Beard, Demers, West Win Titles

Amanda Beard, Philippe Demers and Steve West, all members of the Irvine Novaquatics, won events at the California State Swimming Championships Sunday.

Beard, an Olympic Gold medalist, took first in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2 minutes 14.99 seconds. She had won the 100 backstroke in 1:03.4 Saturday.

Demers won the men’s 100 freestyle in 44.56 and West won the 200 backstroke in 2.00.27 Sunday.

Demers and West had also won events on Saturday. Demers finished first in the 200 freestyle in 1:37.49.

Demers, a senior at Santa Margarita High, just missed winning the 200 butterfly. Steve Brown of Reno won in 1:46.14 and Demers was second in 1:46.16.

West won the 100 breaststroke in 56.21.