He’s a Stroke of Good Fortune for Villa Park

Until coming to Villa Park High School, Gavin Arroyo was only used to taking his time in the pool.

As a member of Tustin’s Southern California Swim Club, Arroyo specializes in such distance events as the 1,000 and 1,650 meters--long races that take endurance and require pacing.

But Arroyo has been asked to pick up his pace for Villa Park’s team. He has become a sprinter.

“When he first started swimming sprints for us, his mom was concerned,” Villa Park Coach Jeff Ehrlich said. “She said he was doing so well as a distance swimmer. But we thought he had the ability to do the shorter races.”

He does.

Arroyo, The Times’ athlete of the week, won the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle at the Foothill Invitational swim meet Saturday. He also swam the anchor leg of the 400 freestyle relay, which Villa Park won.

“I really wasn’t expecting to do that well,” said Arroyo, who was named the boys’ swimmer of the meet. “There were so many good swimmers there. And they were even faster than I thought they would be.”

Arroyo’s most impressive performance was in the relay. He swam his 100-yard leg in 46.18 seconds and overtook a San Marino swimmer down the stretch to give Villa Park the victory.

“Swimming the sprints is so different,” said Arroyo, a junior. “Distance swimming is endurance. In sprinting, you rely much more on reflexes.”

Arroyo has participated in sprints before, but he hadn’t competed in one since he was 12 years old.

“I swam the breaststroke until I was 10, but it wasn’t working out so I switched to distance,” he said. “For the last five years, that’s all I’ve swam.”

Until Ehrlich needed a sprinter for his relay team.

Arroyo has adapted quickly to the role. His workouts change during the high school season because he doesn’t need to log as many yards in the pool.

He also credits water polo with improving his sprinting skills. Arroyo was a member of the Villa Park team last season.

“Water polo is just like sprint swimming,” he said. “You have to start swimming so quickly that you don’t have time to think about it.”

Arroyo has become so good in the sprints, Ehrlich said he has a good chance of breaking the Southern Section record in the 100-yard freestyle (45.54). Mike Kelly of Fountain Valley set the record in 1977.

“I’ve had other high school coaches come up to me and say that Gavin could break the 100 record,” Ehrlich said. “Even (Fountain Valley Coach) Ray Bray, who coached Kelly, said Gavin had a good chance.

“I think before Gavin is done at Villa Park, he’ll have that record.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Duane Cameron of Marina had 56 kills as the Vikings upset Laguna Beach, 20-18, 8-15, 15-12, 16-14, in a nonleague volleyball match Thursday.

Dave Disbro of Mission Viejo had two home runs and six runs batted in as Mission Viejo defeated Irvine, 7-0, Wednesday.

Ken Gajewski of Los Alamitos beat El Dorado twice last week. He pitched 10 innings, giving up five hits, in a 5-3 victory Wednesday. He was also the winner in relief in the Griffins’ 9-8, nine-inning victory Friday.

Denny Hathaway of El Modena had a hole in one at the Riverview golf course Thursday as the Vanguards defeated Santa Ana, 190-222. Hathaway shot a one-over-par 34.

Phouphat Singbandith of Magnolia won the triple jump with a leap of 49-feet 10 1/2-inches at the Mt. SAC Relays Saturday.

Gavin Arroyo

Villa Park High

Position: Swimmer

Height, Weight, Class: 6-3, 162, Junior

Last Week: Arroyo won the 200- and 500-yard freestyles Saturday at the Foothill Invitational swim meet. Arroyo also anchored the Spartans’ 400 freestyle relay team, which finished first.

Season: Arroyo has not lost a freestyle race in a dual meet this season.