Perry’s Goals Are Never Out of Reach : Swimming: Heading into today’s Foothill Games, El Toro junior has set three school records.

Michelle Perry certainly is an ambitious swimmer.

As a freshman, she walked onto the pool deck at El Toro High School and surveyed the record board. With a quick count, she came up with three or four she would break.

Not wanted to break, mind you, but would break.

“Hey, every freshman looks at that record board,” Perry said. “They may not admit it, but they do. I just went down the list, going, ‘I can get that one, I can get that one. That one there, I’ll get later.’ . . . “

There’s no arrogance in her voice. It’s more of a matter-of-fact statement of something she can accomplish, and already has.

In two-plus years, Perry has set three school records--two individual and one in a relay--and is looking for more.

This year, she hopes to break Julie Williams’ record in the 100-yard freestyle, which has stood since 1981. Perry, a junior, already has been clocked at 51.10 seconds, less than than a second off Williams’ mark of 50.16.

And surpassing it will be no small feat.

“Julie Williams was the best swimmer this program has ever produced,” Coach Sheri Ross said. “But I think Michelle is going to catch her.”

Perry will be competing today in the Foothill Swim Games, which features many of the top teams in Orange County.

Her mind is definitely set on getting that record, although that would more likely come in the Southern Section 4-A final after she has tapered and shaved.

“I was already swimming in a high 51 (seconds) as a freshman, so I got really ambitious and looked up the national record. It’s 49.7. That’s a little too quick. I’ll work on the school record first,” Perry said, laughing.

Perry’s ability is only part of the reason for her success. She also has determination, which seems to drive her during tough races.

In a meet against Dana Hills this week, Ross placed Perry on the B team for the medley relay, just to see what she could do.

Perry, who was swimming the anchor leg, entered the water well behind Robyn Loewe, the Chargers’ A team anchor. Perry won.

“I really don’t like to train, but I love to race,” Perry said. “My teammates start yelling for me, and I start getting pumped up and excited. I just want to go faster and faster.”

Or, simply put, “You don’t challenge Michelle,” Ross said.

That’s something the El Toro water polo Coach Don Stoll discovered.

Last summer, Perry participated in the water polo team’s hell week. She did so to stay in shape for swimming, but also to prove a point.

“Coach Stoll always kept saying that no girl could handle his hell week,” Perry said. “I did. I didn’t catch or throw too well, but I made it through the week. I may even try out for the team next year.”

During a recent meet, Perry finished the 100 freestyle, jumped out of the pool and yelled to Stoll that she had made the minimum time standard to qualify for the water polo team.

“Michelle started yelling, ‘I made it, I made it, I made it,’ ” said Jeff Grosse, the boys’ swim coach who also is a water polo assistant. “She really was getting on Stoll.”

Such is the personality of Perry, who is not your typical stoic swimmer.

Away from swimming, she said her hobbies are jet skiing and cliff jumping--similar to the cliff divers in Acapulco.

“Oh, I can’t talk too much about that,” Perry said. “We’re not suppose to do that and they (the lifeguards) are really watching for us. I’m really just a big kid. I’ll try anything.”

Which is how she became a swimmer.

Perry tried gymnastics first, when she was 5, but the coach told her she was too big for the sport. She suggested swimming instead.

Perry tried it and thought it was fun. The next day, her mother told her to get ready for swim practice.

“I said, ‘Again, you mean I have to do it every day?’ ” Perry said. “I had no idea what I was getting into.”

Perry wasn’t too thrilled about racing at first. Not the competition itself, but the starter’s gun. “It was too loud,” she said.

There were times when her mother, Carol Perry, had to literally nudge her daughter off the starting block.

But Perry persisted and developed. At 12, she qualified for her first U.S Swimming junior nationals. By 14, she was competing in the senior nationals.

Her arrival at El Toro was impressive.

As a freshman, she set school records in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.58) and 200 individual medley (2:07.76). She was also part of 200 medley relay team that set the school record (1:50.65).

Perry also finished second in the 100 breaststroke and fourth in 200 IM at the section 4-A meet.

Last year, she improved on her performance. She won the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke and was part of two relay teams that won.

“She is really versatile,” Ross said. “There’s not a girl on the team that could beat her in any race.”

And there aren’t many on the record board, either.

Mission Viejo and Savanna will also hold invitationals today.

At Mission Viejo, many of the state’s top teams outside of Orange County will be present, including three from Northern California.

But Mission Viejo remains the class of this competition, in boys’ and girls’ divisions. The Diablos are favored to win both titles at the 4-A meet next month.

Other top teams competing will be Poway, Mt. Carmel and Santa Barbara.

Savanna will play host to 18 teams, mostly from North County.