Costa Mesa swimming sweeps rival Estancia for fifth straight year
Aidan Blair is an accomplished club swimmer with the Golden West Swim Club, but the Costa Mesa High junior still has fun in high school meets.
Blair sported temporary tattoos with the Costa Mesa logo on each of his cheeks Wednesday, as well as one on his forehead.
“It’s a lot more fun than club meets,” Blair said. “Club meets I feel are kind of like tight and everyone’s nervous. High school meets, everyone just has fun.”
The Mustangs definitely had fun in the Battle for the Bell meet against rival Estancia at home. They swept the Orange Coast League meet for the fifth straight year.
Costa Mesa’s boys won 124-46, while the girls were victorious by a 113-57 score.
Blair played a big part in the win on the boys’ side for Costa Mesa (4-0 in league). He won the 100-yard freestyle in 47.42 seconds, and the breaststroke in 1 minute 2 seconds. Blair was also part of two winning relays. Caedmon Fisher, Grant Gostin, Blair and Will Harrington won the 200 medley relay in 1:48.32, while the same quartet won the 200 free relay in 1:36.80.
Blair, who set the Mustangs’ 200 IM, butterfly and breaststroke school records last year as a sophomore, is continuing to make his mark. He set the team’s backstroke record in last week’s nonleague meet against Katella and almost set the 100 free record against Estancia, as the time of 47.42 approached Steve Kunst’s mark of 47.30 from 1989.
“I felt like I could have done a little better in the 100 free, to get the school record, but next time,” Blair said.
Will Harrington was another dual winner for the Mustangs, who won every event on the boys’ side. He won the 200 freestyle in 1:52.95 and the 500 in a season-best 5:03.61. Gabe Gerber won the 200 IM, coming back to edge teammate Teak Zachary in 2:21.21, and the butterfly in 1:01.98. The Mustang boys also won the 400 free relay, as Joey Palmblade, Gerbers, Gavin Fisher and Beau Zachary touched in 3:41.29.
“It’s good for where we are in the season,” Costa Mesa coach Tim Postiff said. “We’re kind of tired … [Harrington] is getting there. He’s been working really hard.”
Noah Gniffke provided a highlight for the Estancia boys (2-2 in league). Coach Amber Peters said that Gniffke dropped seven seconds to place second in the 500 free in 5:05.40.
Blair’s younger sister, Sophie, a sophomore, was a double winner for the Costa Mesa girls (3-1 in league). She won the 200 freestyle (2:13.87) and the 500 free (5:48.12). Sey Currie also had a strong meet, as she won the butterfly in 1:10.79 and was second in the individual medley to Estancia junior Sydni White.
Hanna Jackson won the 100 free in 1:02.35, and Alyssa LeCours took the 100 breast in 1:21.47. The Mustangs also won both of the freestyle relays.
White won the IM in 2:32.34 and also the backstroke in 1:06.01, accounting for two of the three individual event victories for the Estancia girls (2-2 in league).
“I’ve been trying to get [CIF Southern Section Division 3] consideration times for both of those,” White said. “I knew that this meet would help me get toward those times more than I already am. It was just using the other team as competition to improve my times, so I was definitely happy with the outcome today because I did improve them quite a bit.”
Cassie Corrigan won the 50 free in 27.87 for the Eagles, and White, Corrigan, Caroline Conner and Talulah Prow combined to win the 200 medley relay in 2:09.67.
Each team has one league dual meet remaining before the league finals. Costa Mesa hosts Orange and Estancia swims at Santa Ana, both on April 17.
Twitter: @mjszabo
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