Mesa mixes youth with veterans

Rick Devereux

The Costa Mesa High boys swim team dominated the Golden West League

finals last year, earning 408 points in the league meet. The team’s

next-nearest competitor had 226 points.

The Mustangs return enough swimmers to have a serious shot at

repeating as league champs. Two who will be counted on to supply

points will be junior Kyle Thorsness and senior Adam Douglas.

“We have the possibility to finish first and second in every meet

in the 100-yard freestyle because of Kyle and Adam,” Coach Tim

Postiff said. Douglas will swim the 50 and 100 free and anchor the

free on the 200 medley relay. Thorsness, a junior, will see most of

his time in freestyle and backstroke races, including the back for

the 200 medley relay.

His 50.21 performance in the 100 free was the 11th fastest at the

CIF Southern Section Division III finals last year. Evan Spencer, who

finished second in league in the 100 butterfly and third in the 200

free, swam the ninth fastest 100 fly in the CIF final.

Sophomore Fred Gatti is expected to fill in for the breaststroke

events. Senior Luke Yellin will try to improve upon his third place

showing in the 200 individual medley in league last year. Juniors

Nick Fisk and Chris Medina as well as sophomores John Roche and Danny

Moreno round out the squad.

“I think it’s beneficial for the younger guys to see how hard [the

veterans] work,” Postiff said. “I’ve told the older guys that they

need to pick it up a notch. This is a good combination of younger

guys and older guys.”