Corona del Mar reigns supreme

Rick Devereux

It took 20 years for Corona del Mar High girls swim coach Doug

Volding to attain his goal, but he reached it Saturday at Belmont

Plaza Olympic Pool.

Finally, after starting his quest before any of his current

athletes were born, Volding and the Sea Kings have won the CIF

Southern Section Division II swim championship. The win is especially

nice considering how close CdM has gotten in the past, including last

year as the runner-up.

“It’ll hit me tomorrow,” Volding said. “All the great teams I’ve

coached that have come so close and now to finally win it, it’s a

thrill.”

Although she didn’t have to wait quite as long as her coach,

senior Kim McKay was also giddy to finish her high school career with

a championship.

“I’m so happy right now,” McKay said following the 400-yard

freestyle relay, her final race as a Sea King. “I was trying to count

the points with Mr. V before the race to see where we were [in the

standings].”

Corona del Mar finished with 238 points, outpacing runner-up

Northwood, which had 192 points, and third-place University with 189.

McKay, along with Jordan Anae, Ashley Chandler and Lexie Shue,

shaved more than 6.6 seconds off their 400 relay time, finishing

third in 3:36.02.

“I knew I had to go all out in the final race of the day in the

final meet of the season,” Chandler said. “To win the championship is

awesome. No words can describe it. I’m really happy for Mr. V because

he is the most awesome coach ever.”

The goal of the team was to win the championship and everyone had

a simple task: finish in the same qualifying spot or move up slots,

never move down.

“We told everyone to swim their best because this is for the

team,” freshman Stephanie Gabert said.

Gabert broke her own record in the 100 breaststroke with a time of

3:36.02.

“On the third 25 yards I knew I was going to have a good time

because I normally start getting tired, but I wasn’t tired today,”

Gabert said.

But the entire school swam well, with 12 events swimming faster

than their qualifying times, including the lone boys entry, Bryan

Buhagiar, swimming .68 faster in the 100 back and a personal best at

55.13

Shue set a personal best in the 500 free, posting a time of

4:51.23 for the win. Shue also set a personal best in the 200

individual medley (2:06.45) for second place and Gabert followed in

third (2:08.95) for Corona de Mar.

Gabert swam the fastest breaststroke leg in the 200 medley relay

to give the Sea Kings a lead they would not relinquish, as she,

Jordan Anae, McKay and Shue won with a time of 1:50.46.

The CIF win gives the Corona del Mar girls a sweep of all aquatics

teams this season, winning the water polo, CIF relays and CIF

Division II titles.

“To win this triple crown, it’s incredible,” Volding said. “I

can’t think of any other school that has done that.”