Friendly rivalry continues

Bryce Alderton

In a scene that depicted more of a party atmosphere than a swim

meet, the Harbor View Dolphins defeated Newport Hills, 762-551, in

the team’s 30th annual meeting against one another Saturday.

Hundreds flocked on the deck of the Phase One Pool in the Harbor

View homes community of Newport Beach, partaking in everything from

talking with neighbors, close friends and family, grabbing a slice of

pizza and watching a five-hour meet that saw 10 records broken.

Newport Hills’ Lauren Powers, who swam at Corona del Mar High and

will swim at Loyola Marymount University as a freshman this fall,

started swimming for Newport Hills when she was 4-year-old.

Now she’s 18.

On Saturday Powers broke Harbor View’s Vivian Liao’s record 29.50

in the girls 15-18 50-yard butterfly with a 29.30 mark Saturday.

Powers stopped swimming for Newport Hills for five years while she

swam for a club team, but started coaching and resumed her swimming

last year.

“I learned dedication and commitment,” Powers said of her years

swimming for Newport Hills.

The Newport Hills-Harbor View rivalry has gone on for 30 years and

for many of the residents who flocked to the pool Saturday, the

annual meet between the two neighborhood programs means a chance to

see swimmers that live in the same neighborhood and go to the same

school compete against one another.

“I can’t believe how much the kids are gaining from this,” said

first-year Harbor View resident Carol McPhillips, whose 7-year-old

son, Tyler, and 5-year-old daughter, Stephanie, swam for Harbor View

Saturday. “It’s so well-organized and we’re incredibly lucky to be

dropped into the middle of this. The involvement with the families

has been so much fun, everybody puts in so much effort. The kids get

the instruction they need by some of the greatest coaches around.”

Both coaches Ted Bandaruk (Harbor View) and Greg Roberts (Newport

Hills) agree that the rivalry between the two schools is a friendly

one, but also one of the more competitive meets of the year.

“It’s certainly one of the biggest ones for the two neighborhood

teams, sort of like the pride of the neighborhood meet,” said

Bandaruk, who has coached swim teams in the area for 37 years.

He gives much credit to his staff of four coaches, who help

Bandaruk train the swimmers.

“Being a good swimmer is something everyone can do if they work at

it,” he said.

Saturday’s festival-like atmosphere is nothing new to Roberts.

“Everyone knows each other and it’s a time to celebrate the

community’s achievements,” said Roberts, who first started swimming

for Newport Hills in 1971. “For me, to have all the kids that play

together, swim together, it ranks right up there with your

traditional rivalries like Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar.”

Of the 10 records broken Saturday, eight were by Newport Hills.

Newport Hills’ 8-year-old John Swigert (boys 7-8) broke two

records, clocking a 33.43 in the 50 free and 14.63 in the boys 25

free. Newport Hills’ Matt Berry (boys 7-8) also set a record in the

50 free with a 33.63.

Patrick White (boys 11- and 12-year-olds) of Newport Hills also

set two records with a 26.65 in the 50 free and a 30.94 in the 50

back.

In boys 11-and 12-year-old 200 free relay, the Newport Hills’ team

of Mike Flynn, Chris Cottrell, David Linden and White set a record

with a 1:53.29 time.

Annie Tomlin (girls 7-8) of Newport Hills clocked a 20-second

record time in the 25 free.

For Harbor View, Sean McGhie (boys 15- and 18-year-olds) broke

John Money’s record time of 24.53 set last year with a 24.17 swim in

the 50 free as Harbor View’s Kelli Feeley (girls 9- and 10-year-olds)

swam a record performance in the 50 backstroke, 31.82.

Harbor View won both the female and male divisions for combined

scores, getting winning performances in the 100 free relay from the

girls 6-and-under team of Regina Scholey, Mackenzie Carpenter, Tori

English and Jules Pouch, 1:23.35.

The boys 6-and-under squad from Harbor View, Liam Karas, Giovanni

Gentosi, Jim Berry, Tommy Brooks, also won the 100 free relay with a

1:23.20 as the Harbor View girls 7- and 8-year-old team of Delaney

Pouch, Anna Venturini, Hannah Rome and Niki Zak recorded a 1:08.81 in

the 100 free relay.

In the 200 free relay, the Harbor View boys 9- and 10-year-old

team of Bruce Bearer, Emery Molnar, Spencer Haly and Teddy Bandaruk

won with a 2:29.49 as the boys 15-18 Harbor View team of James

Blackford, Ryan Casserly, Walker Russell and Christopher Crawford

took the 200 free relay crown with a 1:52.59.