Beubis Swims to Two League Titles

When Alemany High’s Jenny Beubis resumed her swimming career after a two-year absence, she only meant to get in shape to take a rigorous aquatics test so she could be a lifeguard this summer. Beubis, who averaged 16 points on the Indians’ basketball team as a senior, wants the job to earn money for part of next fall’s tuition at Columbia University.

But before Beubis could sit in an easy chair with sunglasses and zinc oxide on her nose, she had to reacquaint herself with the same 5 a.m. weekday workouts she hated as a freshman. After the basketball season, Beubis felt so slow in the water she probably checked to make sure she wasn’t wearing her heavy high-top court shoes with her bathing suit.

After a few weeks, though, Beubis said she surprised herself with faster times and concentrated more in her workouts.

On Thursday, her hard work paid off as she dominated the San Fernando Valley League girls swimming finals at Cal State Northridge and breezed to two individual titles. She won the 50-yard freestyle (24.46) and the 100 backstroke (1:04.85).

“Jenny was only going to swim this year for fun,” Alemany Coach Kate Cerrutti said. “But she also just happens to be a great swimmer and she runs circles around everybody.”

Beubis met Southern Section standards in three events this season--the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and 100 backstroke. But a swimmer is only eligible to compete in two individual events and one relay in next week’s Southern Section finals at East Los Angeles College. Beubis has a chance of reaching the championship final in the 100 freestyle and is one of the favorites to win the 2-A Division crown in the 50 free, according to Cerrutti.

“I’m going with the 100 free over the 100 backstroke for CIF because I’ll have a better shot at making the finals in the freestyle,” Beubis said. “Today, I liked my backstroke time better because the time was a personal best this year. I wanted to break 24.0 in the 50 free, but I didn’t.”

In other events, Louisville’s Karen Buck remained unbeaten in the 200 free this season with a time of 1:59.88 over Kris Berryman of Mater Dei (2:01.40); Christy Parker of Notre Dame won the 100 free in 56.90; Ewa Zakrzewski of Mater Dei won the 500 free in 5:16.18; and Heather Cross of Louisville won the 100 breast in 1:16.38.

The closest race was in the 200 individual medley between Notre Dame’s Lorraine Myers and Mater Dei’s Zakrzewski. Myers wound up with a better time than Zakrzewski (2:22.90 to 2:22.91), but the referee ruled Zakrzewski touched the wall first and Myers had to settle for second place. Myers came back 20 minutes later to win the 100 butterfly in 1:04.50 over Jennifer Lees of Louisville (1:04.97).