SWIMMING : Junior West Starts at Mission Viejo

Chris Harris of Boulder City, Nev., and Julie Moore of Portland, Ore., are the top-seeded competitors in the 800-meter freestyle in the U.S. Swimming Junior National Championships West beginning today at 4 p.m. at the Mission Viejo International Swimming Complex.

More than 900 swimmers 18 and under, representing 215 teams, met the time standards for the meet.

With the exception of the entrants from Wisconsin, all are from states west of the Mississippi River. A similar meet for swimmers from the eastern United States will be held simultaneously at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The first of five days of competition is limited to timed final heats of the 800 freestyle. Michelle Kagy, 15, of the host team, the Mission Viejo Nadadores, is seeded fourth among women with a time of 9 minutes 3.43 seconds. Moore has clocked an 8:57.73.

Mitch Kohlbecker of the Heartland Swim Team in San Diego is seeded sixth in the men’s 800 freestyle with an 8:30.43. Harris has posted an 8:27.11.

Southland swimmers who are seeded first: Ryan Cox, Mission Viejo, 200 freestyle; Robert Rojas, Mission Viejo, 400 freestyle; Jim Sullivan, Golden West (Huntington Beach), 1,500 freestyle; Randy Hartley, Santa Maria, 200 individual medley; Diazo Mitsuoka, Industry Hills, 200 butterfly, and Jennifer Ross, Mission Viejo, 200 backstroke.