Sethsothorn Wins Individual Title

Some of Southern California’s best high school swimmers converged on the Marguerite Recreation Center Saturday for the 27th annual Mission Viejo Invitational, a 16-team meet that serves as a tune-up for the Southern Section championships.

Orange County swimmers fared well, particularly Mission Viejo’s Torwai Sethsothorn, whose two victories and 40 points gave him the boys’ individual title. Teammates Scott Davison (37) and Juan Carlo Piccio (33) finished in the top eight, along with Fountain Valley’s Brandon Dotts (33).

University freshman Yuuka Kikuchi (34) was tied for fourth in the girls’ individual standings.

Sethsothorn swam the 200 freestyle in 1 minute 44.70 seconds and also won the 100 backstroke (53.39). Davison, second in the 200 free, won the 500 free in 4:43.52. Dotts (54.20) finished behind Sethsothorn in the 100 back and was third in the 200 IM.

“My goal [in the 200] is to beat everyone by the 150 mark because I always slow down on the last leg,” Sethsothorn said.

San Diego Las Lomas captured the boys’ team title with 327.5 points, followed by Redlands (242) and Fountain Valley (241). San Diego Campolindo was the girls’ team champion with 394 points, Las Lomas was second (298) and Mission Viejo third (264).

With 25 meters remaining in the 100 free, Fountain Valley’s Jack Yarbrough had a slim lead, but Redlands’ Keith Davis (49.59) caught the Baron senior halfway home and passed him in the final five meters.

“I always get beat in the end,” said Yarbrough, who covered the distance in 50.81. “I don’t know why. It’s more of a mental thing.”

Fountain Valley Coach Ray Bray thinks otherwise.

“He needs to work on his turns,” Bray said. “He lost a little bit on each turn and it cost him.”

Kikuchi was second in the 200 IM (2:11.63) and the 100 back (59.17), helping University (167) to a fifth-place finish in the team standings. Mission Viejo’s Alison Vass took second place in the 500 free (5:09.94). Breanna Deters of Laguna Hills was third in the 100 butterfly (1:00.29.)

“This is the sort of experience that can really prepare a swimmer for CIF,” said Mission Viejo Coach Mike Pelton.

Capistrano Valley’s Erica Sorgi won the girls’ 1-meter diving event with 592.40 points, followed by Edison’s Allison Brennan (531.75) and Michelle Brown of Dana Hills (499). Dac Don Cho of Mission Viejo was the boys’ diving champion (603) and Edison’s Zach Simpson was third (354).