Burroughs’ Wilson fills record book, as rival swim teams split league meet
BURBANK — It’s been an illustrious swimming career for Burroughs High junior Maya Wilson.
Coming into Wednesday’s Pacific League home dual meet against rival Burbank, the two-time All-Area Girls’ Swimmer of the Year had just one girls’ individual swimming record left to break.
It was Wilson’s goal as a Burroughs swimmer to own all eight of the program’s girls’ individual records, and it was mission accomplished when she finished the 100-yard backstroke race in a record-breaking 1 minute, 1.06 seconds to claim the final program individual mark.
Wilson also broke her own record in the 200 individual medley in 2:09.85 to help the Burroughs defeat Burbank, 96-70.
The Burbank boys’ team won seven races to claim a 109-54 victory.
“I have all of them now, which has been a goal of mine since I was in middle school. I remember emailing coach Jake [Cook] and introducing myself and saying, ‘Hi, I’m Maya. I want to break all the school records,’ and I did that today,” Wilson said.
The 100 backstroke record was previously held by Olga Sepa, who clocked 1:01.86 in 2005.
“That was the last one,” Cook said. “She asked me if she could swim the 200 IM and the 100 backstroke. That’s the only record she hasn’t broken yet, and I was like, ‘Sure, let’s do it,’ and she pulled it together. That was insane.”
Wilson was part of the Burroughs’ girls’ 200 medley relay team with Lilliana Noriega, Elana Merritt and Ema Nathan that finished first in a CIF consideration time of 2:00.26.
Wilson also swam lead-off in the 200 freestyle relay with Madeline Spangler, Nathan and Noriega that clocked another consideration time of 1:48.37.
“I just really wanted to have fun and see what I could do,” Wilson said. “I started to taper yesterday, so, today I had practice right before school and that was a little difficult. But I came here, I put on a suit, I swam as fast as I could and it turned out well.”
The Burroughs girls’ team (4-2 in league) also added individual victories from Spangler in the 200 freestyle (2:11.72) and Merritt in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.92).
The Indians also recorded a win in the 400 freestyle relay behind Spangler, Noreiga, Isabel Oporta and Isabella Mucha in 4:12.12.
“This one was crazy,” Cook said. “We were blessed with good weather today. This meet is always a week before Pacific League finals, so everyone always gets pumped up. We always see PRs come out this meet and that just gets them amped for next week. It gets their confidence up.”
The Burbank girls’ team (2-4) recorded four consecutive first-place finishes midway in the meet to cut the Burroughs lead to 54-52.
The Bulldogs received a pair of wins from Michelle Morlock in the 50 freestyle (26.62; consideration) and the 100 freestyle (58.40) and Emily Udall in the 100 butterfly (49.00; consideration) and the 500 freestyle (5:51.18; consideration).
“We’ve been talking about what we wanted to get done today for the last few days, even last week,” Burbank coach Cody Parker said. “The girls set goals ahead of time and they knew what they needed to get down so they can put themselves in a better situation at prelims next week.”
The Burbank boys’ (4-2) received individual wins from David Lee in the 50 freestyle in 23.06 and the 100 freestyle in a CIF consideration time of 50.04.
The sophomore, who led off the Burbank 400 medley relay team hat included Arsen Rostomyan, Ryan Feldman and Ashot Gavurmadzhyan, used his time in the 100 freestyle leg to help the Bulldogs win the meet’s final event in a consideration time of 3:25.89.
“Going into league finals, I think I want to get under the 49 margin,” Lee said. “That’s my goal for league. And, honestly, it doesn’t matter how much I drop in time. That’s all I’m looking for at this moment, and I’m proud to go 49.”
Lee was also part of the boys’ 200 medley relay team of Rostomyan, Feldman and Gavurmadzhyan that placed first and finished in a CIF automatic time of 1:43.33.
Individually, the Bulldogs received victories from Feldman in the 200 freestyle (1:53.46), Gavurmadzhyan in the 200 individual medley (2:17.96; consideration) and Rostomyan in the 100 backstroke (1:02.49; consideration).
Burroughs (3-3) recorded a pair of individual wins from Reigh Abaoag in the 100 butterfly (54.61) and the 100 breaststroke (1:02.08; automatic). Nathan Gault-Crabb added a win in the 500 freestyle (5:36.52).
The Burroughs’200 freestyle relay team of Abaoag, Gault-Crabb, Isaack Dowling and Drew Baelly won in 1:37.18.
Twitter: @ReporterVince