Boys swim: Peirsol to miss Sea View League meet

Steve Virgen

IRVINE - Aaron Peirsol has said he swims for Newport Harbor High to

win, but to also have fun. So, when he was faced with a decision, a week

ago, to either improve his future career or be with the Sailors, he knew

his priorities. But, that doesn’t mean Peirsol’s decision pleased

everyone, mainly Newport Coach Jason Lynch.

Peirsol, a three-time world-record holder and backstroke king, chose

to miss the Sea View League preliminaries Wednesday and the finals,

Friday at Heritage Park, so that he can promote his professional efforts

through a television program that will take place in the Bahamas. He left

for the Bahamas, with his parents, on Wednesday night.

Peirsol, the Newport Harbor senior who won a 2000 Olympic silver

medal, will still compete in the CIF Southern Section Division I meet

(the preliminaries are Wednesday at Belmont Plaza).

“We could have competed for the (Sea View League) title,” Newport

Coach Jason Lynch said Wednesday. “Do I view (Peirsol’s trip) as

important? Maybe for him. I don’t think it’s important for our team.”

Peirsol, who trained with Irvine Novaquatics at Heritage Wednesday,

said he is trying to promote himself for the future. He will be featured

in a sports/teenage-life program for Nickolodeon.

“I do high school swimming for me, as well as my team, you know, but

I’ve been swimming year round and this (trip) is part of it,” said

Peirsol, who owns five CIF Division I individual titles. “I kind of have

to set my priorities and remember what’s important. In the long run, if I

want to go pro I think this would help. My parents get to go with me.

I’ll work out at the Bahamas. I’ll get ready for CIF. I’ll be there.”

Several Sailors completed personal-best times at the Sea View League

preliminaries and qualified nine swimmers, and are represented by at

least one swimmer in each of the eight events. Ryan Lean (200-yard

freestyle, 500 free), Andrew Cole (100 free, 100 back) and Michael Bury

(50 free) qualified first in their events, while Ross Sinclair, Bryan

Auer, Brent Armstrong, Charlie Hockenbury, Nathan Weiner, Andrew Belden

and Jay Thompson also qualified for Friday’s championship finals at 1

p.m., at Heritage.

Lynch said the trip to Bahamas could effect Peirsol’s quest to win

titles at the CIF meet.

“He gets back Sunday, and that’s my other concern,” Lynch said. “I

don’t know how sharp he’s going to be for CIF, because he’s not going

there to train. Swimming at CIF, he wants to break records, but now it’s

definitely a question mark.”

Peirsol plans to set aside some time to train in the Bahamas. He will

e-mail his club swim coach, Dave Salo, to receive training advice.

“(Lynch is) a coach; I understand where he’s coming from,” said

Peirsol, who told Lynch April 23, he would miss the league meet. “He

understands me, too. I’m in high school to compete and have fun. But

also, I’m pretty much the best in the world. I have other

responsibilities as well. Of course he’s upset. But it’s not like I

planned to miss the meet. I found out about (the trip) three weeks ago.

But for some reason I was so amped, I didn’t think where it landed.”

Peirsol, who has his sights set on breaking the CIF Division I record

in the 100 back, 47.50 set by Woodbridge’s Derya Buyunkuncu in 1994, also

mentioned he will be featured on an NBC Sports program during sweeps week

(May 19-26). Peirsol said a television reporter followed him throughout a

day at Newport Harbor. He was not sure when the TV program taped in the

Bahamas would air.