Granada Hills Chases Title

Expect the unexpected when the Granada Hills High girls’ swimming team begins its quest for a seventh consecutive City Section title with today’s preliminary meet at 2 p.m. at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

To wit: The Highlanders will be led by senior Jennifer Ward, who won individual titles in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles last year but will not compete in either event this time.

Ward is entered in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly.

Cleveland’s versatile senior Amy Jones, who won City Section titles in the 50- and 100-freestyles as a sophomore and in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly last season, will compete in the 100 backstroke and 500 freestyle.

“There’s a lot of people swimming all over the place,” said El Camino Real senior Elizabeth Inai, the defending City champion in the backstroke and individual medley.

Besides Ward, Granada Hills will rely on Hitomi Aihara, a sophomore who placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley last year.

The Highlanders will be challenged for the team title by Palisades and El Camino Real, which finished second the last three years.

The Conquistadores, seeking their first title, have experienced swimmers competing in their last two meets under Coach David Johnson, who will not return next season.

Swimmers with the top 24 times from league final meets are competing in preliminaries. The top 12 finishers in each event today qualify for City finals on May 23.