Vaquero Teams Expected to Dominate at Foothill

The top-ranked boys’ and girls’ swim teams from Irvine High are expected to continue their domination of county competitors at the Foothill Swim Games beginning today at Foothill High School.

The Vaquero girls are aiming for their sixth consecutive Foothill Games title, while the boys are going for their fourth in a row at the 29-year-old meet. The girls’ preliminaries begin at 3 today. The boys’ prelims begin at 3 p.m. Friday, with the finals at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The Irvine girls’ team is so deep and talented that it likely won’t miss freshman Diana MacManus and senior Stephanie Hsiao, who are competing at the USA Swimming national championships this week in Austin, Texas. MacManus is swimming in the 100-meter backstroke and Hsiao in the 200-meter individual medley.

The Irvine boys will be at full strength and are coming off their fourth -consecutive CIF Relays title last weekend at Long Beach Belmont Plaza.

Irvine’s Gonny Shimura will defend his titles in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke this weekend. Shimura is expected to be challenged by Canyon’s Chris Meyer, who has clocked a 49.20 in the 100 freestyle this year; Shimura’s best is 49.87. Shimura has the county’s best time (54.07) in the 100 backstroke this season.

Canyon’s Erin Volcan is also defending two titles. She set the meet record in the 100 backstroke (56.71) last year and just missed the record in the 200 freestyle (1:50.60). She is expected to get a battle in the 100 freestyle from Courtney Cashion, an Irvine freshman who has the county’s top time (52.34), with Volcan second at 52.88. Newport Harbor’s Carly Geehr, who decided not to compete at the nationals and concentrate on training and getting in shape after a recent illness, should also challenge and has a season-best of 53.31.

Geehr is also the defending champion in the 100 breaststroke, and will be challenged by Irvine’s Sarah Hamilton, who has the county’s second-fastest time in the breaststroke this season: 1:07.64.

Newport Harbor, which lost the most swimmers to the nationals, has yet to swim at full strength. The Sailors will be without Olympian Aaron Peirsol, Ryan Lean, Nicole Mackey and Hayley Peirsol.

San Clemente will be without Kristen Caverly, who is competing at the nationals in the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys, the 200-meter breaststroke and the 200-meter backstroke.

Another Olympic medal winner, El Toro’s Kaitlin Sandeno, is also in Texas.

Along with the absence of several top swimmers, the Foothill Games is also without one of the county’s top teams. Santa Margarita, which was third overall last year, will compete at the Concord De La Salle Championships Friday and Saturday.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

SWIMMING TOP 10

Orange County Coaches’ Poll

(records through March 26)

GIRLS

*--*

Pos. School League 1. Irvine Sea View 2. Newport Harbor Sea View 3. San Clemente South Coast 4. Santa Margarita Serra 5. Foothill Century 6. Laguna Hills Sea View 7. Capistrano Valley South Coast 8. Canyon Century 9. Esperanza Sunset 10. Corona del Mar Pacific Coast

*--*

BOYS

(records through March 26)

*--*

Pos. School League 1. Irvine Sea View 2. Santa Margarita Serra 3. Fountain Valley Sunset 4. Edison Sunset 5. Capistrano Valley South Coast 6. Villa Park Century 7. Newport Harbor Sea View 8. Mission Viejo South Coast 9. Dana Hills South Coast 10. Canyon Century

*--*