Criste Leads Sweep for Mission Viejo

Mission Viejo junior swimmer John Criste has chased Brendan Hansen, the world record-holder in the 100- and 200-meter breaststrokes, in the water and on land, in his imagination and in his dreams.

“I’ve raced him a few times, and he’s whupped me every time,” Criste said. “I try to hold myself to very high standards.”

With his ultimate goal -- “definitely the 2008 Olympics” -- still a couple of years away, Criste settled for being the only boys’ swimmer at the Southern Section Division I championships to win two individual events Friday at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

He won titles in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200 individual medley races with lifetime-best short-course times of 55.43 seconds and 1:51.09. The breaststroke mark bettered his previous fastest time of 55.60 and placed him among four high school boys nationwide who have gone under 56 seconds. The medley mark beat his previous best of 1:54.65 by nearly three seconds.

His efforts were key to the Diablos’ second consecutive Division I title, won with 346 points over second-place Goleta Dos Pueblos with 175 and third-place Fountain Valley with 116.

The championship, the Mission Viejo boys’ 24th since 1975, was coupled with the Diablo girls’ team’s first title since 1991 to give the school its first championship sweep since 1986.

Criste transferred from Saugus to Mission Viejo over the past summer after his former Canyons Aquatics club coach, Bruce Patmos, moved out of state.

“That was a gift,” Mission Viejo Coach Jeff Boss said.