FOOTHILL SWIM GAMES : Foothill’s Girls Leave the Competition in Their Wake

If Saturday’s Foothill High School Swim Games were any indication, the 15-year drought may be over for the Foothill girls’ team.

From the first event it was apparent the Knights were going to dominate. Not only did they win the 200-yard medley relay, but also set a meet record with a time of 1 minute 52.41 seconds. They just missed the school record (1:51.60), but according to Coach Tom DeLong, that, too, will fall eventually.

“We’ll break that one at the Southern Section meet easy,” DeLong said.

Judging by their performance Saturday, the Knights might be considered the favorite for the 4-A title, which figures to be a race between El Toro, Foothill and Fountain Valley.

Foothill easily handled the two contenders Saturday, finishing first with 220 points. Fountain Valley tied Los Alamitos, a 3-A team, for second (178) and El Toro was fourth (164).

In the boys’ competition, Capistrano Valley finished first with 174 points, San Marino was second (166) and Villa Park third (133).

“I really don’t see how you can call us the favorite right now,” DeLong said. “We’ll be in the top three, but it’s going to be a close race.”

DeLong said this is the best Foothill girls’ team since 1974, which was the last time the school won a Southern Section championship. Sionainn Marcoux, Laura Ellison, Heather Marks and Megan Logan supply the strength this time around, and all four performed well Saturday.

Marcoux won the 200 and 500 freestyles and Ellison won the 100 backstroke and finished second in the 100 free. Logan won the 100 butterfly and was third in the 200 individual medley and Marks was third in the 50 free.

Foothill placed a swimmer in the top three in every individual race except the 100 breaststroke.

“We’ve been pointing toward the 1990 season,” DeLong said. “We thought we could have the right mix to win the Southern Section. So far, everything is progressing well.”

Fountain Valley relied on strong performances from Michelle Ham to finish second. Ham won the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke.

The girls’ swimmer of the meet award went to Capistrano Valley’s Christy Carolin, who set meet records in the 50 free (23.99) and 100 free (52.61) in Thursday’s prelims. She won both races in Saturday’s final.

In the boys’ competition, Capistrano Valley had to overcome a quick start by Villa Park, which won the first two events.

Gavin Arroyo helped the Spartans’ 200 medley relay team finish first, then won the 200 free. He later set a meet and school record in the 100 free (46.30) and was named the boys’ swimmer of the meet.

“Gavin is swimming better right now then I’ve ever seen him,” Villa Park Coach Jeff Ehrlich said. “He was always a good swimmer, but now he’s becoming a super swimmer.”

Capistrano Valley’s Ryan Cox, who set a meet record in the 500 free (4:30.59) in Thursday’s prelims, won the event in Saturday’s final. He also finished second in the 200 free.

“That time Ryan swam in the 500 on Thursday will be one of the top three in the nation, I guarantee it,” Capistrano Valley Coach Don Cholodenko said.

Teammate Kevin Eggert won the 200 IM and finished second in the 100 breaststroke. It was the third consecutive year Eggert has won the 200 IM at the Foothill meet.

Greg Milton of El Dorado set a meet record in the 50 free (21.37) and finished a close second to Arroyo in the 100 free.