Boys swimming preview: Tars will challenge, at least

Steve Virgen

Not even junior phenom Aaron Peirsol, the 200-meter backstroke

silver medalist in the 2000 Olympics, can pull the Newport Harbor High

boys swim team over Sea View League powerhouse Irvine.

Make no mistake, the three-time CIF Southern Section champion, will

definitely lead the Sailors to challenge the Vaqueros.

Plus, Peirsol, along with Ryan Lean, Joey Snelgrove and Peter Belden,

can also make a strong showing in the CIF Southern Section Division I

finals. The quartet finished as champions in the 200 freestyle relay last

year.

Peirsol won the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley, in which he

set a meet record.

“I don’t think we’re ready for Irvine,” Harbor Coach Brian Kreutzkamp

said. “Our goal is to be in the same ballpark with them. Obviously, with

Aaron Peirsol you have a chance. And, we have Ryan Lean back.”

The addition of seniors, Belden, Snelgrove, Steven Jendrusina and Ryan

Cook, all of whom played water polo, increase the Tars’ chances to

contend with Irvine.

Kreutzkamp said seniors who play water polo sometimes don’t finish out

the swim season or choose not to swim entirely, as they prepare for

university-level competition.

The Sailors were without seniors when they finished third in the CIF

Division I finals, last year.

“The only big question we have every year is if the seniors are going

to swim,” said Kreutzkamp, who co-coached boys and girls water polo with

Bill Barnett. “As of right now they are training with us. And, they are

working hard. I have no complaints.”

Peirsol and Lean, who swim for club teams, won’t join the squad until

the end of March to prepare for the Senior Nationals.

Kreutzkamp is expecting the rest of the upperclassmen to break in the

younger swimmers.

“It’s great because they’ll have a chance to compete with the

seniors,” Kreutzkamp said.

Before the Sailors begin their season, Kreutzkamp will test run 12

sophomores to see if they have what it takes in the first three meets. If

anything, the sophomores, some who are first-year varsity swimmers, will

get quality training with the upperclassmen.

Sophomores Brent Armstrong and Nathan Weiner are swimmers in their

first varsity year and Kreutzkamp is hopeful they will learn quickly.

Andrew Cole, a sophomore transfer from Salt Lake City, has a 100-meter

backstroke time that ranks in the top six in CIF, Kreutzkamp said.

The Sailors have their first meet on Monday at Los Alamitos.

NEWPORT HARBOR BOYS SWIMMING 2001

Brent Armstrong So.

Ryan Bean So.

Peter Belden Sr.

Clark Brooks So.

Thomas Butman Jr.

Andrew Cole So.

Ryan Cook Sr.

Brad Dillman Jr.

Erik Ferree So.

Charles Hockenbury So.

Jonathan Huang Jr.

Steffan Lugo So.

Steven Jendrusina Sr.

Brian Pentz Sr.

Patrick Piersall So.

Aaron Peirsol Jr.

Ryan Lean Jr.

Gavin Schmidt Jr.

Ross Sinclair So.

Joey Snelgrove Sr.

Alex Stabler So.

Michael Vandenburg So.

Nathan Weiner So.

Coach: Brian Kreutzkamp