CdM energized to win

Steve Virgen

Stephanie Gabert, who was competing in her first CIF Southern Section

Division II swim championships, didn’t wait too long to make an

impression.

The Corona del Mar High freshman, who will compete in the Olympic

trials July 7-14 in Long Beach, broke a meet record in the

preliminaries of the girls 100-yard breaststroke and qualified first

in 1:03.94, nearly two seconds faster than La Canada’s Maryann

Boosalis, the defending champion, Friday at Belmont Plaza.

Gabert’s performance was the highlight for the Corona del Mar

girls team, which is favored to win its first CIF title in swimming

today.

“I think we’re going to win it,” Volding said. “We’re the team to

beat. I always hate to say things like that, but I believe in these

girls. I usually never say anything like that, but that shows you the

confidence I have in them. If they do what they are supposed to do

and stay away from mistakes [disqualifications] they should do it.”

Volding has used several motivational speeches or phrases

throughout the season to inspire his team, yet he said they have

possessed confidence since Day One. The Sea Kings seemed determined

to win their first championship, since they finished as runners-up in

CIF Division II last year.

At the beginning of the season, Volding used the term, “A Triple

Crown,” which referred to a goal he wanted his girls team to

complete.

It is rare for a high school aquatics program to win a girls water

polo title, the CIF relays and a CIF division swim championship in

the same year. But the Sea Kings are on the brink of accomplishing

the feat. Volding said the achievement would be the first in CIF

history.

“That gives us more motivation,” said Vivian Liao, who made

contributions for the CdM girls water polo team and this season’s

swim team that also won the CIF relays. “It’s a big thing for us. A

triple crown, it’s never happened before and we want to do it.”

The Sea Kings, the Pacific Coast League champions, appear to be in

the driver’s seat, as they had nine qualifying finishes to advance to

today’s finals. They qualified first in three events, including the

200-medley relay and the 500 freestyle with Lexie Shue (4:57.75).

Corona also qualified three swimmers in the consolation finals,

which includes swimmers who finished ninth through 16th in the

preliminaries.

Bryan Buhagiar, the lone CIF individual competitor for the Corona

del Mar boys, qualified seventh in the 100 backstroke in 55.81, a

season best.

The CdM girls 200 medley relay team of Jordan Anae, Gabert, Kim

McKay and Shue finished in 1:50.89, less than a second off the meet

record, 1:49.51.

Shue also qualified second in the 200 individual medley (2:08.87),

and Gabert qualified fourth in that event, finishing in 2:09.51.

Anae qualified third in the 100 free (53.49). McKay will be the

sixth seed in the 200 free (1:58.65).

McKay, Ashley Chandler, Liao and Shue qualified sixth in the 400

free relay (3:42.64). Jordan Anae qualified seventh in the 100 back

(1:00.29). Tumua Anae, Tracy Kubas, Liao and Chandler qualified

eighth in the 200 free relay (1:43.36).

Chandler and Tumua Anae qualified 12th and 13th respectively in

the 50 free. Tumua qualified 12th in the 100 breaststroke. McKay will

be in the consolation finals in the 500 free, as she qualified 14th.