Mission Viejo Girls Up to Challenge

Rick Rowland was strutting on the pool deck, yelling at his coaches and swimmers as if he were in the World Wrestling Federation.

His Santa Margarita girls’ team was tied with sixth-ranked Mission Viejo at the Marguerite Recreation Center. The final event would determine the winner. But the Diablo girls met the Santa Margarita challenge, winning the 400 freestyle relay in 3 minutes 47.79 seconds and the meet with 224 points. Santa Margarita, ranked ninth, finished with 218 and Foothill had 166.

“I love it. This is what it’s all about,” Rowland screamed after hearing that his girls were tied with the Diablos going into the last event of the triangular meet, which also included Foothill. “You got to love this pressure.”

The Mission Viejo boys won their meet with 227 points. Foothill was second (193) and Santa Margarita third (188).

“After Irvine, Fountain Valley and [Ventura] Buena, it’s pretty much a coin flip as to who the best girls’ team in the [Southern Section] is,” Mission Viejo Coach Mike Pelton said. “But this meet could have gone either way. And there were plenty of fast times and great swims. And what more can you ask for.”

Freshman Lindsey Hartman led the Mission Viejo girls, winning the 50 (25.51) and 100 freestyles (55.87). Both swims were Southern Section qualifying times. Hartman was also on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relay teams. Teammate Melissa Ramsey, also a freshman, took first in the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.96, also a section qualifying time. Andrea Sargent, a junior, won the 100 backstroke in 1:01.52.

Santa Margarita’s Siobhan Herlihy was the Eagles’ top performer, winning the 200 freestyle (1:59.74) and the 500 free (5:14.27). Sophomore Dominique Rash edged Mission Viejo’s Christina Murphy to win the 200 individual medley in 2:15.63. Rash’s teammate, Kristin Buhagiar, won the 100 butterfly (1:04.95).

With three of its top three swimmersaway on recruiting trips, the top-ranked Mission Viejo boys still held off Foothill, ranked third in the county, and fifth-ranked Santa Margarita.

The Diablos’ Juan Rodela, Evan Ray, Piotr Florczyk and Slawomir Richter started the meet by recording a county-best 200 medley relay time of 1:40.74 to win. And though Mission Viejo captured only two individual events, the 100 breast and 500 free, the Diablos’ depth carried the day, placing second, third or fourth in every event.

Florczyk, a senior, beat James Thornton of Foothill in the 500 free (4:39.94), a time well below the Southern Section qualifying time standard. Sophomore Ray Evan was the other winner for Mission Viejo, taking the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.24.

“I’m really happy with the results of the meet,” Pelton said. “With three of our top swimmers gone, it gives us the chance to let the younger swimmers swim some events to get the experience.”

Foothill’s Thornton finished three seconds ahead of Santa Margarita’s Matt Shipstead in the 200 free (1:47.79) to win the event and Rob Arroyo’s winning 100 free time of 48.19 was the third fastest in the county this season.

Philippe Demers continued to dominate individual events. The Santa Margarita senior won the 200 individual medley (1:54.50) and the 100 backstroke (51.58). Both were county-best times.

This season, Demers has recorded the fastest times in the county in five of eight individual events. Teammate Frank Uxa, was also a double winner for the Eagles, taking the 50 free (21.31) and the 100 butterfly (53.89). Both were personal bests for Uxa.

In nonleague girls’ swimming:

Fountain Valley 112, El Toro 58--Senior Laura Tucker won the 200 freestyle (1:58.53) and 100 backstroke (1:0.41) for second-ranked Fountain Valley. Both of Tucker’s times are Southern Section qualifying times.

Sophomore Lara Reaves of El Toro upset senior Christine Motschman of Fountain Valley in the 100 butterfly. Reaves’ winning time of 1:00.14 is the second fastest in the county.

In nonleague boys’ swimming:

El Toro 98, Fountain Valley 72--The Chargers won the last three events--the 100 backstroke, the 100 breast and the 400 free relay--to pull ahead of Fountain Valley.