Flintridge Prep swimming splits league meet with Poly
PASADENA — History played out as it has in recent years for the Flintridge Prep swimming program in its latest Prep League match-up versus archrival Pasadena Poly in Pasadena on Thursday afternoon.
The five-time reigning league champion Rebels boys rallied from an early deficit for a 106-74 victory over the Panthers, who were victorious on the girls’ side, 99-76.
“We’re in the last few weeks of the season before we start to taper and we’re in the last push and it looked like we were a little flat out there,” Flintridge Prep coach Ingrid Herskind said. “There were some very good swims, like with our girls’ [500-yard freestyle] – everyone set a personal record – and with our boys’ 100 breaststroke and 100 backstroke, but we could have done better.”
The Flintridge Prep boys are now 2-0 in league, while the girls dropped to 2-1. The Pasadena Poly girls improved to 7-0 and 2-0 in league, while the Panthers boys are 2-4, 0-2.
A trio of Rebels juniors, Winston Chen, Oliver Brookbanks and Matt Ng, were part of three victories.
Chen’s lone individual triumph took place in the 100-yard backstroke, where his winning time of 55.54 seconds was also an automatic qualifier for the CIF Southern Section Division III preliminaries.
Chen joined with Ng, Brett Bell, and Brookbanks for a victory in the 200-yard medley relay in a consideration mark of 1 minute, 45.05 seconds. Chen also swam a leg in the victorious 400 freestyle relay along with Oliver Brookbanks, Ben Brookbanks and Bell in a consideration time of 3:27.43.
Oliver Brookbanks’ victory in the 50 freestyle (23.93) gave the Rebels a lead they would not surrender, 38-34, over Poly.
Ng won Prep’s third and final individual event with a mark of 1:08.91 in the 100 breaststroke.
Ng also shared a victory with Kasen Barraclough, Ryan Huntley and Ben Brookbanks in the 200 freestyle relay in a consideration time of 1:39.02.
While Poly and Flintridge Prep split 12 competitions, depth was pivotal for the Rebels, who scored more points in nine of 12 events.
“We don’t have enough depth, enough guys to compete with Flintridge Prep,” Poly coach Colin Allen said. “For the girls, we’re still not fully healthy, but Flintridge Prep is really good and they gave us a challenge.”
On the girls’ side, the defending league champion Panthers flexed their muscles in winning the meet’s first six events, while capturing nine of 12 competitions.
The Rebels received their inspiration from the Emilys – junior Emily Alameddine and Emily Jacobs.
Emily Alameddine earned an individual triumph in the 100 freestyle with a consideration mark of 56.44, while Jacobs clinched a triumph in the 100 breaststroke in a consideration time of 1:11.89.
The duo joined forces along with sisters Devyn and Makenna Walklett for a triumph in the 400 freestyle relay in a consideration mark of 4:02.42.
“I was hoping the score would have been better for the girls, but it was better than last year and the last couple of years,” Herskind said. “We’re showing improvement.”
The teams will meet again at the Prep League swim finals April 28 back at Pasadena Poly.
