Girls swimming: Uni chops CdM down

Joseph Boo

IRVINE - After coasting through the Pacific Coast League, Corona

del Mar High’s girls swim team knew it had to face the inevitable.

“We knew we were going to hit a buzz saw,” CdM Coach Doug Volding said.

That buzz saw masqueraded as University’s girls swim team, and the host

Trojans had more than enough teeth to take CdM down Wednesday, 107-63, in

a PCL dual meet.

Uni simply had too much depth for the Sea Kings (5-1, 3-1 in league). The

Trojans took two out of the top three spots in their first 10 races.

Uni’s dual meet win was clinched when it swept all three spots in the

100-yard freestyle.

But it wasn’t as if CdM just rolled over. The Sea Kings got some good

performances from their swimmers. This was not an important loss, and

Volding stands optimistic.

“It’s more important to beat them in the league championships,” he said,

“and it should be a lot closer then.”

CdM’s highlight of the day came from senior Lauren Powers, who got a CIF

Southern Section qualifying time in the 50-yard freestyle with a winning

mark of 25.61. Actually, she swam two qualifying times, if you take into

account her sizzling 54.54 in the opening leg of CdM’s second-place 400

freestyle relay squad. She also finished second in the 200 individual

medley (2:16.49).

“She swam very well for us,” Volding said.

Another Sea King highlight came from senior Jessica Luchesi, who does

double duty with CdM’s girls track and field team. She swam a personal

best of 1:06.62 and finished second in the 100 butterfly, .59 seconds

behind the winner.

After Uni’s sweep in the 100 free, CdM did well in the next two races.

The Sea Kings’ Jessica Fries turned in a strong time of 5:50.58 to easily

win the 500 free. Molly Strack finished third in that race with a time of

5:59.16.

CdM captured second and third place in the 200 free relay, and Melinda

Tucker was third in the 100 backstroke (1:06.38) for CdM.

Freshman Jackie McCoy then turned in arguably the day’s biggest surprise

for the Sea Kings in the 100 breaststroke. She was locked in a dogfight

for first place, and was edged out on her final stroke. McCoy still

turned in a 1:12.02, just missing a CIF qualifying time, but it is good

enough for consideration.

CdM’s only other individual top-three finisher was freshman Christina

Hewko, who was third in the 200 free with a time of 2:10.77.

After the Sea Kings got up close and personal with the league’s Godzilla,

they are hoping to get back on track quickly. CdM has one more PCL dual

meet with Costa Mesa, an opponent the Sea Kings will not take for

granted, according to Volding.

“We have to go back to the drawing board before that meet,” Volding said.

Or at least back to what it used to be, before Wednesday’s encounter with

the Trojans.

Girls

University 107, Corona del Mar 63

200 medley relay - 1. University, 1:55.08; 2. Corona del Mar, 2:01.93; 3.

University, 2:04.41.

200 free - 1. Hayes (U), 1:49.63; 2. Nutt (U), 2:01.61; 3. Hewko (CdM),

2:10.77.

200 IM - 1. Hayes (U), 2:13.16; 2. Powers (CdM), 2:16.49; 3. Klau (U),

2:25.67.

50 free - 1. Powers (CdM), 25.61; 2. Mayer (U), 25.88; 3. Voorhees (U),

26.48.

100 fly - 1. Chiu (U), 1:06.03; 2. Luchesi (CdM), 1:06.62; 3. Nguyen (U),

1:06.64.

100 free - 1. Hayes (U), 52.11; 2. Canby (U), 57.56; 3. Voorhees (U),

57.86.

500 free - 1. Fries (CdM), 5:50.58; 2. Sudeith (U), 5:56.62; 3. Strack

(CdM), 5:59.16.

200 free relay - 1. University, 1:46.78; 2. Corona del Mar, 1:48.14;3.

Corona del Mar, 1:49.14.

100 back - 1. Kikuchi (U), 1:01.42; 2. Nutt (U), 1:04.23; 3. Tucker

(CdM), 1:06.38.

100 breast - 1. Klau (U), 1:11.72; 2. J. McCoy (CdM), 1:12.02; 3. Crooks (U), 1:16.01.

400 free relay - 1. University, 3:44.90; 2. Corona del Mar, 3:56.38; 3.

University, 4:04.54.