Eagles want to surprise

Steve Virgen

Year No. 4 for Estancia High girls swim coach Bob Bandaruk appears to

be quite promising, if anything it’s enough to get him excited and

confident.

“I want to win this league,” said Bandaruk, whose team is 5-0, 2-0

in the Golden West League. “I think we’re going to challenge for it.

If we don’t win it I think we’re going to make Orange and Costa Mesa

work real hard. We’re very deep all across the board.”

Bandaruk said senior Marilyn Reich is his top returner. She has

been swimming the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke.

She won the Golden West League title in the 100 breaststroke last

year and finished second in the 200 IM.

In a tightly contested 200 IM race, she ran out of gas toward the

end and finished in 2:37.14, second to Costa Mesa’s Allyson Harris at

2:33.75. The rematch should be one to watch.

In addition to Reich, the Eagles also include senior Britta Pitti,

who has been undefeated in the 500 freestyle this season. Junior

Courtney Hess and sophomore Carolina Barnes have also been

contributing to Estancia’s victories.

Barnes is on pace to be among the Golden West League’s top three

in the 50 free, Bandaruk said.

“We also have two freshman who are pretty good,” Bandaruk said.

“Sydney Barloon has been sort of surprise because she just came out

of nowhere to help us out, and Melissa Buchmann.”

Buchmann recorded Estancia’s first CIF consideration time this

year, going 1:08.15 in the 100 backstroke.

Last year, Estancia’s crosstown rival, Costa Mesa, won the Golden

West League title. The Eagles finished fifth out of the seven

schools. But Bandaruk expects Estancia to contend with the Mustangs

and Orange, which took second in the league last year.

“I have a good group,” Bandaruk said of his program. “I have a

good cast of freshmen who are on the junior varsity. It’s really nice

to see what they are doing. This season has been positive. We had 19

new kids that came out and they did not play water polo.”