La Cañada Spartans claim five Rio Hondo League records

PASADENA — Sarah Olson wasn’t the first determined to beat the Rio Hondo League’s 100-yard freestyle record, as Natalie Norberg’s time of 52.84 seconds had stood since 1992.

Olson wouldn’t be denied, though, as she not only captured her fourth straight league title in the 100 freestyle, but bested Norberg’s mark with a time of 52.43 in the Rio Hondo League Championships Friday at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center.

PHOTOS: Rio Hondo League swim championships

“I knew for the 100 I had to get out fast and I knew the last 50 was going to be the hardest,” said Olson, who had her hand in two more league championships in the 50 freestyle and 200-freestyle relay. “The 100 was where my focus was today. I wanted to break the league record because it’s more than 20 years old.”

Olson’s time of 24.15 in the 50 freestyle also matched her league-record time from last year.

Olson then teamed up with Katy Campbell, Samantha Campbell and Megan Arnold for another league title in the 200-freestyle relay (1:41.76). Olson got the group out to a blazing start, as she swam the first leg in 23.80.

The Campbell sisters, Olson and Rachel Wong finished second in the 400-freestyle relay (3:42) behind a San Marino group’s time of 3:36.22, which bested the previous league record Katy Campbell and Olson helped set in 2010 (3:40.18).

While Katy Campbell didn’t outdo the 200- and 500-freestyle records she set last year (1:50.99 and 4:53.10, respectively), she still easily took first in both events with times of 1:51.57 and 4:55.86, respectively.

Samantha Campbell and Rachel Wong went on to take second in the 100 backstroke and 200-individual medley. Samantha Campbell finished second the 100 backstroke in 59.45, just behind San Marino’s Tiffany Warmuth (58.56) and third in the 50 free (25.11). Wong took second in the 200 IM (2:21.16) and third in the 100 butterfly (1:04.55).

Three league records fell for La Cañada on the boys side, where the Spartans won nine of the 11 races, with Bo Mattix and Brandon Nguyen having their hands in two each.

Nguyen grabbed an individual record in the 200-individual medley when he touched the wall in 1:52.17, which bested the previous record of 1:52.49.

“I just wanted to do my race, but at the same time I was thinking about the record to have something to shoot for,” said Nguyen, who was tailed by teammate and second-place finisher Garrett Chin (1:54.47). “When they called my name [before the race] I just thought, ‘Let’s do this.’ I felt a shot of adrenaline go through my whole body.”

Nguyen then went on to take first in the 100 breaststroke (58.51) with the Spartans’ Shane Bell taking second (1:03.20).

Bo Mattix also broke the league record, which he set last year (52.05), in the 100 backstroke when he touched the wall in 50.89.

It was a little bit of redemption for the senior after he just missed out on a league title in the 100 butterfly (52.58), as South Pasadena’s Sarp Elaziz edged him out by .01 of a second (52.57).

“It feels great repeating [in the 100 back],” Mattix said. “I was a little bummed about losing the breaststroke, but Sarp is one of my good friends, so if I have to lose to someone I am happy it’s him.”

Nguyen, Mattix, Chin and Peter Loakes teamed to take first and set a league record in the 200-medley relay (1:36.82), which broke the old record by more than a second (1:38.65) in the first race of the day.

“I know we are going to go even lower in CIF,” said Mattix, who joined Loakes, Chin and Nguyen for another league title in the 400-freestyle relay (3:15.13).

The Spartans 200-freestyle relay team of Loakes, Brad Cavanagh, Chase Borisoff and Symeon Stefan also won league in 1:30.75.

Loakes went on to win the 50 freestyle in 22.13 with La Cañada’s Chase Borisoff coming in fourth (23.81).

Dane Bell took first in the 200 (1:47.23) and 500 (4:43.07) freestyles with his brother Shane Bell taking third (1:51.27) and Brad Cavanagh, who also took second in the 100 freestyle (50.41), taking fourth (1:51.61) in the 200 freestyle.