Finals tough for locals

BURBANK HIGH — Keeping up with league powerhouses Crescenta Valley and Arcadia highs proved to be difficult for the Burbank and Burroughs swimming teams at the Pacific League final meet on Thursday at Burbank.

The Falcons won the boys’ side with 657.50 points, while the girls’ side was won by Arcadia with 564 points.

The Bulldogs boys’ team took third (206) while its girls’ team placed fourth (152) and the Indians’ teams both captured fifth place with a boys’ score of 127 and a girls’ score of 123.

“I scored everything out and the boys were one point behind Glendale coming into finals, so the goal was to beat Glendale and keep third place like we did last year,” Burbank Coach Adam Wright said. “In the girls’, we were two points ahead of Burroughs for fourth place coming into finals and the goal was to beat them to avenge that [April 23] dual-meet loss.

“Both goals worked out. We had some kids that stepped up ... It was a group effort and it was fantastic.”

Burbank was paced by third-place finishes in the 400-yard freestyle relay on both sides.

Jun Hee Lee, Ernest Ha, James Berman and Marc Anunta finished in 3 minutes, 34.27 seconds, while Sara Puranan, Helena Lee, Rachel Udall and Paula Moren swam a 4:07.59.

Anunta also had a pair of third-place finishes in the 50 (22.80) and the 100 freestyle (50.13). James Berman finished third for the Bulldogs in the 500 freestyle in 5:16.70.

Burroughs’ boys finished second in the 200-freestyle relay behind a 1:35.34 effort from Nick Fiock, Doug Ashford, Alex Ueno and Michael Singhanate.

On the girls’ side, Mikela Velasquez finished fourth in the 100 freestyle in 57.19.