Royal Gets In Over Its Head, 95-91 : Swimming: Depth gives Thousand Oaks dual-meet championship in Marmonte League.

The pool at Thousand Oaks High is no deeper than ordinary, but the girls’ swim team that calls it home possesses extraordinary depth.

The sheer number of quality Lancer swimmers drowned out an an outstanding effort by a Royal quartet Wednesday and enabled Thousand Oaks to clinch the Marmonte League championship and complete an unbeaten dual-meet season.

The Lancers held on to win, 95-91, after entering three teams in the final event, the 400-meter freestyle relay.

Royal originally entered only one team, but hurriedly put together a second entry upon realizing that only first- and second-place finishes would give the Highlanders the meet.

Junior national swimmers Courtney Duncan, Erika Salazar and Jamie McIntyre, plus Gina Radka, won the race for Royal, but Thousand Oaks (8-0, 6-0) took second and third.

Duncan, Salazar, McIntyre and Radka accounted for six individual victories and two winning relays, but Thousand Oaks gained points by taking second, third and fourth more often than not.

“No doubt our depth was the difference,” Thousand Oaks Coach Bill Gemberling said. “Their top few were a bit better than ours, but we just have more good swimmers.”

That has been the case all season. Seniors Shaina Christensen and Erin Venable and sophomores Jenny Durley and Christine Lieu lead the team, but swimmers such as Jennifer Davis, Shannon Reedy, Christine Jones, Megan Kelly, Sarah Heimsoth and Kelly Gunderson gave the Lancers their first unbeaten season since 1992.

Royal (4-4, 3-3) was left to ponder a season of what-ifs. Duncan, Salzar and McIntyre missed losses to Agoura and Camarillo last month while competing in the Junior Nationals in Midland, Tex.

The Highlanders last competed three weeks ago because of a quirk in the league schedule.

“I hate to make excuses but I don’t know who put together the schedule; it’s ridiculous,” Royal Coach Steve Snyder said. “It’s frustrating because with the weird weather and spring break we haven’t been able to establish any consistency..”

Royal won the boys’ meet, 104-81, behind Randy Owens, who won the 50 free in 25.43 seconds and the 100 free in 57.84.

Dana Christensen won the 200 free in 2:10.77 and the 500 free in 5:48.33 for Thousand Oaks.

Royal was 4-2 in league meets and Thousand Oaks was 2-4. Westlake won the title at 6-0.