Boys swimming: Sailors standouts shine in prelims

SANTA ANA - Members of Newport Harbor High’s boys swim team used as

little energy as humanly possible to advance to the finals of the

Foothill Games in Friday’s preliminaries held at Foothill High.

“Overall, I’m happy with how our guys fared out there today,” Harbor

Coach Brian Kreutzkamp said. “The finals (which begin today at 1 p.m.)

should prove very interesting for some of our guys.”

Sophomore Aaron Peirsol qualified second in the 200-yard individual

medley (2:00.76) and the 100 butterfly (52.76) and will take part in both

the 200 free (1:31.47) and 400 medley relay squads (3:23.0).

“Needless to say, Aaron was coasting today,” Kreutzkamp said with a

laugh. “All of our swimmers just wanted to move on and they did what they

needed to do in order for that to happen.”

Peter Belden qualified fourth in the 100 free (50.42) and third in the 50

free (22.46), while Ryan Lean qualified second in the 200 free (1:47.86)

and the 500 free (4:48.70).

Joey Snelgrove will join Belden, Peirsol and Lean on the 200 free relay

squad, while Ryan Gough and the aforementioned threesome will team up in

the 400 medley relay.

Costa Mesa High also competed Friday with Mike Whitman and Alex Sarris

posting one personal record each to earn spots in the consolation finals

consisting those qualifying seventh-12th.

Whitman’s PR came in the 200 individual medley, where he clocked in at

2:07.75. He is the second seed in today’s consolation final (the top six

qualify for the championship final). His time of 1:07.35 in the 100

breaststroke also seeded him second in that event’s consolation final.

Sarris set a PR in the 100 freestyle with a 50.73, which makes him the

second seed in the consolation final. His time of 23.36 in the 50 free

gives him the consolation final’s top seed.