CdM splits against Uni

CORONA DEL MAR — As of late Wednesday afternoon, the swimming record board at the Corona del Mar High pool had yet to be updated. The board, located directly above the snack bar, still showed Rob Williams as the CdM boys’ record holder in the 100-yard breaststroke, with his time of 1 minute, four-tenths of a second.

It might be best to hold off on updating the board, though, the way Corona del Mar sophomore Michael Liao and freshman John Kim keep breaking that record.

Liao broke his own week-old record in the event with a time of 59.63 seconds, helping the Sea King boys top University, 98-72, in a key Pacific Coast League meet Wednesday.

The Trojans were too strong for the Sea Kings on the girls’ side, though, posting a 113-57 win over CdM.

Kim initially broke the 11-year old breaststroke mark two weeks ago, in CdM’s loss to Newport Harbor. Liao then broke Kim’s mark, with a time of 59.86 seconds last week against Beckman. But Liao one-upped himself against University, helping the Sea King boys (2-1, 2-0 in league) gain an early advantage as they seek their second straight league title.

“We knew it would be a tough meet,” Liao said. “Everybody was focused ... I’ve been working on [the breaststroke] in practice, and it worked really well. Now I just want to get better and break [under 59 seconds].”

CdM boys coach Barry O’Dea said he thinks his sophomore, who also finished second in the 50 freestyle against Uni (2-2, 1-1) and was on two winning relay teams, can make it there.

“How fun is that going to be, watching [Liao and Kim] for the next couple of years?” O’Dea said. “And then you’ve got [freshman] Garrett Larson, and when he’s on, he’s right there with them. It’s a goal we’re shooting for, to see all those guys in the finals at CIF [in the breast].”

Kim won the 100 freestyle (a CIF Southern Section Division I consideration time of 49.25 seconds) and was second in the 100 breast. Larson, meanwhile, won the 200 individual medley in a CIF consideration time of 2:02.73.

CdM was also bolstered by senior Yutaro Yamashita, swimming in his first dual meet of the year after returning from junior nationals in Florida. Yamashita won the 200 free and 100 butterfly in Division I automatic times of 1:43.27 and 52.12 seconds, respectively. On the anchor leg of the meet-ending 400 free relay, he also swam a fast 47.53 split to help CdM win the race.

“I think I swam pretty good today,” Yamashita said. “Against Uni, it’s the biggest meet in the league. They’re a rival, and last year was pretty close, so everyone had that motivation.”

Last year couldn’t have been closer for the CdM girls, who pulled out an 85-85 tie at University last year in the teams’ dual meet. There would be no thrilling repeat this year, though, even as juniors Kelsey Larson and Sarah Furgatch made their season debuts Wednesday for CdM (1-1-1, 1-1 in league) after also competing in the junior nationals.

Furgatch won the 200 free (1:54.05) and 500 free (5:08.46) in CIF automatic times. Larson’s second-place times in the 200 IM (2:08.98) and the 100 breast (1:07.07) were also CIF automatic times.

Heather Van Hiel won the 50 free for CdM, but University (4-0, 2-0) was too deep. The Trojans won all three relays and took at least two of the top three places in each individual event.

“They’re tougher than I thought they were, and I knew they were good to begin with,” CdM girls’ coach Doug Volding said. “When we would get a first [place], they’d go two, three and four. That’s what made it tough.”

Volding also highlighted the swimming of Sea Kings junior Elise Molnar, who had a personal-best time of 56.63 seconds in the 100 free.

“She’s been working really hard, and it’s showing,” Volding said.

CdM is at Irvine on Wednesday in a PCL meet.

Pacific Coast League

BOYS

Corona del Mar 98, University 72

200 medley relay – 1. Corona del Mar (Larson, Liao, Yamashita, Kim), 1:40.77.

200 free – 1. Yamashita (CdM), 1:43.27; 2. Taylor (CdM), 1:51.09; 3. Hicks (Uni), 1:51.17.

200 IM – 1. Larson (CdM), 2:02.73; 2. E. Suh (Uni), 2:06.21; 3. Cottrell (CdM), 2:07.69.

50 free – 1. Clarke (Uni), 22.53; 2. Liao (CdM), 22.76; 3t. Schiefer (CdM) and Reynolds (CdM), 23.21.

100 fly – 1. Yamashita (CdM), 52.12; 2. Lee (Uni), 55.27; 3. J. Suh (Uni), 56.62.

100 free – 1. Kim (CdM), 49.25; 2. Schiefer (CdM), 50.97; 3. Taylor (CdM), 51.91.

500 free – 1. Wong (Uni), 4:46.80; 2. Zepfel (CdM), 5:15.38; 3. Wigley (CdM), 5:16.89.

200 free relay – 1. University, 1:32.66.

100 back – 1. Wong (Uni), 54.69; 2. Hicks (Uni), 55.51; 3. Cottrell (CdM), 1:00.13.

100 breast – 1. Liao (CdM), 59.63; 2. Kim (CdM), 1:00.01; 3. Lee (Uni), 1:00.90.

400 free relay – 1. Corona del Mar (Kim, Taylor, Liao, Yamashita), 3:18.55.

GIRLS

University 113, Corona del Mar 57

200 medley relay – 1. University, 1:52.49.

200 free – 1. Furgatch (CdM), 1:54.05; 2. Lavery (Uni), 1:58.51; 3. Jubas (Uni), 2:01.87.

200 IM – 1. Stouffer (Uni), 2:08.98; 2. Larson (CdM), 2:10.47; 3. Lee (Uni), 2:10.54.

50 free – 1. Van Hiel (CdM), 25.31; 2. Chang (Uni), 26.21; 3. Berman (Uni), 26.86.

100 fly – 1. Thiessen (Uni), 1:00.07; 2. Lavery (Uni), 1:01.03; 3. Gooch (Uni), 1:04.22.

100 free – 1. Parrett (Uni), 53.39; 2. Van Hiel (CdM), 55.60; 3. Ota (Uni), 55.66.

500 free – 1. Furgatch (CdM), 5:08.46; 2. Ingerson (Uni), 5:17.02; 3. Jubas (Uni), 5:23.87.

200 free relay – 1. University, 1:44.82.

100 back – 1. Stouffer (Uni), 59.86; 2. Colao (Uni), 1:03.01; 3. Ota (Uni), 1:03.30.

100 breast – 1. Parrett (Uni), 1:05.95; 2. Larson (CdM), 1:07.07; 3. Lee (Uni), 1:08.23.

400 free relay – 1. University, 3:39.12.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.