Mustangs sitting pretty in Golden West

Bryce Alderton

With each victory, it’s becoming apparent that Costa Mesa High’s boys

and girls swim teams’ hard work has begun to pay off.

Wednesday’s Golden West League dual meet with visiting Westminster

was yet another example of the Mustangs’ ascent, and their tireless

drive to get better. The boys recorded a 123-44 triumph, while the

girls left no question who was boss with a 112-57 margin.

The Mesa boys (6-1, 4-0 in league) and girls (5-2, 4-0) each have

only two dual meets to go before league finals. Both teams have come

a long way from last year.

Second-year coach Bob Shupp brought his training regimen, which

includes morning and evening workouts and prefers to think of the

boys and girls as one team.

“Everyone is supportive of one another and they all come to work

hard everyday,” said Shupp, who has coached swimming for 30 years.

“It’s a great group of kids and they all like each other. Mesa’s

girls figured to have the tougher challenge Wednesday against the

Lions (5-2, 3-2 in league), but dispelled any notion of a close

finish by winning six of the first eight events, taking a 74-35 lead

after the 500-yard freestyle, the seventh event.

Senior Katie Thorsness, who played on Mesa’s water polo team which

won a share of the league title with Saddleback and Westminster,

doubled in the 200 individual medley (2:34.22) and 500 free (5:52.99)

while also swimming on the winning 400 free relay team (4:16.73) with

Christine Twohig, Allison Harris and Patricia Shuppert.

The steady stream of Mesa winners continued on the boys side with

junior Brian Tipton, along with sophomores Adam Douglas and Evan

Spencer, each doubling in their events. Tipton tried to get an

automatic CIF qualification in the 100 breaststroke but came up just

short with a 1:08.22. CIF qualifying time is 1:07. Tipton rolled to

victory in the 200 IM (2:21.73) while Douglas took the 50 free

(23.44) and 100 free (52.73 -- his best time of the year). Spencer

won the 100 butterfly (1:01.17) and 200 free (2:01.17).

Mesa won all 11 events, including the 200 medley and 400 free

relays. Kyle Thorsness, Adam Adamowicz, Tyler Choi and Douglas led

the 200 medley (1:55.61) while Spencer, Adamowicz, Thorsness and

Douglas cruised in the 400 free (3:53.13). Thorsness remained

undefeated in league in the 100 backstroke (1:06.47) while Douglas

has not lost in the 50 and 100 free. Spencer is also undefeated in

the 200 free, according to Shupp.

Two Mesa girls won single events Wednesday, including Harris in

the 200 free (2:17.47) and Gravis in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.1).

Bowman doubled in the 50 free (29.22) and 100 free (1:02.78).

Bunnell, Jessica Steenhard, Twohig and Bowman teamed to win the

200 free relay (1:57.29) while Thorsness, Twohig, Harris and Shuppert

touched first in the 400 free relay (4:16.73).

Westminster’s Julie Zaborowski got ahead of Bowman during the

final 50 yards of the 200 free relay before Bowman made a quick turn

with 25 yards to go to edge out the Mesa win by 59 hundredths of a

second.

Bowman, a sophomore, is in her first year with the Mustangs and

has also felt Shupp’s coaching style is catching on.

“He has really been pushing us and it’s about time we take him

seriously,” Bowman said. “All the work so far has been worth it.”