Boys’ Swimming Preview: Growth is objective for city trio

Change and growth are on tap this season for the city of La Cañada Flintridge as its three boys’ swimming teams look for progress in 2016.

Graduation was responsible for the departure of the city’s strongest swimmers, as La Cañada High’s Dane Bell, who tied for a CIF Southern Section Division II title in the 500-yard freestyle, and St. Francis’ Douglas Nogueira, both All-Area swimmers, have moved on and Flintridge Prep’s league championship squad saw more than its share of departures.

Perhaps the largest void was left at La Cañada on the pool deck, though, as longtime coach Art Lopez, one of the area’s most decorated coaches across any sport, is no longer leading the Spartans.

Lopez coached the Spartans to three straight Division III championships and a string of Rio Hondo League titles from 2007 to 2013.

Succeeding Lopez is Dave Hill, who must deal with replacing the likes of Bell and Matt Varraveto.

With those absences and flux in other events, the Spartans won’t have a set team for quite some time.

Hill confirmed he has 12 varsity swimmers with a few of them switching between varsity and junior varsity competitions.

One returner who doesn’t figure to flip between squads is Sasha Vilesov.

The junior finished second at last year’s Rio Hondo League 50-yard freestyle championship in 22.16 seconds and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division II prelims in the 100 butterfly (53.88).

Sophomores Daniel Beck and Christos Menemenlis are both back this season with Beck competing in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke and Menemenlis in the 200 individual medley and 100 fly.

Hill is also expecting big things from three Rose Bowl Aquatics freshman newcomers in Juan Grases, Eddie Cosic and Thomas Hoffman and Foothill Dragon freshmen Sun Choi and Josh Kim.

“We are trying to establish a solid foundation that will set the team up for future success,” Hill said. “We are also trying to get some relays at CIF as well as some individual swims.

“We are interested in facilitating the growth of not only the individual swimmer as an athlete and a person, but also of the program as a whole.”

Although not quite to the extent it saw last year, Flintridge Prep was once again impacted significantly by graduation.

CIF qualifiers Diego Delgado, Gary Lee and Kevin Park are all gone, leaving a squad of mostly water polo players for the two-time defending Prep League champs.

“The 50 free and 100 free should be a hot commodity for every meet,” Rebels Coach Ingrid Herskind said.

Versatile junior Andy Langan will be the top swimmer for Prep, with sophomore Brett Bell also in the mix.

Webb should provide the Rebels with their toughest challenge in league.

St. Francis has opened up its second-year program to all students after making it available to year-round club swimmers last season.

Coach Brady Lowdermilk says there are now 20 swimmers in the program overall, including junior varsity. The Golden Knights had one of the area’s top swimmers last year in the graduated Douglas Noguiera, who took sixth in the backstroke in Division I.

This year the varsity squad returns 3/4 of last year’s CIF 400-freestyle relay team in junior Gabriel Azabache and seniors Noah Hirshon and Michael Humphrey.

St. Francis will practice at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and compete in the Mission League.