Boys swimming: Newport Harbor handles Back Bay rival, 98-72

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - Like many aquatic athletes, Newport Harbor High

junior Joey Snelgrove prefers water polo to lane lines, flip turns and

stopwatches.

Up until Monday’s nonleague dual meet against host Corona del Mar,

Snelgrove swam to stay in shape and stay out of water polo coach Bill

Barnett’s doghouse.

But he accomplished something Monday as memorable as any feat he may ever

perform in between goal cages, to help the Sailors handle their Back Bay

rivals, 98-72.

“There are not too many times when swimming becomes fun, but it was fun

today,” said Snelgrove, whose anchor leg on the 200-yard freestyle relay

was, arguably, the highlight of the meet.

Typically a member of the Tars’ A relay quartet, Snelgrove was shifted to

the B unit by Coach Brian Kreutzkamp, in an attempt to maximize team

points in the event.

But, after Ryan Gough, Ryan Cook and Steve Jendrusina put him on the

shoulder of Harbor star and A relay anchor Aaron Peirsol, Snelgrove made

the most of the opportunity, pulling past and just touching out the

potential Olympian to lead a one-two sweep with a victory by one-tenth of

a second.

“The B relay was really pumped up,” said Snelgrove, whose unexpected

surge helped take away some of the sting from a timing error in the 50

free, which likely cost him a CIF-qualifying time.

“For the B team to beat the A team was big; then to top it off by beating

an Olympian ... “

Kreutzkamp was quick to praise the effort of the upset winners, but he

also tried to put it in perspective.

“I think the fact that (the B team) was out in lane six, kind of helped

Joey sneak up on Aaron (in lane four),” Kreutzkamp said. “I think Aaron

was probably cruising a little, since he was focusing on CdM’s A team in

lane three. Aaron is as competitive a swimmer as you’ll find and I think

if he’d seen Joey, he would have done everything he could not to lose

that one.”

Snelgrove acknowledged the circumstances behind the upset, but he’ll

savor it, nonetheless.

“The Sailors (5-1 and ranked No. 3 in Orange County) will also savor

bragging rights for the next year, after extending their winning streak

over CdM to two years.

The loss dropped CdM, No. 7 in the county, to 6-1, ruining Coach Jon

Moore’s published prediction of victory.

“We posted that the day it came out and highlighted it,” Kreutzkamp said

of Moore’s ill-fated prognostication. “You don’t need much help getting

fired up for Newport-Corona, but that didn’t hurt any.”

Peirsol’s presence didn’t hurt either. In his final regular-season meet

with the Sailors -- he’ll trian with his club program -- he won the 200

individual medley (2:02.31) and the 100 backstroke (53.27). He also swam

the backstroke leg on the winning 200 medley relay.

“This was a big meet, against our rivals,” Peirsol said. “I was glad to

help our team out.”

Snelgrove was also on the winning medley relay and believed he had a

CIF-qualifying time in the 50 free. But a timing malfunction led to a

starter’s decision to run the race over, a few minutes later, and

Snelgrove settled for a second-place time of 22.92.

Newport junior Peter Belden won the 50 free (22.57) and the 100 free

(50.03) and was on the winning 400 free relay.

“I was disappointed to have to swim the 50 over again, because I felt

like I swam really hard the first time,” Snelgrove said. “But I still

have a few meets to qualify.”

Harbor sophomore Ryan Lean won the 200 free (1:48.57) and was on the

winning 400 free relay, while teammate Paul Kepner, a senior, won the 500

free (5:15.41) and was second in the 200 free.

Cook and Gough were on both free relay winners and Gough was third in the

100 free.

Robert Weiner and Brandon McClain were on Harbor’s medley relay winner.

CdM’s lone individual winner was Morgan Johnston, a senior, who topped

the field in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.29). He was also third in the 50

free.

Sea King sophomore Sherwin Kim was second in the 200 IM and the

breaststroke, while teammates John Graass (100 free) and Ryan Moore (500

free) also earned runner-up finishes.

“We didn’t step up to the challenge,” Jon Moore said.