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 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.
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