Sailors’ tank on empty at prelims

Melanie Neff

The Newport Harbor High boys swim team put everything it had into

trying to upset Irvine at the Sea View League finals last week.

On Wednesday, at the CIF Southern Section Division I preliminaries

at Belmont Plaza, the Sailors ran out of gas.

With the exception of senior Andrew Cole, the only club swimmer on

the team, the defending Division I champion Sailor were shut out of

the championship finals. They did, however, place both of their

freestyle relays in the consolation championships, giving Cole

someone to cheer him on in Friday’s finals at 6 p.m. at Belmont

Plaza.

Cole, who swims for the Novaquatics, swam the fastest preliminary

time in the 100-yard backstroke, taking 0.25 seconds off his seed

time, finishing in 52.56. Only 0.42 seconds separated Cole from the

fifth-place qualifier Scott Spansail of San Clemente, who finished in

52.98, setting up for an exciting final.

In the 100 freestyle, Cole, the defending champion, tied with Doug

Ciolli of Santa Margarita for the day’s fifth-fastest time in 47.15.

Tyler Wilson of Santa Barbara recorded a 46.30 to lead the

qualifiers. Cole’s time in the freestyle was almost a full second

faster than his seed time of 48.10, but was a full second slower than

his title swim last year of 46.15.

“I’m pretty happy with the time,” Cole said. “It was a moderate

time for me right now. Last year I was a lot faster because we had

[Aaron] Peirsol and [Ryan] Lean, and that put a lot more pressure on

my shoulders to go faster. This year is my senior year and I just

want to have fun here with my team.”

Despite the rest of the team failing to qualify for a championship

final, the boys all seemed to be pleased with their effort. The 200

freestyle relay of Cole, Nathan Weiner, Michael Bury and Sean McGhie

just missed the championship final by 0.06 seconds, recording the

10th fastest time in 1:28.59, and taking more than a second off their

seed time. Los Alamitos clocked the fastest time in 1:27.20.

Cole, Bury, Ross Sinclair and Weiner will swim in the consolation

championship of the 400 freestyle relay after posting the 12th best

time in 3:16.70.

“We all tapered last week for league,” Weiner said. “That was our

big meet. We can definitely feel it today. But we definitely weren’t

slacking today. I think everyone is happy with what we did this

year.”

Newport Coach Jason Lynch agreed.

“Last week was our peak. We were this close [from the league

title],” said Lynch, holding up his thumb and forefinger an inch

apart.