THE TIMES 1995 SPRING ALL-COUNTY TEAMS : O’Brien Consistently a Winner for Irvine : Swimmer of the year: She’s won the 50 freestyle in all but one event in the past two seasons.

In the 50-yard freestyle, the difference between first and last place can be a slight hesitation off the starting block or a miniscule miscalculation on the turn. So when a swimmer consistently wins the event, meet in and meet out, it’s remarkable.

Wendy O’Brien, a junior at Irvine High, has that knack.

Except for her defeat in the Sea View League finals this season, O’Brien has won the 50 free in every high school competition she’s been in since the end of her freshman year, when she lost in the Southern Section Division II finals.

At this year’s Division I finals, she held off longtime rival Judy Thomas of Walnut to win in 23.75 seconds. On the same day, she swam the section’s fastest time in winning the 100 free title.

O’Brien had won the 50 and 100 frees in the Division II finals last year, but talk on the pool deck earlier in the season was that she wouldn’t fare as well this year, what with Irvine moving up a division.

“I knew I could do well in Division I,” O’Brien said. “Since I’ve swam against most of the girls from there, I knew I could beat them.”

Not only would she again face Thomas in the 50 free (Thomas beat O’Brien in the 1993 finals), but also in that race was Newport Harbor’s Melissa Schutz, who handed O’Brien her only defeat of the season at the league finals by finishing in 24.12.

After losing to Schutz, O’Brien swore the Newport Harbor senior would never beat her again. And, true to her word, O’Brien swam a near-perfect race at Belmont Plaza.

She held the county’s fastest time of the season (51.22) entering the 100 free finals, but knew she would be facing El Toro’s Katie Lowes (51.54) and El Dorado’s Nancy Jo, who the day before had posted the fastest preliminary time, edging O’Brien, 51.87 to 51.88.

O’Brien was familiar with both swimmers and knew either could beat her. But pressure is a two-edged sword, and she both hates it and thrives on it.

“I get real nervous before real big races,” O’Brien said. “But that makes me go faster.”

And just like last year in the Division II final, O’Brien went faster, winning in 51.36 seconds--.58 seconds ahead of Jo.

O’Brien, ranked among the country’s top 10 high school swimmers in the 50 and 100 frees, ispreparing for August’s Senior Nationals in Pasadena.