Swimming : High School Preview : Rivalry Resurfaces for Agoura’s Stelle

A new league and a new division greet Agoura High’s swim team this season, but for senior backstroker Jason Stelle the 1990-91 season offers a chance to battle an old foe.

After competing in the Frontier League and the 2-A Division the past decade, Agoura jumps to the Marmonte League and the 4-A Division. The 4-A is loaded with Orange County powers such as Mission Viejo and Huntington Beach Marina--schools as deep in swimming talent as the nearby Pacific.

But Stelle, an All-American bound for USC in the fall, is more than ready to meet his new competition, which is not exactly unfamiliar.

Stelle has a long-running rivalry in the backstroke with senior Thomas Westcott of Huntington Beach High. The two have competed and driven each other to faster times in club competition since Stelle’s early high school days.

Stelle has not raced against Westcott, the defending 4-A champion in the 100 backstroke, in postseason high school competition. But if all goes according to plan, the two will meet in the Southern Section 4-A 100-yard backstroke final. Stelle might have the advantage: His winning time in the 1990 2-A final was a division record at 50.87 seconds; Westcott’s winning 4-A time was 51.49.

“It’s a good rivalry, a positive rivalry,” Stelle said. “It’s great competition.”

Stelle will try to pick up two wins in the 4-A meet at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

in May. He also swims the 200 individual medley. Stelle’s time of 1 minute 53.26 seconds in the 2-A final last year was good enough for All-American status but only second to that of Shuichi Matsumoto of Laguna Hills, who timed 1:53.15. In the 4-A, Stelle will set his sights on Kevin Eggert of Mission Viejo, the renowned Orange County swim factory.

“It’s a fun event to be in,” Stelle said. “It’s really competitive in high school. I swam against (Eggert) in club competition and it was pretty intense.”

Teams to watch:

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura (boys): Other than Stelle, Agoura has swimmers who probably would have scored at the 2-A championship level but will have to work harder for success in the 4-A Division. Still, Coach Mike Mulligan likes the chances of senior Kevin Driscoll, a member of the U. S. junior national water polo team. Driscoll is a freestyler who has a chance to qualify for the 4-A finals in the 100 and 200, despite the tougher 4-A standards. Senior Craig Parker will attempt to qualify in the 500 freestyle and the 200 individual medley.

Those two, along with Stelle, will key a talented freestyle relay team. Junior Chris Imhof and senior Hooshie Broomand are vying to swim the other leg. Mulligan is confident that all three relay teams--medley and two freestyle--will qualify. “We can do it,” he said. “We’ve just got to get fired up.”

Agoura (girls): Like the boys, the chances of the Agoura girls placing in the Southern Section finals were damaged by the division jump. But freshman Dorian Reese already has qualified for the 4-A meet in the 100 butterfly, and freshman Christine DiSpaltro has qualified in the 200 and 500 freestyle.

In addition, sophomore Vivian Shu has qualified in the 100 breaststroke. Mulligan said that this year’s crew, bolstered by its strong freshman class, would have recorded a top-five finish in the 2-A meet.

Buena (girls): In the tough 4-A, Buena is looking to leave its mark. Coach John Siman, who has one of the school’s strongest teams, is aiming for a top-three finish in the Southern Section championships.

Seniors Cathy Lory and Amber Walz return to form the backbone of a talented team. Lory was a Southern Section finalist last year in the 200 and 500 freestyle, and Walz is a versatile swimmer who is a 100 backstroker. She also will try the 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle this year.

Freshman Mandy Walz, Amber’s sister, figures to be a top-six finisher in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Freshman Danielle Walker, who has recovered from a broken elbow, also could score in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly.

Freshman Abby Gustafson will not be content to just score at Belmont Plaza. She has her sights set on a victory in the 100 breaststroke.

Sophomore Melissa Walker is back after appearing in the finals of the 200 and 500 freestyles last year, and sophomore Brooke Thrasher has the ability to join her this year. Senior divers Cindy Smith--an 11th-place finisher last year--and April Gibbs lend scoring strength.

With Mission Viejo having lost only one scorer from a year ago to graduation, a championship seems unlikely for Buena. But third place--the Bulldogs have an outside shot at second--is within reach.

Buena (boys): Not quite as deep as the girls’ team, the boys were hurt by graduation. However, they still boast a strong lineup. Senior Joel Gustafson, who finished third in the 100 breaststroke in the 4-A meet last year, will try to duplicate that feat.

Sophomore transfer Chris Pelant was a consolation finalist for Camarillo in the 100 and 200 freestyle last year and will seek to improve his standing this year at his new school.

Harvard (boys): The Saracens lost much from last year’s senior-laden team, but Coach Rich Corso has reloaded with talented underclassmen. Corso would like to duplicate last year’s sixth-place finish--at least--in the Southern Section 2-A championships, and Harvard has capable individuals who could place in the finals.

Sophomore Matt DeFronzo is strong in the individual medley and freshman Ron Scott already has made the Southern Section cut in the 100-yard butterfly.

Junior Robin Lee is back after anchoring the Southern Section championship medley-relay team, a group Corso said could repeat with DeFronzo and Scott helping out.

Hart: Sprinter Evy Wild is the Indians’ top girls’ swimmer. The defending 3-A champion in the 50 freestyle (24.38) and last year’s runner-up in the 100 freestyle (52.81) returns for her senior year with designs on winning both. Senior Robyn Burton, who qualified for the championships last year, is back to swim the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle.

Freshman Tina Brickel should make an early splash; she figures to qualify for the 3-A meet in the 100 breaststroke. For the Hart boys, junior backstroker J.D. Frank is the most likely scorer in the Southern Section meet. Freshman Andre Salles-Cunha is “CIF material” in the 100 breaststroke, according to first-year Coach Sharon Elm.

Thousand Oaks: The girls’ 200 medley-relay team, which is bidding for its third consecutive Southern Section 4-A title, has suffered from attrition. Mandy Nickoloff has moved to Sacramento and senior Lauren Droshe is sidelined because of injuries. Still, junior Elizabeth Zehr returns and figures to make scoring bids in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.

Juniors Lisa DeFazio (200 individual medley, 100 breaststroke) and Susan Kohler, a sprint freestyler, also are potential scorers in the 4-A meet.

On the boys’ side, senior Dan Ashmore (100 and 200 freestyle) qualified for the 4-A championships last year in both but failed to score. Coach Bill Gemberling hopes that will change in 1991.

Other hopeful scorers include Ryan Smith (backstroke), Joe Tansey (50 freestyle) and Eddie Ruth (100 breaststroke). Those three and Ashmore will form a potentially high-placing 200 medley-relay team.

CITY SECTION

Birmingham: The girls’ team will try to upset perennial City power Palisades with the return of distance freestyler Heather Ballard. Ballard, a junior, won the 200 freestyle in the City championships last year and took second in the 500.

Joining Ballard as returning scorers are sophomore Veronica Hernandez (100 butterfly, 50 freestyle), senior Cathy Lee (50 and 100 freestyle) and senior Annee Baumgartner (100 butterfly, 200 freestyle). Diver Ganelle Speriglio is an All-American sophomore who placed second in the City last year.

For the boys, the loss of double-winner Christian Ballard to graduation hurts, but the arrival of transfer Aram Nalbadyan from Soviet Armenia, who is accomplished in the breaststroke and butterfly, helps. Returning scorers include seniors Steve Hoviss (freestyle), Guy Mansfield (backstroke) and Cris Sax (breaststroke).