Diehl: Mission Accomplished at 4-A Finals

Eric Diehl of Mission Viejo High School has a busy summer ahead of him. Besides swimming in the U.S. Swimming long-course senior nationals in August, he will compete in the Goodwill Games in July.

But even with national and international competition on the horizon, what Diehl wanted more than anything was to do well in the Southern Section 4-A finals Friday.

“I wanted to help the team,” said Diehl, a junior. “That was my main concern.”

Diehl, The Times’ athlete of the week, did help the Diablos. He won the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events, which was one of the reasons Mission Viejo was able to finish second to Capistrano Valley in the 4-A finals.

Diehl had a time of 1 minute 38.26 seconds in the 200 free and 4:27.91 in the 500 free. His time in the 200 was only 1.90 seconds off the national high school record set in 1985 by Craig Oppel of West Des Moines High School.

Though Diehl has been one of the top swimmers in Orange County for two years, this was the first season he was allowed to compete on the varsity level.

Diehl moved with his mother from Fort Worth in July, 1988. However, because his father remained in Texas to sell the family’s home, Diehl was ruled ineligible to compete on the varsity level by Southern Section officials.

“Because my father was still in Texas, they said I had a dual residency,” said Diehl, who will swim in the 800 freestyle at the Goodwill Games. “I had to live here a year before I could compete on the varsity.”

So Diehl spent the 1988 season swimming on the frosh-soph team, which wasn’t much of a challenge. He easily beat his competition.

“It was frustrating knowing I could swim on the varsity level, but wasn’t allowed to,” he said. “The worst part was that I could have helped the varsity last season.”

Without Diehl, Mission Viejo finished second to Foothill by 12 points. With Diehl, the Diablos would have won, Coach Mike Pelton says.

“It was hard last year having the guys come up to me and say, ‘We could really use you today,’ ” Diehl said. “That’s why the Southern Section meet was so special to me this year. I could help.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Gavin Arroyo of Villa Park set the Southern Section record in the 100 freestyle Friday. He had a time of 45.30 to break the record of 45.54, set in 1977 by Mike Kelly of Fountain Valley.

Scott Crosby of Santa Ana Valley had four hits, including a home run and a double, and six runs batted in in two games last week. Crosby went the distance Tuesday, striking out eight, to beat El Modena, 5-3, and then saved Friday’s 4-3 victory over the Vanguards.

Kent Dowding of Orange Lutheran pitched a three-hitter Friday, striking out nine, as the Lancers defeated Whittier Christian, 5-1, to finish in a tie for first place in the Olympic League.

D.C. Olsen of Fullerton break the Orange County single-season home run record Friday. He hit his 13th homer of the season in a 6-1 victory over Troy to break the record of 12 set in 1986 by Valencia’s Andy Ruscitto.

Phouphet Singbandith of Magnolia broke the Southern Section 2-A record in the triple jump Friday with a leap of 49 feet 11 1/4 inches. That mark bettered the former mark, set in 1988 by Billy Ivey of Edgewood, by 10 inches.

Eric Diehl

Mission Viejo High School

* Position: 200- and 500-yard freestyles

* Height, Weight, Class: 5-11, 170, Junior

* Last Week: Diehl won the 200 and 500 free events at the Southern Section 4-A meet Friday. He had a time of 1 minute 38.26 seconds in the 200 free and 4:27.91 in the 500.

* Season: Diehl did not lose in the 200 and 500 freestyles during high school meets this season.