Girls swim: Mai time for Newport Harbor in prelims

Richard Dunn

IRVINE - There was no cruise control in the Sea View League girls

swim preliminaries Tuesday at Irvine High for Newport Harbor junior

standout Mai Tajima.

Tajima, who only started club swimming two years ago on the suggestion

of Newport Harbor Coach Ken Lamont, went through an arduous dry-land

workout Monday with her Irvine Novaquatics team and was feeling its

affects in the league prelims.

“I did try really, really hard, because I’m sore from (Monday’s)

practice when we did a lot of running and drills on dry land,” Tajima

said of her No. 1-qualifying time in the 200-yard freestyle (1:59.91),

ahead of favored Diana MacManus of Irvine.

MacManus, who was second in 2:00.40, entered the meet with the

quickest time (1:55.16). Tajima’s season-best 1:56.99 was accomplished

earlier in a dual meet against Irvine.

There was no rest for the weary, however, as Tajima finished third in

the 100 backstroke in 1:01.32, an automatic CIF Southern Section

qualifying time.

Tajima, though, had already qualified for CIF Division I competition

in the 100 back with a 1:00.12 and has already qualified in the 200

individual medley.

Most of the Sailors, in fact, have already qualified for CIF,

including all three relays. But Newport Harbor junior standout Hayley

Peirsol, a CIF qualifier in the 200 and 500 freestyles and two relays,

was feeling sick Tuesday and did not compete in the prelims, and, thus,

is not eligible for Friday’s finals, also at Irvine High. Peirsol is

still eligible to compete in CIF.

“In this meet, people like Mai Tajima and Nicole Mackey, they didn’t

have to push themselves that hard today, because they can qualify pretty

easily on Friday,” Lamont said. “There will be a lot faster times on

Friday.”

Tajima said she’s hoping to swim a personal best Friday in the 200

free.

Mackey was Newport Harbor’s other top qualifier as the junior standout

touched first in the breaststroke in 1:09.19. Mackey entered the meet

with the best time (1:06.55) and had already qualified for CIF. She was

well ahead of No. 2 qualifier Amanda Luciano of Laguna Hills (1:10.31).

Mackey, who also swims on two relays, qualified second in the 100

butterfly (58.08), an automatic CIF qualifying time.

The event’s No. 1 qualifier, Irvine’s Flora Kong, tied Mackey’s Sea

View League record in the 100 fly (55.90), set last year.

“We still have a couple of sprinters who have qualified for CIF

consideration, but I’d like to see them go faster,” Lamont said,

referring to Ann Belden and junior Ashley Parole in the 100 free and

Jenna Murphy in the 200 individual medley.

In addition to Tajima’s top qualifying time in the 200 free, Newport

Harbor Hillary Karges and Carolyn Conway qualified for the finals with

seventh- and eighth-place finishes, respectively, in 2:10.36 and 2:10.38.

Newport Harbor senior and Stanford-bound Carly Geehr, who is nursing

shoulder problems and did not compete in the prelims, is the league

record holder in the 200 free (1:50.76).

Murphy qualified sixth in the 200 IM (2:21.28) with a CIF consideration time and qualified eighth in the 100 back (1:05.13).

Conway also qualified fifth in the 500 free (5:40.60), while Parole

qualified sixth in the 100 free (58.22) and eighth in the 50 free

(27.07).

Newport Harbor’s Anne Wight qualified sixth in the 50 free (26.89),

while Belden qualified seventh in the 100 free (58.63) and teammate Paige

Lansing qualified seventh in the 500 free (5:45.13).

The Sea View League finals Friday begin at 1 p.m.