Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy swimming begins league on right note against Harvard-Westlake
STUDIO CITY — With the core of its team back and a few talented underclassmen on board, it might be difficult to wrestle the Mission League title away from the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy swimming team.
The Tologs came into the season having won two straight undefeated league championships with a seventh-place finish in the CIF Southern Section Division I final in Riverside last season.
Backed with additional depth, the Tologs figure to be a tough squad for their league opponents to solve.
PHOTOS: FSHA vs. Harvard-Westlake Mission League swimming
“We’ve had some star power at the top of the lineup the last couple of years,” said Flintridge Sacred Heart Coach Steve Bergen, whose team began league action Tuesday with a convincing 112-73 road win against rival Harvard-Westlake. “We now have some freshmen who can contribute and we have even more depth.
“I like the way we were able to respond today against a tough team that’s been the standard-bearer in our league for the last 20 years.”
Flintridge Sacred Heart (2-0) won all 11 races to turn back Harvard-Westlake (1-3, 1-1 in league). The Tologs received two individual victories apiece from junior Kirsten Vose, sophomore Kate Herrill and freshman Christina Campbell.
Vose, the reigning All-Area Girls’ Swimmer of the Year, captured the 200-yard individual medley and 100 freestyle events. She clocked 2 minutes 8.77 seconds in the individual medley and 53.27 in the 100 freestyle.
“It’s exciting for us to get off to a good start in league,” said Vose, who won the Division I championship in the 100 breaststroke last season en route to being named the Glendale News-Press Female Athlete of the Year and La Cañada Valley Sun Female Athlete of the Year. “We feel like we have a very strong team with a lot of depth and would like to do even better in the division.
“For me personally, I’d like to try to repeat as champion in the breaststroke and continue to get better marks in the 200 IM.”
Herrill finished first in the 50 freestyle (23.98) and the 100 breaststroke (1:05.64). Campbell turned in first-place efforts in the 200 freestyle (2:00.06) and 500 freestyle (5:19.59). In addition, Flintridge Sacred Heart received first-place marks from senior Katie Altmayer in the 100 butterfly (59.23) and freshman Caitlin Smith in the 100 backstroke (1:01.86).
Bergen, the reigning All-Area Girls Swimming Coach of the Year, marveled at the possibilities that might be in store for the Tologs.
“We could be very difficult to beat in dual meets,” Bergen said. “With our depth, maybe we can be a top-five team at CIF.”
Flintridge Sacred Heart also won all three relays Tuesday.
The Tologs began the meet by turning to the quartet of Smith, Vose, Altmayer and Campbell to take the 200 medley relay in 1:51.78. In the 200 freestyle relay, Herrill worked with Smith, Herrill and freshman Emily Gray to win in 1:41.94.
Flintridge Sacred Heart closed out the meet with Vose, Gray, Campbell and Herrill working together to win the 400 freestyle relay in 3:42.72.
