Irvine Is Traveling First Class

It was 15 years ago that Scott Hinman began coaching girls’ swimming at Irvine High. Back then, the Vaquero team traveled to the Southern Section finals in a van.

“We would only have five or six swimmers make the finals,” Hinman said. “And only one of those was a girl.”

But ever since Olympian Amanda Beard set foot on the Irvine pool decks, things have changed, and now when the Vaqueros head to the finals, a bus is required just for the girls.

Irvine has sent 14 to 16 girls to the finals each of the last four years. The result? Four consecutive Division I titles.

This year, the Vaqueros are again the favorites, perhaps even more so than in past years. And while many attribute this to the addition of three outstanding swimmers, each of whom competes for the Irvine Novaquatics club team, Hinman says it is more than that.

“This is a team sport,” he said. “More so than many think. Yeah, we have some stars here. And that is what is so difficult. Selling kids on the fact that even though they aren’t the top swimmers on the team and they aren’t the ones getting all the media attention, they are just as important.”

Hinman said half of his eight returning seniors didn’t come out this season because they felt the team didn’t need them. But he had high praise for the ones who did.

“They are my stalwart seniors,” Hinman said of Ashley Gore, Stephanie Hsiao, Krista Little and Rebecca Robb.

Gore is so dedicated to the team, Hinman said, she shows up at 5:45 every morning to help coach the lower-level practices.

“They are all really pumping up the team aspect of the sport,” Hinman said. “And they are giving back. That shows success, when you are developing people, not just swimmers.”

Hinman would be the first to give credit to the Novaquatics club for its part in Irvine’s success.

Two of the county’s top freshmen--Courtney Cashion and Diana MacManus--came to Irvine from the Novaquatics, who share the same training facility at Heritage Park.

MacManus, 14, finished fourth at the Olympic trials in the 100-meter backstroke in 1 minute 2.33 seconds, a career best.

Cashion, 14, who began swimming competitively only three years ago, also competed in the trials, where she finished in the middle of the pack in the 50- and 100-meter freestyles.

Add 16-year-old transfer Flora Kong from Hong Kong, who competed in the butterfly in the Sydney Olympics, and six returning Southern Section qualifiers, and Hinman is thinking about national high school records.

“We could come very close to hitting a national record in the medley relay,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure who will swim that race yet, but we have a lot of kids who do a lot of things very well.”

Sophomore Sarah Hamilton swam the breaststroke leg of the relay last season, teaming with Little, Hsiao and Gore. The possibility of Cashion, MacManus and Kong stepping in leads one to see why the team may have high expectations. But it also tests the team aspect, as swimmers might be pushed out of races they swam last year in favor of younger, faster teammates.

“I’m going to be kicked off the relay team I’ve been swimming on for three years,” said Gore, who resigned from club swimming recently to concentrate on her high school team.

“Yeah, it’s a little disappointing,” she said. “But to see us with a chance to break national records and win CIF again, it’s worth it. I’ve already been there and done it, now it’s time to give someone else a chance. We’ve got a really strong camaraderie on this team.”

Said Hinman: “It’s tough. You have to be able not to be jealous and be mature enough to handle it. And my team is. They will all do whatever it takes to help each other and win.”

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AT A GLANCE / Girls’ Swimming

* The Proven: Canyon’s Erin Volcan won Southern Section titles in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Erin Sieper of Esperanza won a 100 breaststroke section title, posting the fastest time in the county last season. Marina’s Lauren Weisenthal recorded top-five times in the county in the 200 and 500 freestyle and the 200 individual medley. Kristen Caverly returns at San Clemente after finishing fourth at the Olympic trials in the breaststroke, as does Sarah Jones, who shared Division I swimmer-of-the-year honors with El Toro’s Kaitlin Sandeno. An Olympic bronze medalist, Sandeno is set on breaking national high school records this year. San Clemente’s Stephanie Chambers, Stephanie Cadman and Lauren O’Neil were all section finalists. University junior Jessica Hayes is one of the county’s best free stylers. Shannon Packard and Erika Figge return for defending champion Santa Margarita.

* The Promising: Senior diver Tiffany Manning of Capistrano Valley finished second in the section finals. Kennedy’s Melissa Delzeit qualified for the section finals in the backstroke. La Quinta senior Marissa Linares is the two-time defending backstroke champion in the Garden Grove League. Freestyle sprinter Jessica Levin returns to Los Alamitos. Newport Harbor’s Carly Geehr (freestyle, breaststroke) is expecting big things now that her torn rotator cuff is healed, and sophomore teammate Nicole Mackey is back in the butterfly and the individual medley.

* Preseason Top 10: 1. Irvine--Favored to win its fifth consecutive title; 2. Newport Harbor--Lost one standout but new swimmers should be able to fill in; 3. San Clemente--Good depth and solid freshmen; 4. Laguna Hills--Lost several seniors but will still give Newport Harbor a race for second place; 5. Santa Margarita--The Division II champions lost several seniors but are still strong; 6. Esperanza--The Sunset League champions have everyone back; 7. El Toro--Expected to fight San Clemente for the league title; 8. Foothill--Has the most depth in the Century League; 9. Capistrano Valley--Should take third in the tough South Coast League; 10. Canyon--Strong squad, led by Volcan, that could give Foothill a run.

* Key Dates: Today--Capistrano Valley Relays; March 27-April 1--U.S. Spring Nationals; March 29-31, Foothill Swim Games; April 5, 7, CIF girls’ relays; May 9-11, Southern Section preliminaries; May 10-12, Southern Section finals.

* League Favorites: Century--Foothill; Empire--El Dorado; Freeway--Sunny Hills; Garden Grove--Pacifica; Golden West--Tustin; Orange--Brea Olinda; Pacific Coast--Corona del Mar; Sea View--Irvine; Serra--Santa Margarita; South Coast--San Clemente; Sunset--Esperanza.

* Fast Fact: The Foothill Swim Games will be without some of the county’s top swimmers, according to Irvine Coach Scott Hinman, because this year’s meet conflicts with the U.S. Spring Nationals.