Rick DevereuxIn 1983 Cyndi Lauper sang that...

Rick Devereux

In 1983 Cyndi Lauper sang that girls just want to have fun, but for

Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools at the CIF Southern Section

Division III preliminaries at Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool, the boys

were the ones with reason to celebrate.

The Mustangs, who where third in Division III boys swimming with a

3.319 grade point average, qualified for the consolation round in all

six events they competed and Chad Kunert finished 11th in the

500-yard freestyle swimming a personal best 5:04.18 for Estancia.

The highest finishers for the girls were the relay teams: 26th in

the 200 medley for Costa Mesa (2:03.94) and 26th in the 400 free

relay for the Eagles (4:12.45). But the coaches were not worried

about the performances.

“Our goal was to do well last week [at league finals], not this

week,” Estancia girls Coach Bob Bandaruk said. “I was hoping that we

could have moved up spots, but we’re happy to be here.”

Costa Mesa Coach Tim Postiff echoed those sentiments.

“We have a real young team,” he said. “I just wanted us to be able

to come back Saturday [for the finals and consolations].”

The top eight swimmers advance to the finals while swimmers nine

through 16 compete in the consolation round, both held Saturday at

the Belmont Plaza.

Evan Spencer qualified ninth in the 100 butterfly (55.71), over

three seconds faster than his season best for the Mustangs. Kyle

Thorsness finished 12th in the 100 free (50.77) and 16th in the 100

backstroke (59.93) for Mesa. Costa Mesa senior Brian Tipton set a

personal record (1:05.58) in the 100 breaststroke to qualify 15th.

The Costa Mesa team of Thorsness, Tipton, Spencer and Chris Darnas

qualified 12th in the 200 medley relay (1:47.23) and Darnas,

Thorsness, Marc Geil and Sergio Hernandez finished 12th in the 400

free relay (3:32.07).

“My goal heading in today was for the [medley] relay to come back

Saturday,” Tipton said. “Now I expect us to win the consolation.”

Postiff also has positive expectations for Saturday.

“I hope that we continue to drop times,” he said. “I think we have

a couple of boys that can win consolations.”

The Estancia boys medley relay team was No. 32 out of 32 teams

heading into the race and the prospects of moving up any spots seemed

bleak considering senior Paul Collier, who swims the freestyle and

anchor for the team, broke his right foot Saturday. Three of the four

swimmers, including Collier, posted personal bests to move the Eagles

up from 32 to 25 with a time of 1:51.72, almost half a second faster

than their season best.

“Before I broke my foot I thought we were going to get last

place,” he said. “Then today we came and thought it would be funny if

we beat people with someone with a broken foot if we all did our best

instead of going in with a loser mentality.”

The Estancia girls had a good laugh at some equipment

malfunctions. Senior Marilyn Reich had her goggles fall off in the

first 50 yards during her 100 breaststroke.

“The first time all year that happens and of course it’s at CIF,”

Reich joked with Bandaruk after her race. “It didn’t happen at any

other race all year or even in practice.”

The goggle problems continued during the 400 free relay for

Estancia. With Carolina Barnes closing in on 75 yards in her opening

leg of the relay and Courtney Hess stepping up to the block, Hess’

goggle band snapped. Hess quickly barrowed teammate and anchor Sydney

Barloon’s pair before jumping in the water. When she emerged she told

her team mates that she was laughing the 100 yards of her leg.