Youth Scene: Newport starts season strong

The Newport Hills Killer Whales Swim Team opened their 2010 season this past Saturday, June 5 with a Newport Beach home meet versus the Green Valley Dolphins of Fountain Valley. Newport Hills Head Coach Michelle Sperling began the day feeling fairly optimistic, as the recent intra-squad Pentathlon of May 23 had furnished two new Killer Whale team and pool records. Hollace Barden had etched a new 15-18 Girls 50 yard Freestyle time of 25.69 into the books, and Taylor Cortens had established a new mark of 1:07.31 in the 11-12 Boys 100 yard Individual Medley.

Both the Newport Hills and Green Valley squads have always had a number of very strong individual swimmers----everyone of them normally steps it up a notch when these two teams face-off against each other. However, few expected that the first meet of the year would provide four new pool records and one new NHST team record-----four by the Killer Whales and one by the Dolphins.

Putting aside their numerous sterling individual performances and the fact that the always strong Dolphins finished second in both the regular season and the Relays Finals last year, the Killer Whales proved to be too deep on this day and ended with a 789 to 546 victory.

The Killer Whales were led by their Under 6 Girls, 7-8 Boys and their 9-10 Boys---all of which won all individual stroke events in their age group as well as both the Medley and Freestyle Relays.

Six swimmers for Newport Hills won three individual stroke events in their age group. In the Under 6 Girls, Bianca Bays won the 25 yard Freestyle, the 25 yard Breaststroke and the 25 yard Butterfly. Sophie Wallace in the 7-8 Girls division took the blue ribbon in the 25 yard Freestyle, the 25 yard Breaststroke and the 25 yard Butterfly, and in the 7-8 Boys, Jake Bays swam to wins in the 25 yard Freestyle, the 25 yard Breaststroke and the 25 yard Butterfly. Henry Wilde grabbed three first place finishes for the 9-10 Boys with wins in the 50 yard Freestyle, the 25 yard Butterfly and the 100 yard Individual Medley, and both Taylor Cortens and Hollace Barden not only won three individual stroke events, they also set new pool and team records in the process. In the 11-12 Boys, Taylor Cortens won the 50 yard Freestyle, the 50 yard Breaststroke and the 100 yard Individual Medley---setting a new pool record in the IM with a time of 1:06.81---breaking his recent mark. Hollace Barden won the 100 yard Freestyle, the 50 yard Butterfly and the 100 yard Individual Medley in the Girls 15-18---setting a new pool record in the 100 yard Freestyle with a time of 55.78---now the team and pool record-holder for both the 50 and 100 yard 15-18 Girls Freestyle records.

Jack Pluma, Madeline Musselman and Natalie Wilde were all two-time individual event winners for Newport Hills. In the Under 6 Boys, Jack Pluma won both the 25 yard Breaststroke and the 25 yard Butterfly. In the 11-12 Girls, Madeline Musselman was victorious in both the 50 yard Freestyle and the 50 yard Butterfly, and Natalie Wilde was a winner in both the 50 yard Backstroke and the 100 yard Individual Medley----setting a new Newport Hills Team record in the 50 yard Backstroke, with a time of 31.75.

Single individual stroke event winners for the Killer Whales included Kate Madigan in the Under 6 Girls 25 yard Backstroke, Brad Orcutt in the Under 6 Boys 25 yard Backstroke, Anna Wilde in the 50 yard 7-8 Girls Freestyle, Speedy Laster in the 25 yard 7-8 Boys Backstroke, Tommy Bethel in the 7-8 Boys 50 Yard Freestyle, Lauren Openshaw, who not only won the 50 yard 9-10 Girls Breaststroke, but ended up setting a new pool record of 37.03, Connor McManigal in the 9-10 Boys 50 yard Breaststroke, Morgan Cortens in the 9-10 Boys 50 yard Backstroke, Jonathan Polos in the 11-12 Boys 50 yard Butterfly, JT Russell in the 11-12 Boys 50 yard Backstroke, Shannon Frome in the 13-14 Girls 50 yard Butterfly, Brianna Daboub in the 13-14 Girls 100 yard Individual Medley, Ian Givant in the 13-14 Boys 100 yard Freestyle, and Anthony Daboub in the 15-18 Boys 100 yard Freestyle.

Cory Nguyen was a three-time individual event winner for the Dolphins----winning the 50 yard Butterfly, the 50 yard Backstroke and the 100 yard Individual Medley in the 13-14 Boys division.

Lyndon Tran (15-18 Boys 50 yard Breaststroke and 100 yard Individual Medley), Cassie Koger (9-10 Girls 50 yard Backstroke and 100 yard Individual Medley) and Samantha Soriano were two-time individual event winners for Green Valley. Samantha Soriano was a winner in the 9-10 Girls 50 yard Freestyle and the 25 yard Butterfly and even though she finished second to Lauren Openshaw of Newport Hills in the 50 yard Breaststroke, her time also broke the old pool record.

Single individual stroke event winners for the Dolphins included Caden Cunningham (Under 6 Boys 25 yard Freestyle), Kirsten Wong (&-8 Girls 25 yard Backstroke), Emme Bartlett (11-12 Girls 50 yard Breaststroke), Sarah Yao (who set a new pool record of 57.05 in the 13-14 Girls 100 yard Freestyle), Katelin Farrow (13-14 Girls 50 yard Breaststroke), Mary Lightbody (13-14 Girls 50 yard Backstroke), Khiem Huynh (13-14 Boys 50 yard Breaststroke, Anh Huyuh (15-18 Girls 50 yard Breaststroke), Ashlyn Sacchette (15-18 Girls 50 yard Backstroke), Denny Huang (15-18 Boys 50 yard Butterfly) and Peter Nguyen (15-18 Boys 50 yard Backstroke).

This should sum up the finals for the Mariners 3rd -4th silver girls final game

The mariners 3rd and 4th grade silver team , for the first time in Mariners history won the Pilot Cup tournament. They battled against Harbor View in the finals. Harbor View was up 1-0 in the first half but the Mariner girls battled back as 3rd grader Ava Wagoner, who lead the team with 8 goals in the tournament, scored the equalizer goal to send the game into a penalty kick shootout. Before the match started Coach Preston Kenny had the girls practicing penalty shot, which paid off. Ella Kenny, Holly Nance , Kate LaGrandeur and Ava Wagoner all scored with ease placing their shots in the corners like in warm ups. Harbor View made their goals as well. They were all tied up 4-4 and with the pressure on, Kili Skibby hit her shot over the keepers stretched out arms, to go up 4-5. Mariners goal keeper Kaela Whelan, who was outstanding throughout the tournament, blocked Harbor View’s final shot and bring the pilot Cup to Mariners for the first time.