Gyuris’ Impact Felt by Lancers

Leave it to Aron Gyuris to be the exception to the rule for the Thousand Oaks High boys’ swimming team.

With blond hair that sticks out in several directions, Gyuris looks very much the individualist.

So it was only appropriate that Gyuris, a sophomore, would be the only individual winner for Thousand Oaks as the Lancers claimed a share of the Marmonte League title Friday afternoon at Rancho Simi Community Pool.

Westlake entered the finals undefeated in dual meets, but the meet season counted for only half of what was needed for the team title. Thousand Oaks--second place in the dual meets--outscored the Warriors, 509-420, to claim its share.

Gyuris had the biggest impact for the Lancers. He won a duel with teammate Erik Johnsen in the 50-yard freestyle, winning in 22.01. He teamed with Johnsen, Marc Schilliner and Mike Scherner to finish first in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:31.08. And his time of 48.56 in the 100 freestyle beat Chris Adamick of Westlake by .66.

“I just wanted to get as many points as I could for us,” Gyuris said. “I figured that Erik and I would go 1-2 in the 50, and we did well in other events.”

The Lancers used loads of depth to overcome several solid performances by the Warriors.

Junior Dave Stelle won the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke for Westlake. Senior Jason Weber won the 200 freestyle in 1:46.61 and set a finals record in the 100 butterfly, finishing in 53.36, impressive considering it’s probably his third best event.

Weber, who will swim at Brown next year, will compete in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke--his best event--at the Southern Section Division I finals next week.

Weber switched to the butterfly in a futile attempt to catch up in points to the Lancers.

“We had only one guy in the butterfly and we needed the points,” Weber said. “I thought I might get a shot at the record.”

Stelle and Weber were also part of two relay records, teaming with Adamick and Ryan Shaw in the 200 medley and Adamick and Zach Shuler in the 400 freestyle. The 200 medley relay finished in 1:40.59, breaking the record of 1:40.72 set by Agoura in 1991. The 400 freestyle relay timed 3:16.94, breaking the 3:17.53 set by the Warriors last year.

Westlake, undefeated in girls’ dual meets, was able to hold off Camarillo, 424-413, to win the girls’ title outright.

The Warriors were led by freshman Taryn O’Leary, who won the 50 freestyle in 25.46 and was second in the 100 freestyle in 56.19.

Royal junior Ingrid Salazar had the most impressive individual performance, tying the finals record of 53.79 in the 100 freestyle, beating O’Leary by

almost 2.5 seconds. Salazar also won the 200 individual medley in 2:11.71.

Salazar combined with freshmen Carly Huffman, Jennifer Palmberg and Carrie Karamas for first place in the 200 medley and freestyle relay. Their time of 1:44.50 in the 200 freestyle set a new league record.

“Those freshman are going to be incredible in the next three years,” Salazar said.