Mustangs bid for repeat
Steve Virgen
The Costa Mesa High boys swim team will not be able to sneak up
anyone this year. Everybody in the Golden West League knows about the
Mustangs.
Last year, Costa Mesa, in its first year in the Golden West
League, won the circuit’s championship with a dynamic performance at
league finals. Nobody seemed to be ready for the Mustangs. They won
the first event, the 200-yard medley, and continued to leave the
others behind. Senior Brian Tipton, junior Evan Spencer and sophomore
Kyle Thorsness were on that relay team and return to the squad this
year. The trio, along with Adam Douglas, who does not return, earned
an automatic berth in the CIF Southern Section preliminaries with a
time of 1:47.70.
Thorsness also won a Golden West League title in the 100
backstroke.
“Last year, we had no clue we were going to win,” said first-year
coach Tim Postiff, who was an assistant to head man Bob Shupp the
past two seasons. “I think this year, it’s up for grabs again because
it’s our second year in the league and it’s sort of that feeling-out
process for everyone.”
Postiff is encouraged his team can repeat because the Mustangs did
not graduate anyone from last year’s team. The Costa Mesa coach is
also pleased because his boys have had a playful attitude thus far
and that might translate to a less-nervous bunch as the season goes
on.
“I think it will be a fun season,” Postiff said. “The other day
the kids were really happy and they were swimming somewhere around
1,400 yards. They’re just happy to be in the Golden West League. Last
year, once we went through the dual meets, they realized they had a
chance to [win the league title]. Coming from the [Pacific Coast
League], it was really nice for them to win that.”
Along with Tipton, Thorsness and Spencer, the Mustangs also return
junior Anthony Adamowicz. The quartet earned All-Golden West League
water polo honors in the fall, leading Costa Mesa to a second-place
finish.
Tipton will most likely compete in the 100 breaststroke and 200
individual medley events, while Spencer will be in the 200 freestyle
and 100 butterfly. Thorsness will try to defend his league title in
the 100 back, and he is also expected to contribute on the relay
teams. Adamowicz will swim the 500 free.
Senior Marc Geil is another 100 breaststroke swimmer for the
Mustangs and Postiff said he should contend for the league title in
the event.
“We still have a lot of work ahead of us,” Postiff said.
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