Easy as 1-2-3 in Mustangs’ minds

Rick Devereux

Winning the Golden West League title last year was as easy as 1-2-3

for the Costa Mesa High girls swim team.

A sweep of the top three spots in the 500-yard freestyle helped

secure the championship for the Mustangs.

Actually, the league title was a tight race as Mesa edged

crosstown rival Estancia, 337-310, but the performance in the

distance event was a key factor.

“We return just about everybody and we get two solid freshmen on

board,” Coach Tim Postiff said. “Our main strength is our distance.

We can finish 1-2-3 in just about every meet in the 500 with Allyson

Harris, Christine Twohig and Patricia Schuppert. We also have junior

Sabina Wee and junior Thalia De La Torre.”

Twohig, Harris and Schuppert -- all seniors -- finished first,

second and third, respectively, in the league meet last year.

The Mustangs also return three-fourths of the record-breaking 400

relay team. Harris, Carley Millian and Annie Le teamed with Sarah

Bowman to win the league title in 4:00.99, besting the previous

league mark by 0.01 of a second. The next closest finisher to the

Mustangs was almost 10 seconds slower.

Filling Bowman’s spot -- who is not on the swim team for personal

reasons -- will be a pair of highly touted freshmen.

“We are really counting on Talhia Nunez and Patricia Marty to step

up,” Postiff said. “Talhia has been strong in the 100 fly and the 100

breast and Patricia has been strong in the 100 back and 100 fly.”

The freshmen are not the only swimmers expected to race multiple

events.

Millian will also swim the 100 back as well as the 200 individual

medley along with the 400 relay. Postiff said Millian has not lost a

race in the 200 IM.

Le may be the swimmer who races the most events for Postiff. She

can swim in the 400 relay, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 free, 50 free

and 200 IM.

“She has the potential to win a number of events,” Postiff said.

“It just depends on where I put her in any given meet.”

A repeat for the league title looks promising, but Postiff knows

that it will not be as easy as 1-2-3.

“[The league title] is always up for grabs,” he said. “Estancia

has a healthy girls program and they were very young last year. I

think [the championship] came down to the 400 relay. I’m looking for

some healthy competition.”