One crown earned, another in limbo for Crescenta Valley swimming
Results varied from satisfying to worrisome for the Crescenta Valley High swimming program at Thursday afternoon’s Pacific League and regular season finale showdown versus archrival Arcadia.
The Falcon girls clinched a share of their 10th straight league crown via a 91-79 home victory, while the Apaches imperiled the Crescenta Valley boys’ streak of 24 straight league crowns with a 102-68 win to claim part of the title.
The victory improved the Crescenta Valley girls’ record to 8-1-1 and 6-0 in league, while Arcadia dropped to 8-1 and 5-1. The Falcons boys are now 6-3, 5-1 as the Apaches remained undefeated at 9-0, 6-0.
While half of the league crowns were decided Thursday, the other half is up for grabs at the Pacific League finals on May 4 at Burbank High.
“Arcadia came out really strong and they won a lot of the close races early,” Crescenta Valley girls’ Coach Peter Kim said. “About midway through, we just talked about stepping it up and using the depth we have this year.”
Crescenta Valley captured seven of 11 events and created valuable separation thanks to a three-race span.
The Falcons led the Apaches, 51-43, through six races when freshman Nicole Hale helped showed off some of the Falcons’ depth with a victory in the 500-yard freestyle in 6 minutes, 27.44 seconds.
Overall, Crescenta Valley took first, third and fourth to gain 11 points and pull ahead, 62-48.
In the following 200 freestyle relay, Crescenta Valley captured first and second with the quartet of Alex Garas, Samantha Menke, Miya Higuchi and Kimmy Park winning in 1:47.85.
Park, who was part of three victories, then won the 100 backstroke in 1:04.59 as the Falcons scored 34 points to Arcadia’s 12 in the 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay and 100 backstroke. The differential pulled Crescenta Valley ahead, 85-55, with two races left.
Crescenta Valley’s other victories came from Gabi Icheva in the 200 free (1:59.68), Park in the 200 individual medley (2:17.58), Garas in the 50 free (25.62) and Higuchi in the 100 butterfly (1:00.93).
“We’re looking forward to the league prelims and finals and I don’t think this race takes anything away from that,” Kim said. “It’s always fun to take on Arcadia and they’re always very competitive.”
The Crescenta Valley boys find themselves in a familiar role as the squad dropped its 2015 and 2016 league contests to Arcadia before rallying for victories at the league finals to nab a share of two crowns.
Though the Falcons were competitive Thursday, they only won two races with reliable sophomores Justin Sheen and William Blake picking up those wins.
Sheen captured the 100 breaststroke in 59.98, while Blake took home the 500 free in 4:54.47.
“We’ve been in this position before with Crescenta Valley as we’ve won league titles two years in a row in the last meeting and they’ve come back to beat us at league finals,” Arcadia Coach Janice Clark said. “So, we’ll see what happens. I’m not counting them out.”
For another year, coach Jan Sakonju and his Falcons need a comeback effort to extend a remarkable league title streak.
“It’s been a pleasure to watch this Arcadia team, which has been on the rise for the last four years,” Sakonju said. “For our guys, they’ve been in this situation before and really the responsibility is on them and how they want to respond.”
