1996 BOYS’ SWIMMING AND DIVING PREVIEW : Ronson Cherishes Honors, but Irvine Team Comes First

There’s something about Steve Ronson’s demeanor that makes you believe he can accomplish anything he sets out to do.

His actions, however, speak louder than his words. His deeds, in and out of the swimming pool, are a testimony to his determination.

As the top swimmer at Irvine High, Ronson, a senior, has broken nearly every school record. And where the Vaqueros finish this season depends primarily on his performances.

Ronson, of course, insists he’s just one of many who swim for the team. But a quick reality check puts his role in perspective.

He was Irvine’s boy swimmer of the year the last two seasons. His times last season in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke qualified him for All-American status, and he was the school’s first swimmer who qualified for every event at the Southern Section championships.

Ronson, 18, also swims for the Irvine Novaquatics club team. He has been ranked more than a dozen times among the Top 16, a national list of the year’s fastest age-group times.

Two months ago at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach, he recorded three senior national times. One came in the 100-yard breaststroke, where he finished in 56.04 seconds--missing the Olympic trial time by nine-tenths of a second.

Despite these accomplishments, Ronson says his team at Irvine High comes first.

“Right now, my ultimate swimming goal is to win my events at [Southern Section] Division I and help my team win league again,” Ronson said.

At last year’s section finals, Ronson finished a disappointing fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke and sixth in the 100 freestyle at the section finals. The previous year, Ronson was disqualified in the 100 breaststroke final because he moved on the block.

Understandably, he has almost a blinding determination to win at the Southern Section meet this year.

“I’m a senior, and I have not won at Southern Section, so it’s very important for me to do well,” Ronson said. “But just as important is how I can help my team.

“I have so much I want to accomplish. I just go from one goal to another.”

Out of the water, Ronson is equally impressive.

A top scholar athlete, he was recently named a finalist for a National Merit scholarship.

With a grade-point average of 4.06, he recorded a 1,530 on the SAT. He received the Heritage Award, Irvine’s highest academic honor, in the following subjects: chemistry in 1994 and bio med/physiology, pre-calculus and economics in 1995.

And if his swimming and academics weren’t enough, Ronson is a volunteer at Santa Ana-based Copes and Orangewood in Orange, both safe houses for abused and abandoned children. Ronson also donates his time to the Toy Fair, a drive sponsored by the Irvine Education Foundation that raises money for Irvine school programs.

Ronson has received interest from six colleges: Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, California, USC and UC Santa Barbara.

Though Ronson says swimming will be one of his chief considerations when he makes his final college decision, academics will be the underlining factor.

“I would like to go to a college where there’s a good balance in both swimming and academics,” he said, “but academics is the reason why I’m going to school. I have my goals and getting into a good college is one of them.”

While the Irvine boys’ team has a number of standout freshmen competing this season, Vaquero Coach Ken Dory says Ronson is the key to winning another Sea View League title and possibly placing in the top five at the section finals.

“He’s our best swimmer,” Dory said. “And though he works out with his club instead of the school, he has always gone out of his way to do whatever we ask of him to help the team win.”

Since he was a freshman, Ronson has been an integral part of the team, Dory said. “He’s a fine athlete and unselfish, which are traits that are harder to find these days.”

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Boys’ Swimming at a Glance

Top swimmers: Division I--David Anderson, Canyon, Sr.; Ryan Ball, Trabuco Hills, Sr.; Bjorn Barre, El Modena, Jr.; Joe Bertocchini, Canyon, Jr.; Tim Bush, Mater Dei, Sr.; Henry Chavez, Canyon, Jr.; Ryan Christensen, Orange, Sr.; Greg Cieszko, Canyon, Sr.; Kevin Griffith, Esperanza, Sr.; Tim Haney, Los Alamitos, Sr.; Sean Haynes, Edison, Sr.; Brian Jansen, Canyon, Jr.; Chad Kea, Edison, Sr.; Tom Keating, Mater Dei, Jr.; Ryan Keeler, El Modena, Sr.; Steven McLeod, Trabuco Hills, Fr.; Kevin Melton, Orange, Jr.; Jonathan Melton, Orange, So.; Jeff Monroe, Edison, Sr.; Aaron Pannier, Canyon, Jr.; John Pearce, Los Alamitos, Jr.; Nick Phelps, Edison, Sr.; Nathan Reese, Los Alamitos, Sr.; Bob Russe, Canyon, Jr.; Tim Sandifa, Edison, Sr.; Kevin Selna, Edison, Sr.; David Slavich, Esperanza, Sr.; Scott Svard, Canyon, Jr.; Toyokazu Tsujinu, El Modena, So.; Mark Van Nostran, Trabuco Hills, So. Division II--Kendal Benson, El Dorado, Jr.; Corey Bitterlich, Sunny Hills, Sr.; Jason Bollin, Sonora, Sr.; Brad Carey, Sonora, Sr.; Paul Carr, Sunny Hills, Sr.; Steve Carter, Tustin, Jr.; Mike Foley, Tustin, Jr.; Jason Jass (diver), Sonora, Sr.; Efrain Gonzalez, Saddleback, Sr.; Matt Hudelson, Sonora, Sr.; Luke Mansfield, Sonora, Jr.; Kevin McKee, Tustin, Jr.; Johnny Ray, Saddleback, Sr.; Robert Selleck, El Dorado, Jr.; Jeff Stewart, Sonora, Jr; Ryan Utsumi, El Dorado, Jr.; Javier Vasquez, Saddleback, Sr. Division III--Ryan Baxley, Brea Olinda, Sr.; Steve Caine, Brea Olinda, Sr.

League favorites: Century: Foothill; Empire: El Dorado; Freeway: Sunny Hills; Garden Grove: Rancho Alamitos; Golden West: Ocean View; Olympic: Calvary Chapel; Orange: Brea Olinda; Pacific Coast: Laguna Hills; Sea View: Irvine; South Coast: Mission Viejo; Sunset: Marina.

1995 final poll: 1. Mission Viejo; 2. Irvine; 3. Marina; 4. Foothill; 5. Woodbridge; 6. Laguna Hills; 7. Villa Park; 8. Capistrano Valley; 9. El Toro; 10. Los Alamitos.

1996 Orange County coaches’ preseason poll: 1. Mission Viejo; 2. Irvine; 3. Foothill; 4. Marina; 5. Laguna Hills; 6. Santa Margarita; 7. Villa Park; 8. Los Alamitos; 9. Newport Harbor; 10. Capistrano Valley.

Key dates: March 9, South Coast Relays; March 16, Southern Section Relays; April 6, Mission Viejo vs. Englewood (Colo.) Cherry Creek; April 20, Foothill Swim Games; May 8, Southern Section Diving finals; May 10-11, Southern Section swimming finals.

Notes: For the first time in a long time, El Toro and Woodbridge are not included in the preseason top 10 poll. With most of their top swimmers having graduated, both are rebuilding with strong groups of freshmen.