Pfendler to swim at Junior Olympics

Shawn Pfendler will have a busy weekend at the 2002 Long Course

Junior Olympics.

Pfendler, who will be a sophomore this fall at Laguna Beach High,

has qualified to compete in seven individual events at the Junior

Olympics that are continuing today through Sunday at UC Irvine.

The events in which Pfendler, a member of the Irvine Novaquatics

swim team, qualified included the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter

freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter

backstroke, 100-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley

relay.

Junior Olympic rules, however, only allow a swimmer to enter six

individual events. He will swim all events except the 200-meter

backstroke.

In addition, Pfendler has qualified to swim five team events: the

200-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter free relays and the 200-meter and

400-meter medley relays.

Team events are scheduled for Sunday.

This year marks the second consecutive year that Pfendler has

competed in the Junior Olympics. At last year’s meet in Santa Marina,

he qualified in four individual events with his best result a seventh

place finish in the 200-meter backstroke.

“I’m a year older, a little stronger and a little faster,” he

said. “Although the competition gets tougher ever year, I’m hoping to

improve on my performance from last year.”