SOUTHERN SECTION SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS : Buena Girls, Mission Viejo Boys Win

It was supposed to be an Orange County thing in girls’ swimming at the Southern Section Division I finals Friday at Belmont Plaza Pool.

Instead it was a Ventura show with a freshman and a sophomore leading the way for Buena, which won with 335 points. Fountain Valley was second with 188.5 and Capistrano Valley was third with 180.

To no one’s surprise, the Mission Viejo boys’ team easily defended its title winning with 320 points. Buena was second (276) and Marina third (164).

Polish swimmer Bart Kizierowski, who was named swimmer of the meet, won the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 freestyle for the Diablos.

For the girls, sophomore Rebecca Gilman and freshman Nicole Beck sparked Buena by each winning two events.

Gilman finished two seconds ahead of top qualifier Nancy Jo of El Dorado, winning in 1 minute 47.70 seconds. Gilman’s time was an All-American time, two seconds off Cynthia Woodhead’s 1982 Southern Section record. Gilman went on to win the 500 free in 4:47.07.

Beck, who earlier won the 100 butterfly in 56.47 and was named swimmer of the meet, set a new section record in the 100 backstroke in 55.26, breaking Alyssa Resch’s 1993 record of 56.40.

In the 100 breaststroke, Amber Wines of Santa Ana Valley outtouched Mater Dei freshman Jessamyn Miller to win in a personal best 1:03.20, breaking the record of 1:03.37 set by Capistrano Valley’s Shannon Orcutt in 1984.

Irvine’s Wendy O’Brien, who won two events, held off Melissa Schutz of Newport Harbor, who beat O’Brien last week at the Sea View League finals, and Judy Thomas of Walnut.

O’Brien, who had a near perfect start and turn, finished in an All-American time of 23.75.

O’Brien’s winning time in the 100 free (51.36), beat Jo of El Dorado by 0.6 seconds.

“After the 50 free, I felt as if a big burden was lifted off of me,” O’Brien said. “The 100 was a bit better, but Nancy is such a strong finisher I couldn’t slow down one bit.’

El Toro finished a disappointing ninth place and Irvine took 10th.

Kizierowski, a junior, was the dominant swimmer in the boys’ competition. In the 50 free, he finished well ahead of the pack to win in 20.58. His time of 44.44 was nearly two seconds faster than second-place finisher Brad Kittredge of Santa Barbara.

“I’m not that happy with my 50-free time,” Kizierowski said. “My 100 wasn’t too bad. But I’m having a lot of fun at this meet.”

The Diablos won all three of their relays, the 200 free relay in 1:25.44, the 200 medley relay in 1:35.84 and the 400 free relay in 3:06.36.

Sophomore Philippe Demers of Santa Margarita was a double winner. In the 200 freestyle, Demers took two seconds off his preliminary time to win in 1:38.89. And the 100 butterfly, despite the official’s quirky start, Demers won in 49.90, a few tenths off the record.

Tim Haney of Los Alamitos narrowly missed a section record in the 200 individual medley, winning in 1:49.37. Haney, a junior, was six seconds faster than his preliminary time. Haney took second in the 500 free (4:26.45).

In the breaststroke, El Toro’s Terry Dougherty finished second in 58.22. Sean Moore of Woodbridge was third in 58.63.