Sailors come up huge

HUNTINGTON BEACH — The members of the Newport Harbor High boys’ swim team stood, as one, on the edge of the pool deck Friday at Golden West College.

Arms interlocked, they then jumped backward into the water, creating a domino effect after winning the Sunset League title in convincing fashion. It seemed fitting, considering the way the Sailors spent all spring mowing down their competition, one by one.

Newport Harbor aquatics athletes sometimes call themselves a “swimming water polo team,” and many of the swimmers did contribute when the Sailors won the CIF Southern Section Division I boys’ water polo title in November. But, after scoring 484 points Friday to beat out second-place Los Alamitos (425) by a considerable margin, it was the whole aquatics program that appeared strong.

Both Newport Harbor and Los Al lost one league dual meet, leaving the championship up for grabs. Based on the times after Wednesday’s preliminaries, Newport Harbor boys’ swim coach Jason Lynch calculated that the Sailors were 34 points ahead of the Griffins, but he said his team “just added to it all day.”

“We had a very good start to the meet,” Lynch said. “Los Al, they were definitely challenging. They were going from third to second ... it was a battle. Our guys did a great job, though. Every single guy focused on the team goal.”

On the girls’ side, Newport Harbor placed fifth, just 2.5 points behind fourth-place Esperanza. Edison won the girls’ title.

The Sailors’ boys set two Sunset League meet records, in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1 minute, 25.76 seconds) and the 400 free relay (3:10.05). Both times were also CIF Southern Section Division I automatic times, as well as meeting all-American time standards. The 200 free relay time, set by junior David Linden, sophomore Blake Kelly and seniors Myles Christian and Clinton Jorth, was also a school record.

“We thought we had a chance at the beginning of the season, that this was going to be the time to break the school record,” Christian said. “We were really fired up for this race; we all wore leggings. I’ve never worn leggings before, but it was definitely the most fired up I’ve ever been at a swim meet. It was huge. It was a great way to finish off our senior year, especially for Clinton and I, to get our name on the school record board.”

Jorth swam a personal-best and CIF auto time of 47.11 seconds to win the 100 freestyle, a race where Kelly placed third. Jorth then swam a blazing 46.48 split on the meet-ending 400 free relay to hold off a fast-charging Edison team. Edison junior standout Tom Shields, who had already set two meet records in earlier events, nearly caught Jorth on the anchor leg, but Jorth held on. Linden, Kelly and senior Colin McKibbin swam the other three legs.

“Tommy’s a friend of mine, and he’s an incredible swimmer,” Jorth said. “I just knew I couldn’t cruise it, so I went as hard as I could and I went my best time ever. I think it just shows the younger guys on the team that you compete, no matter what. You always try to do your best, even if you have a lead like that, because you never know what will happen.”

Jorth said he was definitely proud of the team win, just like in water polo.

“This just shows that we’re always working hard,” he said. “The Newport Harbor program works hard all the time. Our swimming and conditioning pays off. We can compete with swim teams, club swimmers. This league title is awesome.”

Sailors senior Hunter Owen won the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.45, and Jorth was third in the 200 individual medley. Linden, who didn’t qualify for the championship final in the 50 free, nevertheless swam a personal-best and CIF automatic time of 21.38 to win the consolation final. The time also would have won the championship final.

“Linden made a huge statement,” Lynch said. “I was very upset with him on Wednesday [at the preliminaries] but he redeemed himself today.”

On the girls’ side, Sailors senior Erin Reid swam a personal-best 5:13.80, a Division I automatic time, to place third in the 500 free. She was also fourth in the 200 free. Sophomore Kate Klippert was second in the 100 free in 53.57, another personal-best and automatic time, while sophomore Katie Jackson finished fourth in the 100 fly and fifth in the IM.

“Almost all of them were faster today than they were at prelims, which is always encouraging,” Harbor girls’ coach Ken LaMont said. “I sat down with them at the beginning of the day to say that everyone was responsible for moving up one place, and I think most of them did that.”

Sunset League finals

BOYS

1. Newport Harbor, 484 points; 2. Los Alamitos, 425; 3. Fountain Valley, 366; 4. Edison, 329; 5. Marina, 237; 6. Esperanza, 173.

200 medley relay – 1. Edison, 1:36.84.

200 free – 1. Shields (Ed), 1:36.69; 2. Watkins (LA), 1:42.59; 3. Hauss (Ed), 1:44.31.

200 IM – 1. Sellars (M), 1:55.82; 2. Smith (LA), 1:58.04; 3. Jorth (NH), 1:58.13.

50 free – 1. Ferretti (LA), 21.64; 2. Merrill (LA), 21.66; 3. Luth (M), 21.86.

100 fly – 1. Shields (Ed), 47.98; 2. Joiner (LA), 51.36; 3. Watkins (LA), 51.93.

100 free – 1. Jorth (NH), 47.11; 2. Merrill (LA), 47.21; 3. Kelly (NH), 47.62.

500 free – 1. Sellars (M), 4:40.86; 2. Smith (LA), 4:40.91; 3. Merlihan (Es), 4:43.92.

200 free relay – 1. Newport Harbor (Linden, Kelly, Christian, Jorth), 1:25.76.

100 back – 1. Trinkle (LA), 53.69; 2. Joiner (LA), 54.15; 3. Osadche (NH), 57.25.

100 breast – 1. Owen (NH), 1:00.45; 2. Delaney (LA), 1:00.54; 3. Bernard (Ed), 1:01.70.

400 free relay – 1. Newport Harbor (Linden, Kelly, McKibbin, Jorth), 3:10.05.

GIRLS

1. Edison, 501; 2. Los Alamitos, 358.5; 3. Fountain Valley, 358; 4. Esperanza, 288; 5. Newport Harbor, 286.5; 6. Marina, 190.

200 medley relay – 1. Edison, 1:47.54.

200 free – 1. Gillespie (Ed), 1:51.94; 2. Watkins (LA), 1:53.93; 3. Webber (FV), 1:56.70.

200 IM – 1. Tran (Ed), 2:07.68; 2. Dodson (LA), 2:10.94; 3. Huynen (FV), 2:12.45.

50 free – 1. Fascella (FV), 23.57; 2. Tran (Es), 24.01; 3. Colesen (Ed), 24.83.

100 fly – 1. Jahanshahi (Ed), 55.61; 2. Quezada (LA), 58.62; 3. Andreason (FV), 59.54.

100 free – 1. Fascella (FV), 51.56; 2. Klippert (NH), 53.57; 3. Colesen (Ed), 54.22.

500 free – 1. Jahanshahi (Ed), 4:57.13; 2. Quezada (LA), 5:03.59; 3. Reid (NH), 5:13.80.

200 free relay – 1. Los Alamitos, 1:37.55.

100 back – 1. Tran (Ed), 55.41; 2. Huynen (FV), 58.73; 3. Dodson (LA), 59.48.

100 breast – 1. Tran (Es), 1:05.38; 2. Gillespie (Ed), 1:07.04; 3. Watkins (LA), 1:07.52.

400 free relay – 1. Edison, 3:30.92.

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