Fine efforts in meet
No area swimmers captured titles at the 2010 CIF Southern Section Masters Meet.
However, a group of athletes were able to end their season with fine efforts in the event May 18 at Long Beach’s Belmont Plaza Pool.
“It was fun, and a good note [to end the season on],” said La Cañada boys’ Coach Art Lopez, who also coached the only Spartans girls’ entrants. “I know some of the kids were a little off on their times, but this meet is a difficult meet to hold [a taper for] because the excitement, the energy is all for CIF.
“It’s all about the team pride and spirit, and going for a title. This one is just for fun, the kids have a good time.”
La Cañada was paced by girls’ swimmer Kathryn Campbell, who placed second in the 500-yard freestyle in 4 minutes, 51.77 seconds. The event was won by Lynette Lim of Palm Springs in 4:45.95. Campbell also finished fourth in the 200 freestyle in 28.25.
“The kids did well overall,” Lopez said. “We’re looking for a great future from Katy Campbell and Brandon Nguyen and [Bradley Mattix], who was on our medley relay.”
“Katy was off on her time in the 200 and 500 that she did at CIF, but that was her goal, to get to those places, and that’s what her taper was for. Trying to hold on to a distance event like that back to back is real difficult. [Runner-up in the 500] is still an accomplishment.”
Katy’s bother, Alex, swam to a fifth-place finish in the boys’ 100 freestyle (47.08) and was sixth in the boys’ 100 backstroke (52.56).
Nguyen was fifth in the boys’ 100 breaststroke (58.55), and Sarah Olson was 21st in the girls’ 50 freestyle (25.09).
In relays, the La Cañada boys’ 200 individual medley group of Bradley Mattix, Nguyen, Ben Sullivan and Campbell placed 10th (1:38.50), and the boys’ 200 freestyle relay group of Seung Woo Chung, Sullivan, Nguyen and Mattix placed 20th (1:30.60).
“Brandon, as a freshman, it’s phenomenal because most boys are peaking as juniors and seniors, and he’s right up there in the breaststroke and the [individual medley],” Lopez said. “He’s got a great future ahead of him.”
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy senior Andrea Kropp was scheduled to swim in the 200 individual medley, where she was seeded second, and the 100 breaststroke, where she was the fourth seed. However, the senior decided to pull out of the meet the night before, according to Tologs Coach Steve Bergen.
Senior Christina Brandt took Kropp’s place in the 200 medley relay alongside freshmen Meg Ryan and Emily Balog and senior Madeline Talt to turn in a 23rd-best time of 1:57.65.
“She’s been a great senior, an alternate on a lot of these teams,” Bergen said of Brandt. “She’s never had a chance to race [at Masters], but she got her chance today.
“It was disappointing not to have Andrea today, but it’s been a great year.”