Hart Girls Again Must Spend a Season in Mourning

For the second time in four years, the Hart High swimming team enters a season still stinging from a tragedy.

The Indians, coming off a best-ever second-place finish in the Southern Section Division II girls’ championships in May, are expected to finish near the top again this season.

But they lost a good part of their spirit when senior Julie Hutak was killed in a car accident last fall.

The atmosphere for the Indians and Coach Steve Neale is eerily similar to the 1993 season, when swimmer Heather Sexton died of pneumonia.

Hutak’s teammates have dedicated the season to her memory and observe a moment of silence before each race. Team members have made T-shirts and are planning a page dedicated to Hutak in the yearbook. A scholarship fund set up by the school already has raised more than $10,000, Neale said.

“It was devastating news at first,” junior Monica Oleksyn said. “We are a close-knit group so that helps us cope. We don’t let anyone cry alone.”

Hart, which has won 13 consecutive Foothill League titles, should still be in contention to finish high in the Division II finals despite the loss of Hutak and senior Erin Walsh, who transferred to La Canada.

Oleksyn, who set a Division II record in the 100 breaststroke in 1994, faded to fourth last season after illness cut into her training schedule. She is back at full strength this year.

Junior Becky Skyler is seeking her first section title after placing second last year in both the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. And sophomore Alena Henrich finished fifth in the 200 individual medley and seventh in the 100 breaststroke.

The boys’ team also is poised for a strong showing behind freshmen Ryan Parmenter (200, 500 freestyle), and Anthony Ervin, whose best events are the 100 freestyle and 200 individual medley. Already this season in a tri-meet, the Indians swept Crespi and perennial Marmonte League contender Royal, their first victory over the Highlanders.

But any success will be bittersweet for the Indians.

“I was just thinking the other day I’m going to dedicate my races at CIF to Julie,” Skyler said. “It’s weird to have somebody training by you for years and suddenly they’re gone.”

OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH:

BUENA: The Bulldogs are by far the strongest girls’ team in the region and maybe Southern California. Buena has won three of the last four Southern Section Division I titles, including the last two, and should prevail again. Senior Erin Schatz, who has signed to swim at Clemson, junior Rebecca Gilman and sophomore Nicole Beck each won two individual events at last year’s championships and all three swam at the U.S. Olympic trials last week in Indianapolis.

The boys’ team last season had its most successful campaign in years with a second-place section finish, but the Bulldogs were hurt by graduation and the unexpected loss of senior Sean Askay, a finalist in the 200 and 500 freestyle. Askay faces surgery for a torn rib cage muscle. However, freshman Bryce Dumais joins brothers Justin and Troy as the best divers in the area. Junior Matt Carter finished third in the 800-meter freestyle at the U.S. Spring Nationals last month.

CRESCENTA VALLEY: Coach Pete Loporchio has built the Falcons boys’ team into a perennial Division II title contender. The team has finished first, second and second the past three years. Crescenta Valley has no superstars but has the most depth of any team in the region. Junior Steve Kim placed third in the 100 backstroke and fifth in the 200 individual medley at the section championships last year. Senior Joey Bennett added an eighth-place finish in the 100 backstroke.

The girls, under Coach Julie Parker, are expected to contend for the Pacific League title behind sophomore Kiyun Kim (200 individual medley, 100 butterfly) and junior J.J. Little (500 freestyle).

BIRMINGHAM: Senior Gretchen Ballard has been the best swimmer in the City Section since Olympian Kristine Quance graduated from Granada Hills three years ago. Ballard, who has competed at the Senior National level, has won five individual City titles the past three years in four different events. Ballard’s only loss in the City meet was to Stephanie Shapiro of Granada Hills in the 500 freestyle last year, but Ballard was training at the time for a U.S. Junior team meet in France.

The boys’ team will need to rebuild after losing several seniors from last year’s City championship team. But Coach Nick Rodionoff can look to Chris Costales, the City runner-up in the 100 backstroke.

LA CANADA: With the addition of two talented transfers, the Spartans are expected to be among the most-improved girls’ programs in the region. Junior Jennifer Abbey, who transferred from Flintridge Sacred Heart, placed second in the 200 individual medley and third in the 500 freestyle at the Division III championships last year. Senior Erin Walsh won the consolation championship in the 100 breaststroke at the Division II finals while swimming for Hart. They join sophomore Dana Stoddard, who placed sixth in the 200 freestyle and fifth in the 500 freestyle, and freshman Lisa Min. La Canada probably will contend for a top-five finish in Division III.

FLINTRIDGE SACRED HEART: The Tologs last season came out of nowhere to win the Division III girls’ team title with a squad dominated by underclassmen. They should still be competitive, even with the loss of Jennifer and Alison Abbey, who transferred to La Canada. Juniors Missy MacPherson and Megan Jones are back for the 500 freestyle.

ALSO NOTABLE: Sisters Stephanie and Natalie Shapiro helped lead Granada Hills to its first City girls’ title last season, combining to win three individual races. . . . Cleveland junior Mitchell Hester is the defending 50 freestyle City champion. . . . Saugus sophomore Heather Boylan won the 100 backstroke in Division II and the Centurions are the biggest Foothill League threat to Hart. . . . Royal juniors Jamie McIntyre (200 individual medley) and Country Duncan (100 backstroke) are the only returning Marmonte League swimmers to compete in the Division I finals last year. . . . Thousand Oaks, the defending Marmonte League champion, is expected to compete for the title again behind Jenny Duley (100 backstroke), Kelly Gunderson (100 butterfly) and Erin Thompson (freestyles). . . . Senior Albert Won of Harvard-Westlake was the Division II runner-up last year in the 100 breaststroke. . . . Burbank senior John Won had fourth-place finishes in the Division II finals in the 500 freestyle and 200 individual medley. . . . Louisville sophomore Kim Feig placed second in the Division III 100 backstroke.