become the first Masters swimmer under the 51-second barrier, while Glendora’s Ferrell posted a second-place 51.69. Meanwhile, La Reina’s Bibb finished third in 51.83.

Boys 100-yard freestyle

Northwood’s Choi and Yucaipa sophomore Karl Krug shared the 100 free title with matching 47.12 efforts, while Troy junior Chris Na placed third in 47.15.

Girls 500-yard freestyle

Another meet record fell in the girls 500 free as Crescenta’s Sun snagged her second title and record with a 4:49.79 as she led wire-to-wire in the victory. La Serna’s VandenBerg claimed silver in 4:53.82, while Mission Viejo senior Marybeth Francis took bronze in 4:57.22.

Boys 500-yard freestyle

When trailing after the 50-yard mark, Mission Viejo junior Chad La Tourette found his top speed to cruise to a meet-record time of 4:25.06 and win by more than five seconds. Meanwhile, Irvine senior Aaron Casey captured second in 4:30.09, while Edison’s Shields rounded out the top three in 4:30.65.

Girls 200-yard freestyle relay

Mission Viejo went three-for-three in the relays as its girls 200-yard freestyle relay of Hopp, Godbe, Yoon and sophomore Chelsey Bruington touched in a meet-record time of 1:39.11. Corona del Mar’s contingent of Tumuaialii Anae, Alexandra Shue, Ashley Chandler and Gabert came in just behind with a 1:39.65. Meanwhile, the Thousand Oaks squad of Vanda Gyuris, Alex Henley, Caitlin Meehan and Camille Duckett took third in 1:39.96.

Mission Viejo came from behind after the first 25 yards to capture the title.

Boys 200-yard freestyle relay

Mission Viejo continued its stranglehold on the relay crowns with a meet-record time of 1:25.76 as the team of Owens, Scott Sorge, Kyle Sorge and Andrew Godbe claimed the title in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Dos Pueblos’ quartet of Sage Wright, Cody Wiesen, Garrett Smith and Kuga grabbed second in 1:27.74, while the Redlands team of Evinn Drusys, A.J. Provonsha, Joey Hale and Tyler Harp posted third in 1:27.81.

Mission Viejo never felt threatened as the relay cruised in with a two-second triumph.

Girls 100-yard backstroke

Dwyer kept the momentum rolling for Mission Viejo by touching out Villa Park’s DePaul 56.54 to 56.55 in the 100-yard back. Both times eclipsed Dwyer’s prelim meet record of 56.71. Additionally, Santa Margarita senior Devonie Migues placed third in 57.43.

Boys 100-yard backstroke

Riverside Poly’s Clary picked up his second title with a 50.70 after setting the meet record in prelims with a 50.69. Meanwhile, Nu View Bridge’s Whaley snared silver in 51.37, while Irvine’s Casey notched third in 51.65.

Girls 100-yard breaststroke

Corona del Mar’s Gabert broke out of the runner-up column with a title in the 100-yard breast. The junior touched in a meet-record time of 1:04.08 to come from behind and down Santiago’s Kilkuts who finished in 1:04.33. Additionally, Rowland sophomore Angela Kanigowski rounded out the top three with a 1:06.45.

Boys 100-yard breaststroke

Mission Viejo jumped back into the win column when Criste blew away the field with a meet-record time of 56.13 in the 100 breast. Meanwhile, Valencia senior Chris Rosales took second in 58.04, while Walnut senior Andrew Utama took third in 58.24.

Girls 400-yard freestyle relay

The Mission Viejo girls team concluded a dominant run in the relays with its third title as Yoon, Godbe, Dwyer and Bruington snared gold in a meet-record time of 3:30.83. The relay sweep stood in doubt until the final 25 yards as Bruington dropped the hammer to make up a .44 deficit to Palm Desert’s crew. Meanwhile, Palm Desert’s team of Andelson, McLennan, Katlyn Pawelczyk and Shannon Landgrebe placed second in 3:31.04, while Corona del Mar’s Chandler, Shue, Sarah Furgatch and Gabert finished third in 3:37.41.

Boys 400-yard freestyle relay

Mission Viejo finished a clean sweep of the relay events as the team of Scott Sorge, Criste, Godbe and Owens recorded a meet-record time of 3:07.16 to cruise to victory. Once again, Mission Viejo needed a comeback after trailing through the 75-yard mark. The title-winning team, however, rolled to victory by more than four seconds after that point.

Dos Pueblos’ squad of Kuga, Michael Jessop, Wright and Wiesen posted a second-place time of 3:11.60, while Yucaipa’s contingent of Trevor Hoyt, Brian Haney, Mike Perry and Krug finished third in 3:12.81.

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