Schatz Joins Buena’s Celebration : Swimming: After transferring from Agoura, she helps Bulldogs to second consecutive title.

Agoura High sophomore Erin Schatz sat in the stands and watched the Buena High girls win event after event at the 1994 Southern Section Division I swimming championships.

Although Schatz swam well, including a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley, she yearned for teammates to celebrate with.

“I was having a good time at Agoura but I wanted to be challenged, maybe go somewhere where I wouldn’t be able to dominate,” Schatz said.

Schatz finally came to the realization: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

Last September, Schatz moved in with her aunt in Ventura and transferred to Buena, working out with the Buenaventura Swim Club along with the Bulldogs’ other standout swimmers.

Friday night the switch paid off when she helped a dominant Bulldog team claim its second consecutive Division I girls’ title and third in four years at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach, defeating second-place Fountain Valley by 146 1/2 points.

Schatz swam the second leg of the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays and defeated two of her teammates, sophomore Liah Kim and junior Melissa Roarty, in the 200 individual medley.

Trailing most of the race, Schatz passed Kim, then Roarty in the final 25 yards to lead a 1-2-3 finish for Buena.

“I know I’m strongest at the finish but I still wasn’t sure if I’d be able to overtake them,” said Schatz, who also placed second in the 500 freestyle.

Sophomore Rebecca Gilman repeated her double victory of 1994, winning the 200 and 500 freestyles. Her time of 1:47.70 in the 200 was over 4 1/2 seconds faster than her preliminary time and tied for the ninth fastest in U.S. prep history.

“It was one of the biggest shocks of my life,” Gilman said. “I guess when one of your teammates does well it pumps everyone up, including me.”

Freshman Nicole Beck was also a double winner. She defeated Kim by .07 in the 100 butterfly in 56.47. In the 100 backstroke, Beck broke the Division I record she set in the preliminaries in 55.26.

Beck, Schatz, Kim and Gilman scored victories in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Their 200 time of 1:36.94 was a Division I record.

The Buena boys, without finishing higher than fourth in any race, faded to second 44 points behind Mission Viejo after leading halfway through the competition.

Junior Sean Askay and seniors Clay Flocco, Wes Shipley and Robbie Williams along with sophomore Matt Carter made multiple individual finals and piled up points for Buena.

Royal’s 200 medley relay team finished seventh, sophomore Jamie McIntyre finished eighth in the 200 individual medley, sophomore Courtney Duncan was seventh in the 100 backstroke and senior Erika Salazar placed seventh in the 100 breaststroke as the Highlanders finished 12th.

Rio Mesa’s Sarah Nichols placed fourth in the 500 freestyle and eighth in the 200 freestyle. Westlake freshman Jason Webber was eighth in the 100 backstroke.