Locals continue to shine at meets

Erik Boal

GLENDALE -- Maryann Boosalis and Alyssa Chin missed out on the

opportunity to swim as teammates for La Canada High by one year.

Chin, who graduated June 13 and will attend the University of

Nevada-Reno in the fall, and Boosalis, a 14-year-old incoming freshman,

would have been a strong one-two punch for the Spartans given the

opportunity to compete together at the high school level.

Although La Canada couldn’t reap the benefits of such a talented

tandem, the Rose Bowl Aquatics team has been doing just that all summer,

most recently at the Southwest Conference Summer Championships.

Boosalis and Chin shined Friday at the Janet Evans Swim Complex in

Fullerton, especially in the 400-meter medley relay, as they teamed with

Nikki Dorough and Jennifer Ward to take fourth among 30 teams in 4

minutes 32.68 seconds.

Chin also looked strong earlier in the day, placing third in the 100

backstroke in 1:07.04, more than half a second below her preliminary

time.

Boosalis -- who qualified 51st out of 83 swimmers in the 100 butterfly

in 1:11.14 -- took 13th in the 200 individual medley in 2:30.47.

Only the 16 fastest competitors reach the finals, with the top eight

battling for the championship.

Crescenta Valley graduate and UC Irvine-bound Alexis Sheridan took

eighth in the girls’ 400 freestyle in 4:34.24, and Travis Taylor -- a CV

graduate and Clemson University sophomore -- also took eighth in the

boys’ 400 freestyle in 4:15.06.

Taylor clocked the second-fastest prelim time of 4:07.65.

Sheridan -- representing Swim Pasadena -- teammed with Lindsay Taylor,

Alexandra Wiley and Khawinda Kuhn to place 18th in the 400 medley relay

in 4:44.53.

CV 14-year-old sophomore Amanda Miller -- representing Rose Bowl

Aquatics -- teamed with Alexandra Rogers, Kim Wong and Pam Wong to finish

13th in 4:40.66.

Miller was 40th in the 100 butterfly trials in 1:10.36, just behind

Lindsay Taylor, who was 37th in 1:09.94. Lindsay Taylor also qualified

36th out of 86 swimmers in the 200 individual medley in 2:33.85.

Travis Taylor, along with Larry Chong, Brendan Everman and David Song,

competed for Swim Pasadena in the 400 medley relay and took 20th out of

27 teams in 4:17.06.

Kimmy Evanilla, an 18-year-old Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy

graduate, was 35th in the girls’ 400 freestyle trials in 4:43.39.

JUNIOR OLYMPICS BLUE MEET

Zachary Taylor, 10-year-old brother of Lindsay and Travis, competed in

two events in the boys’ 10-and-under division Friday at the Southern

California Swimming Junior Olympics Blue Meet at the Paul Nelson Aquatic

Center in Santa Maria.

Taylor -- representing Swim Pasadena -- took sixth in the 200

long-course individual medley in 2:57.46.

Taylor dropped more than 2.5 seconds from his prelim mark in the 100

long-course freestyle to place 10th in 1:14.22.

Megan McAllen, a 16-year-old junior at Flintridge Prep, and Melissa

Siracuse, a 16-year-old senior at Flintridge Sacred Heart, both

represented Swim Pasadena in the girls’ 15-and-older 200 long-course

individual medley Friday.

McAllen took sixth in 2:37.50 and Siracuse -- who could do no better

than ninth because she was entered in the consolation heat -- placed 10th

in 2:35.57, more than five seconds better than her preliminary mark.

JUNIOR OLYMPICS RED MEET

Danny Evanilla, 14-year-old brother of Kimmy, won the boys’ 400-meter

long-course freestyle event Friday at the Southern California Swimming

Junior Olympics Red Meet at the Cypress College Aquatics Center.

Evanilla -- who was representing Rose Bowl Aquaitcs -- dropped more

than eight seconds from his preliminary time to win the boys’ 13- and

14-year-old race in 4:20.05, exactly four seconds ahead of his nearest

competitor.

Evanilla also swam the 200 long-course individual medley Friday,

taking seventh in 2:30.69. On Thursday, he won the 200-long course

freestyle in 2:02.67, more than two seconds faster than his preliminary

effort.

Glendale High’s Christina Sher, a 15-year-old sophomore, competed in

the girls’ 15-and-older 400 long-course freestyle Friday, taking seventh

in 4:51.45. Sher had clocked 4:50.87 in the morning’s prelims, which was

the fifth-fastest time entering the finals.

On Thursday, Sher -- also representing Rose Bowl Aquatics -- competed

in the 200 long-course freestyle (2:20.42) and 400 long-course individual

medley (5:44.74), taking eighth and 16th, respectively.

Carolyn Boosalis, 12-year-old sister of Maryann, took fifth in the

girls’ 11- and 12-year-old 200 long-course individual medley Friday,

clocking 2:40.67.

Boosalis, yet another Rose Bowl Aquatics team member, competed in the

50 long-course breaststroke Thursday, placing 14th in 41.27.