SWIMMING : Fremont Goes to Great Lengths to Sparkle in New Arena

Fremont High is known for its excellence in basketball and football.

But this year, talent is forming in another arena. The swimming pool.

The Pathfinders, who finished second in the Southern League, enjoyed their first winning season since the early 1980s.

Fremont (6-2) has mustered dual-meet victories over three-time defending league champion Hamilton, Hollywood, Banning, Palisades, Dorsey and Los Angeles. Their defeats came at the hands of powerhouses El Camino and Marshall.

“We have a pretty good group of guys here,” said second-year coach David Loera.

However, the Pathfinders don’t have enough swimmers to win the City Section championship.

“We have outstanding individuals,” Loera said. “But we’re not a deep team and that will cause us problems when it comes to scoring in the finals.”

The team relies heavily on senior Brian Barrett, junior Danny Barnett and talented freshmen Abel Cervantes, Nahum Tejada and Andre Sewell.

Barrett, who swims the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle, is the leading scorer with 75.5 points. His time of 24.3 in the 50-meter freestyle is .3 off the school record.

Barrett’s experience has thrust him into the leadership role.

“I’m the best swimmer on the team so I have to step up,” said Barrett, who is being recruited by UC Santa Clara and San Diego State. “I’ve been doing it all my life and I use my experience to help the other swimmers.”

Barrett started swimming at the Weingart Urban Center YMCA when he was 8 years old. Two years later, Barrett joined the South End Aquatics swim team where he was coached by Ken Taylor.

Barnett competes in the 100-meter butterfly and 100-meter backstroke.

Freshmen form the core of Fremont’s team. Cervantes ranks second behind Barrett in scoring with 65 points and is proving to be the best all-around swimmer.

Cervantes posted a team-best time of 6:32 in the 500-meter freestyle and 1:18.2 in the 100-meter butterfly.

Tejada broke the freshman school record in the 200-meter freestyle (2:34.6) and has emerged as one of the City Section’s best in distance races.

“I feel happy with the way I am swimming,” Tejada said.

Loera said Sewell, who is academically ineligible at this time, is the fastest and most competitive of the freshmen. His time of 26.6 in the 50-meter freestyle places him right behind Barrett in that event.

“Sewell is very fast and quick,” Loera said. “He’s also a tough competitor. We should get him back just in time for the City Finals. And his presence in the 200-meter freestyle relay will give us a definite edge over the competition.”