PREP SWIMMING / SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS : Odell Leads Loyola to Title

Ben Odell of Loyola won two individual events and helped on two relays to lead the Loyola boys’ swim team to the Southern Section Division II championship Saturday at Belmont Plaza Pool.

Loyola won with 217 points. Walnut won the girls’ Division II team title with 174 points.

Odell, a senior who plans to attend Harvard this fall, won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:40.09 and the 100-yard backstroke in 51.72. He also helped Loyola win the 200 medley relay in 1:36.63.

Odell, who had never won a Southern Section individual title, credited his friends in winning these.

“Look at that crowd,” Odell said, pointing at the screaming Loyola fans.

John Jenkins, a Crescenta Valley senior, retained his titles in the 50 freestyle in 20.62 and in the 100 freestyle in 45.88. He also anchored Crescenta Valley’s 400 freestyle relay and 200 freestyle relay, which won in 1:26.75, a Division II record time.

In girls’ Division III, USC-bound Alexis Larsen led North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake to its first team title with 122 points.

Larsen retained her title in the 200 individual medley in 2:06, but failed to match the division record, 2:03.99, which she set last year.

Larsen also won her fourth-consecutive title in the 500 freestyle in 4:48.85, missing Stacy Shupe’s record by .01.

Ridgecrest Burroughs won the boys’ Division II title with 170 points.