Boys swim: Lean Machine guts it out.

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Newport Harbor High sophomore Ryan Lean is seeking

an appointment with a chiropractor, but his freestyle stroke needed no

adjustment Thursday.

Lean, the reigning Sea View League champion in the 500-yard freestyle,

who was also second at league finals in the 200 free, won both distance

freestyles to help the Sailors defeat nonleague visitor El Toro, 98-82.

Lean, battling a sore back, which he stretched in workouts earlier this

week, also contributed to the victorious 200 and 400 free relay teams for

the Tars, who defended their No. 3 ranking in Orange County against their

former Sea View rivals, ranked No. 5.

“The guy I was most impressed with today was Ryan Lean,” Newport Harbor

Coach Brian Kreutzkamp said. “I know his back was killing him and he was

in a lot of pain today. But he gave us some gutsy swims. This was two of

the top five teams in the county going at it today, so I was happy to

come out with the victory.”

The triumph, which upped the Sailors’ record to 3-1, was also keyed by

sophomore sensation Aaron Peirsol. The future Olympian, who won league

and CIF Southern Section Division I titles in the 100 backstroke last

year, as well as a league crown in the 100 butterfly, was a part of four

event winners, before heading off to his second full workout of the day

with Irvine Novaquatics.

Peirsol won the 200 individual medley (2:02.36) and the 100 fly (53.08).

He contributed to the medley relay, which posted an automatic CIF

qualifying time of 1:44.11, as well as the 200 free relay.

Harbor junior Peter Belden was on both freestyle relays and won the 100

free (50.45), after being upset in the 50 free by El Toro senior Ali

Khalessi.

Khalessi’s surprising triumph was one of only three event victories for

South Coast League Chargers.

Lean, who had the county’s third-fastest time in the 200 free heading

into this week (1:47.15), overcame a deficit to put Harbor in the lead in

the final relay.

“I’ve never had a back problem before, but I pulled it in practice,” Lean

said. “I wasn’t going to use flip turns, but an El Toro guy was coming up

on me in the next lane, so I had to.”

Peirsol, who owns the county’s top times in the 200 IM, 100 fly and 100

back, was among those slightly off the pace they set at Saturday’s

Foothill Swim Games finals.

Kreutzkamp said the Foothill meet is the last chance his swimmers will

have to compete against swimmers from all divisions.

“From now on, it’s all Division I,” Kruetzkamp said. “The kids get

excited for that meet, and it can be a little tough to get their focus

back for a nonleague meet. And, we had some pretty tough workouts this

week, so the times were slower today.

Harbor senior Ryan Gough swam on the 400 free relay and also scored

valuable points in the 100 backstroke (second) and 100 butterfly (third).

Ryan Cook (400), Robert Weiner (medley), Brandon McClain (medley), Joey

Snelgrove (200) and Kyle Bean (200) also shared the glory of relay

victories.

Cook, a junior, was third in the 100 free and Snelgrove, a junior, was

third in the 50 free.

Senior Paul Kepner was third in the 200 free and 500 free.