Szabo: CdM’s Merrell to focus on Olympic Trials

Corona del Mar High swimming star Eva Merrell has enrolled in an online school and will not swim for the Sea Kings this spring, she confirmed Saturday.

Merrell is taking time off from CdM to concentrate on Olympic Trials for swimming, she said. The Olympic Trials begin June 26 in Omaha, Neb. and Merrell has qualified in four events: the 100-meter butterfly, 100 backstroke, 50 freestyle and 200 backstroke.

She said she sat down with her club coach, Todd Hickman at Aquazot, after what she called a tough national championships meet in San Antonio last summer.

“I didn’t have terrible swims but we wanted to have better results,” Merrell said. “We really sat down and talked about what we could do different to improve my meets ... We’ve been doing more in-water swimming and out-of-water strengthening. With a normal school schedule, it wouldn’t allow me the time to be able to do that.”

Merrell, 15, de-enrolled from CdM and began taking online school through Laurel Springs in September. That’s the same online school taken by Maddie Musselman, who left CdM last March to train full-time with the U.S. senior national women’s water polo team.

Merrell said it was “bittersweet” not to participate in high school swimming this year but that she fully expects to be back in traditional school next year as a junior.

“Going to online school is a step for me to provide the best opportunity that I can for myself at Olympic Trials,” she said.

Merrell was a key swimmer for CdM last year as a freshman, along with graduate Meagan Popp (Harvard). They helped the Sea Kings finish fourth in CIF Southern Section Division 1. Merrell won the 100-yard backstroke at the Division 1 finals and was second in the 100 butterfly.

Merrell has CdM school records in both events, as well as the 100 freestyle.

CdM Coach Doug Volding said he found out that Merrell would not be swimming for him this year about two weeks ago, when Athletic Director Don Grable informed him that Merrell wasn’t enrolled at CdM. He said he is “100%” behind Merrell’s decision.

“It’s disappointing, but that doesn’t even come close to [me being] 100% behind her,” Volding said. “This is the kind of girl that you just know will do well at that very high level. Nothing will surprise me. Her mental attitude and the way she attacks it, she’s a fierce competitor.”

Merrell swam the 100-meter butterfly in 58.58 seconds last month at the winter nationals in Washington, which she said improved her from 42nd to seventh among Olympic Trials qualifiers. According to the swimming website SwimSwam, it was also the second-fastest time swam ever in the 15- or 16-year-old girl age range.

“It’s very, very exciting,” Merrell said of preparing for Olympic Trials. “I’m not nervous because I know I’m doing everything to prepare. I’m really just going in with a positive mindset. I heard it’s a very, very fun meet to go to, so I’m very excited.”

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•Newport Harbor got a boost to its girls’ water polo lineup when junior Lissa Westerman returned during this week’s Holiday Cup tournament.

Westerman broke her left (non-shooting) hand during a fall Monday night league game against El Toro, after attempting to get her pinkie finger out of the goalie’s suit. She was cleared to return for the Sailors on Monday, just a day before the Holiday Cup began.

“They said it’s 90% ready, so it’s not fully healed yet but it’s pretty firm,” Westerman said. “It’s exciting but it’s also kind of scary at the same time. I want to be super-careful with it, but I know for the most part it’s good.”

Westerman, a quick attacker coming off a standout Junior Olympics last summer, made her presence felt at the tournament in the very first game of the Holiday Cup. She scored the game-winning goal in overtime as Newport Harbor beat Riverside Poly, 11-10. The Sailors went on to finish sixth in the 16-team tournament.

Westerman wore tape on her hand on the first day of the tournament on Tuesday, but played without it on Wednesday and said it felt fine. The Sailors have had to adjust their rotations with her back in the mix.

“When I broke it initially, Sammie [Garcia] went to where I where I normally play,” Westerman said. “Kaela [Whelan], who came in for me, is playing where Sammie plays now. When I come in, we get a little bit confused sometimes, but we figure it out.”

Newport Harbor (3-6), ranked No. 9 in CIF Southern Section Division 1, plays host to Fountain Valley in its Sunset League opener Wednesday at 5 p.m.

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•Three girls’ basketball teams in Newport-Mesa have big games Tuesday night.

Corona del Mar (10-3) plays at Newport Harbor (3-9) in the Battle of the Bay game at 5:30 p.m. CdM has won the rivalry game four straight years. The Sea Kings, ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section Division 3A, are coming off a third-place finish at the Ayala Best of the West Tournament. Senior post Natalia Bruening, bound for UC Santa Barbara, had 23 points and 16 rebounds in a 47-37 win over Bishop Amat in the third-place game Thursday.

The Sailors picked up their third win of the season Saturday by beating Godinez, 37-30, in a nonleague game. Senior point guard McKenna Izzi scored 21 points.

Sage Hill (6-4) also plays host to Oxford Academy (9-3) in an Academy League opener at 6 p.m. Sage Hill Coach Kerwin Walters identified Oxford as a potential favorite for the league title, though he believes his Lightning also can contend. Sage Hill is ranked No. 16 in Division 4A, and Oxford Academy is tied for eighth in Division 5AA.