San Diego Section Swimming : Mount Carmel Keeps a Tradition Going : Girls Win and Douse the Coach; Boys’ Team Is Upset by Vista

Steve Eisler, the Mount Carmel High School swimming coach, was prepared for the best when he arrived at this year’s CIF San Diego Section swimming championship Saturday wearing an old pair of tennis shoes.

Eisler wasn’t taking any chances.

It has become a tradition at Mount Carmel to toss Eisler in the pool after the girls’ team captures the section crown. After the final event concluded at the Mount Carmel pool Saturday, Eisler untied his worn tennis shoes, anticipating the wet celebration.

The Sundevil girls’ team easily won the event for the fourth straight year, outdistancing second-place Valhalla, 163-135.

Vista High, boosted by its consolation swimmers, won the boys’ event with 163 points, edging favored Mount Carmel, which earned 152 points.

Mount Carmel was dealt a setback when the boys’ 200 medley relay team was disqualified. Tim Murphy was cited for an early start on the second interchange of the event. The disqualification cost Mount Carmel 18 points.

“Overall, I’m pleased,” a drenched Eisler said. “Obviously, I would have liked to have won. Except for the (disqualification), we would have won.”

Said Vista Coach Jim Malone: “The (disqualification) did make a difference, there’s no doubt about that. But I think we would have won anyway; but you hate to win when something like (the disqualification) happens.”

Malone added that Mount Carmel had an advantage because it has a diving team and Vista does not because of inadequate funding. The Mount Carmel diving team, led by Eric Reynolds’ championship performance Friday, added 42 points to the total team score.

The boys’ victory was special for Vista because it has been living in Mount Carmel’s the shadow in recent years, Malone said. Vista finished in first place in the Palomar League this year with Mount Carmel second, but the Sundevils captured the league meet.

Swimmers in the consolation event helped Vista win the section title Saturday. Vista’s Joe Nichols (49.88) and Rod Johnston (50.16) finished first and second, respectively, in the consolation of the 100 freestyle.

Eisler said his boys’ team has suffered a number of injuries and had to cope with the loss of sophomore diver Michael Azevado, who was killed in an automobile accident two weeks before the season began.

“This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for us and to come so close is great,” Eisler said.

The Mount Carmel girls’ 400 medley relay team of Karla Kish, Nancy Watier, Sheryl Watier and Heather Merten swam a 3:38.65 to break the record it set Wednesday in the preliminaries (3:39.97).

Kish tied the record in the 100 backstroke set by Tami Bruce of Hilltop in 1985 with her time of 59.75. Heather Merten swam the 50 freestyle in 24.40 to tie the record she set at Wednesday’s preliminaries.

Point Loma’s Marilyn Peck broke her 1985 record of 1:52.88 in the 200 freestyle with her time of 1:51.68.

CIF SECTION SWIMMING FINALS RESULTS Boys: Overall--Vista 163, Mount Carmel 152, Valhalla 133; 200 medley relay--Vista 1:41.63, Valhalla 1:43.49, Patrick Henry 1:44.63; 200 freestyle--Marty Binder (Helix) 1:43.39, Daniel Pierce (Castle Park) 1:43.82, Kevin Disbrow (Oceanside) 1:45.46; 200 individual medley--Kirk Stackle (Mount Carmel) 1:53.98, Roy Berg (Bonita Vista) 1:55.37, Joe McNally (Vista) 1:59.12; 50 freestyle--Bret Nystul (Coronado) 22.48, Tom Wilson (Helix) 22.66, Scott Rion (Point Loma) 22.79; 100 butterfly--Scot Frontis (Valhalla) 52.79, Nick Branca (Patrick Henry) 53.24, Bryan Mundt (Vista) 53.40; 100 freestyle--Daniel Pierce (Castle Park) 48.07, Greg Latta (Patrick Henry) 48.84, James Fletcher (Valhalla) 48.92; 500 freestyle--Marty Binder (Helix) 4:39.12, Kevin Disbrow (Oceanside) 4:40.39, Mike Soderling (Vista) 4:45.96; 100 backstroke--Joe McNally (Vista) 55.04, Tom Rutan (Fallbrook) 56.19, Bryan Mundt (University) 56.73; 100 breaststroke--Kirk Stackle (Mount Carmel) 56.67, Kelly Parsons (Bishop) 1:01.42, Damon Blackman (Mount Carmel) 1:01.72; 400 freestyle relay--Helix 3:18.67, Mount Carmel 3:19.46, Coronado 3:20.69.

Girls: Overall--Mount Carmel 163, Valhalla 135, Coronado 96; 200 medley relay--University City 1:56.03, Patrick Henry 1:56.19, Valhalla 1:57.82; 200 freestyle--Marilyn Peck (Point Loma) 1:51.68, Alyssa Higdon (Coronado) 1:56.75, Anne Murphy (Valhalla) 1:56.78; 200 individual medley--Karla Kish (Mount Carmel) 2:09.45, Sheryl Watier (Mount Carmel) 2:09.64, Michelle Butcher (Granite Hills) 2:09.97; 50 freestyle--Heather Merten (Mount Carmel) 24.40, Lori Sanchez (University City) 24.97, Debbie Daniels (Poway) 25.17; 100 butterfly--Diana Palma (Patrick Henry) 58.42, Chris Lott (Valhalla) 59.60, Hilary Higdon (Coronado) 1:00.35; 100 freestyle--Heather Merten (Mount Carmel) 52.93, Lori Sanchez (University City) 54.70, Tabitha Bonny (Chula Vista) 55.47; 500 freestyle--Michelle Butcher (Granite Hills) 4:56.00, Marilyn Peck (Point Loma) 4:56.38, Anne Murphy (Valhalla) 5:04.41; 100 backstroke--Karla Kish (Mount Carmel) 59.75, Alison Maxwell (University City) 59.97, Kristen Rangel (Poway) 1:02.57; 100 breaststroke--Sara Saltzstein (Valhalla) 1:08.37, Lisa Clark (Point Loma) 1:09.28, Matora Madler (Crawford) 1:09.53; 400 freestyle medley--Mount Carmel 3:38.65, Point Loma 3:47.58, Coronado 3:51.54.