Clean sweep for Crescenta Valley swimming at Pacific League finals

BURBANK — While the forecast called for rain at Thursday afternoon’s Pacific League swimming finals, perhaps the better prognostication was for the continued reign of the Crescenta Valley High boys’ and girls’ programs.

The Falcons boys topped archrival Arcadia, 530.5-470.5, to clinch a share of their 23rd consecutive league crown, while the girls defeated the Apaches, 544-372, for a ninth straight title at Burbank High on a day in which Glendale and Hoover also picked up individual victories.

On the girls’ side, Thursday marked the league swan song for a pair of special swimmers in Crescenta Valley seniors Tiare Coker and Heather MacDougall.

The pair was electric, as both set league records in winning two individual events each in CIF Division II automatic times, while joining forces to help capture two relay races.

Coker broke MacDougall’s record of 1 minute, 51.76 seconds in the 200-yard freestyle race with a mark of 1:51.66. She later surpassed a long-held record by Arcadia’s Lonna Stacey from 1992 in the 50 freestyle (23.91) with a new record of 23.67.

“Since this is one of my last meets as a senior, it was just fun to be with everyone again and to give it our best,” Coker said. “It was nice to break records because our focus was on winning and it was a nice little bonus because I didn’t expect it.”

MacDougall also dethroned Stacey, shattering the Apaches’ record also from 1992 in the 100 freestyle of 52.49 with a stellar mark of 51.14. MacDougall later erased the record of former Falcon Yumi So from 2008 in the 100 backstroke (57.28) with a time of 57.14.

Both girls were also integral parts of the Falcons’ record-setting 200 medley relay squad (1:49.56) and the 400 freestyle relay team, whose mark of 3:32.01 obliterated the old league record of Pasadena from 2012 of 3:40.48.

“I think the best moment was finishing the 4x100 freestyle relay and seeing our entire team at the end of the lane,” MacDougall said. “Everyone was there. It was really fun to see that.”

Overall, the Crescenta Valley girls won eight of 11 events with sophomore Yvette Kim picking up a victory in the 100 butterfly in a Division II automatic time of 56.99 and the 200 freestyle relay squad also won in a CIF consideration mark of 1:44.08.

Hoover turned in the area’s other two girls’ victories.

Lauren Warshaw captured the 200 individual medley in a consideration time of 2:14.23 and Linna Johanna was a winner in the 100 breaststroke in a consideration time of 1:11.53.

“I was hoping to get an automatic time for CIF and I was a little more than a second off,” Warshaw said of her goals going into Thursday. “I think I could have done a little bit better, but it’s OK.”

On the boys side, Crescenta Valley and Glendale’s Trenton Julian shared the headlines.

The Falcons held off a strong surge by Arcadia due to the team’s depth as Crescenta Valley won only two events versus five wins for the Apaches.

“We knew it was going to be close because we knew how good of a team Arcadia is,” said Crescenta Valley Coach Jan Sakonju, whose team had lost to Arcadia in the league dual meet finale and had to win Thursday’s meet to continue its league title streak. “They have a lot of great swimmers and they forced us to make a lot of tough choices and to rise up or collapse.”

William Blake picked up the Falcons’ lone individual win with a triumph in the 200 freestyle with a consideration time of 1:45.56. Crescenta Valley’s 200 freestyle relay squad also won in a consideration mark of 1:30.44.

Glendale won more events than Crescenta Valley, as the Nitros picked up three victories, highlighted by two from reigning All-Area Boys’ Swimmer of the Year Julian.

The junior was also dominant in topping the league record of Crescenta Valley’s Harrison Thai (1:51.29) in the 200 IM with an automatic winning mark of 1:49.80. Julian also won the 500 freestyle in an automatic time of 4:30.82.

“I thought my 200 IM was put together a lot better than the 500,” Julian said. “I was just sluggish early in the 500. For this meet, I was looking for times more than anything else.”

Nitros senior Jayson Wilia also claimed a league title in the 100 backstroke in a consideration mark of 55.38.

Those who posted automatic times earned advancement to the CIF Southern Section Division II preliminaries, which will take place at the Riverside Aquatics Complex on Friday, May 13.

Consideration at-large berths will be released on Saturday.