Boys swimming: Tars divide and conquer

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Like a letter grade, swim coaches typically

differentiate their Nos. 1 and 2 relay teams as A and B. But Newport

Harbor High boys coach Brian Kreutzkamp went with more an A-minus Monday

to help the Sailors defeat Sea View League visitor Laguna Hills, 94-76.

For while the hosts won 7 of 11 events, “Coach K,” as his swimmers

call him, cited a one-two placement in the 200-yard freestyle relay as,

perhaps, the turning point of the meet.

“Finishing first and second in that relay was a big key,” said

Kreutzkamp, who divided the four swimmers that would typically make up

his A relay, to form a pair of foursomes that proved too strong for the

Hawks.

Top senior sprinters Peter Belden and Joey Snelgrove combined with

junior Ryan Lean and sophomore Michael Vandenburg to win the 200 free

relay in 1:32.65.

The second-place grouping, spearheaded by senior Steven Jendrusina and

sophomore Andrew Cole, clocked a 1:33.27, rounded out by senior Ryan Cook

and sophomore Nathan Weiner.

Lean and Belden both won a pair of individual events, while Cole and

Snelgrove added individual triumphs to help the Tars improve to 5-2, 2-1

in league.

The absence of Olympian Aaron Peirsol, working out this week at the

Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, was hardly noticeable for

the winners, despite a lack of eye-popping times, according to

Kreutzkamp.

One exceptional event for the Sailors was the 50 free, in which Belden

and Snelgrove both touched out in 23.93 to share the victory. Cole was

third in 22.96 to cap the only top-three sweep for the hosts.

Lean, the defending Sea View champion in the 500 free, dominated that

event. His 4:50.20 clocking was more than 35 seconds faster than the

runner up from Laguna Hills. Lean also won the 200 free in 1:46.58 and

swam the breaststroke leg on the winning 200 medley relay.

Belden added a victory in the 100 free (51.37) and was also on the

winning medley relay.

Snelgrove was also on the winning medley relay, while junior Brad

Dillman chipped in a second-place performance in the 100 breaststroke.

The Sailors host Aliso Niguel Wednesday to finish out the league

dual-meet campaign, before competing in league preliminaries Tuesday at

Heritage Park in Irvine.