Costa Mesa goes deep to take out rivals

COSTA MESA — With every stroke that Costa Mesa High senior Sam Edman made Tuesday in the 500-yard freestyle, junior Dustin Serrano was close behind.

Of course, for Edman, it was better that a teammate be in that spot than a swimmer from cross-town rival Estancia in the teams’ Orange Coast League opener.

“It’s always good to have competition like that,” Edman said smiling after the meet, with Serrano nearby. “I can’t let him beat me, though.”

Serrano, who placed second, also smiled.

“Sam pushes me to go faster,” he said.

The Mustang boys and girls are both defending league champions, and Tuesday they weren’t going to let anything get in their way. The Mesa boys won every event in topping the Eagles, 121-48. On the girls’ side, Estancia won most events but Mesa used superior depth for the win, 97-78.

Three different swimmers won a pair of events for the Costa Mesa boys (3-1). Edman swam CIF Southern Section Division II consideration times in winning the 500 free (5 minutes, 3.12 seconds) and the 200 free (1:49.15). Cody Serrano, Dustin’s twin brother, was similarly dominant in winning the 100 free in 51.90 seconds and the 100 back in 1:01.27.

In the latter race, Serrano edged Estancia senior Jeff Crosson, who Coach John Carpenter said swam a season-best time of 1:02.60 for the Eagles (4-4). After the race, the two showed good sportsmanship by tapping fists.

Costa Mesa junior Travis Wright also captured the 200 individual medley (2:21.20) and the 100 breast (1:11.65).

Results like these gave Costa Mesa Coach Patty Smith plenty to feel positive about.

“I’m killing them with yardage, and the kids are doing better times at this time this year than they were at this time last year,” Smith said. “It’s absolutely amazing. The twins, Sam, Travis and Skyler [Twohig, who won the 100 butterfly] are swimming really hard and swimming some unbelievable times, and it’s the same with the girls. We’re excited for taper. We always taper really well.”

The Mustangs also showed their dominance in the freestyle relays. In the 200 free relay, James Fowler, Cody Serrano, Wright and Edman placed first, but they were followed by teammates Joey Dinh, Jackson O’Connor, Jordan Lux and Dustin Serrano.

In the 400 free relay, Wright, the Serrano brothers and Edman were first, followed by the Mesa “B” relay of Twohig, Dinh, Lux and Jordan Briand.

“I think it has to do with our training,” Edman said. “We train harder than we did last year, and it’s pulling us up to a better, higher level.”

On the girls’ side, Estancia (5-3) won six of eight individual events and two of three relays. Senior Meagan Kunert took the 200 free in 2:04.58, and the 500 free in 5:37.50.

Senior Shea Kopp won the 200 individual medley (2:17.40) and the 100 free (56.01), both CIF Division II consideration times. Freshman Haley Kunert won the 50 free (26.32) and the 100 back (1:05.42), the latter a CIF Division II consideration time.

Individual event winners for Costa Mesa (4-0) were Hannah Speer and Andrea Beyaoju, in the 100 breast and 100 fly, respectively. But the Mustangs won the numbers game, just like they did against the Eagles last year.

“That loss was probably more disappointing,” said Kopp, who was also on two winning relays. “I think that probably made us recheck our conceit, you could say. We’re a little more level-headed now, and that’s probably a good thing for us.”

The Mesa girls’ win a year ago snapped Estancia’s 42-meet winning streak that dated back to 2003.

“We may not have the fastest girl, but we have the girls who finish second, third or fourth,” said Mustangs senior Patricia Marty, who was second in the 100 back and the 100 fly and was on the winning 200 free relay team. “Those are the girls who really matter in this meet, especially against Estancia, because they do have a couple of really fast girls. Estancia’s definitely never a team that we overlook.”

Senior Talhia Nuñez, who was second in the 500 free and third in the IM, nodded in agreement.

“The second and third places were the ones that were going to win the meet, and that’s what Coach Smith kept telling us all week,” Nuñez said. “She just told us not to get discouraged if we’re not getting first, just try to beat the person next to you. If you’re racing for second, get second, not third. I think that’s what our mind set was.”

Orange Coast League

BOYS

Costa Mesa 121, Estancia 48

200 medley relay – 1. Costa Mesa (Twohig, O’Connor, Briand, Fowler), 1:54.12.

200 free – 1. Edman (CM), 1:49.15; 2. D. Serrano (CM), 1:55.40; 3. Gonzalez (E), 2:20.28.

200 IM – 1. Wright (CM), 2:21.20; 2. Briand (CM), 2:24.73; 3. Barloon (E), 2:27.23.

50 free – 1. 1. Fowler (CM), 23.20; 2. Twohig (CM), 24.64; 3. Lux (CM), 26.10.

100 fly – 1. Twohig (CM), 58.38; 2. O’Connor (CM), 1:03.55; 3. Dinh (CM), 1:05.25.

100 free – 1. C. Serrano (CM), 51.90; 2. Fowler (CM), 52.98; 3. Crosson (E), 53.51.

500 free – 1. Edman (CM), 5:03.12; 2. D. Serrano (CM), 5:05.29; 3. Gonzalez (E), 6:24.79.

200 free relay – 1. Costa Mesa (Fowler, C. Serrano, Wright, Edman), 1:36.80.

100 back – 1. C. Serrano (CM), 1:01.27; 2. Crosson (E), 1:02.60; 3. O’Connor (CM), 1:08.00.

100 breast – 1. Wright (CM), 1:11.65; 2. Briand (CM), 1:12.86; 3. Barloon (E), 1:18.61.

400 free relay – 1. Costa Mesa (Wright, C. Serrano, D. Serrano, Edman), 3:32.04.

GIRLS

Costa Mesa 97, Estancia 78

200 medley relay – 1. Estancia (Kopp, T. Carpenter, M. Kunert, H. Kunert), 1:59.46.

200 free – 1. M. Kunert (E), 2:04.58; 2. Williams (CM), 2:06.89; 3. Rendon (CM), 2:21.83.

200 IM – 1. Kopp (E), 2:17.40; 2. Beyaoju (CM), 2:24.50; 3. Nuñez (CM), 2:32.17.

50 free – 1. H. Kunert (E), 26.32; 2. Simpson (CM), 26.95; 3. T. Carpenter (E), 27.00.

100 fly – 1. Beyaoju (CM), 1:04.57; 2. Marty (CM), 1:07.47; 3. Am. Peters (E), 1:11.90.

100 free – 1. Kopp (E), 56.01; 2. Simpson (CM), 59.74; 3. Black (CM), 1:06.19.

500 free – 1. M. Kunert (E), 5:37.50; 2. Nunez (CM), 6:00.75; 3. Andrews (E), 6:25.89.

200 free relay – 1. Costa Mesa (Williams, Decker, Marty, Simpson), 1:51.61.

100 back – 1. H. Kunert (E), 1:05.42; 2. Marty (CM), 1:09.53; 3. Randall (CM), 1:10.88.

100 breast – 1. Speer (CM), 1:14.57; 2. Williams (CM), 1:15.86; 3. Am. Peters (E), 1:18.25.

400 free relay – 1. Estancia (H. Kunert, T. Carpenter, M. Kunert, Kopp), 3:55.23.

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