LOS ALAMITOS The Sunset League swimming meet between Newport Harbor and host Los Alamitos on Tuesday gathered plenty of competitive racers.
The two boys teams and the two girls squads are ranked in their respective Orange County dual meet Top 10s.
Not surprisingly, all four teams embraced the competition and produced plenty of tight races.
Newport Harbor’s No. 9 boys collected an upset, edging No. 7 Los Alamitos, 87-83, in a meet decided in the final race, the 400-yard freestyle relay.
The Sailors led, 79-77, entering the event and touched first by just under a second to seal the victory. The team of Nick Halphide, Jason Grew, Charlie Covina and anchor Reece Hemmens blazed to a time of 3 minutes, 14.27 seconds to rally past Los Alamitos (3:15.11).
Hemmens split a 47.31 anchor for the Sailors, who improved to 2-0 in the Division 1 league.
“Boys competed and stepped up to the challenge,” Newport Harbor coach Ross Sinclair said in a text message Tuesday. “Total team effort.”
Newport Harbor took its first lead of the meet in the 200 free relay. The Sailors touched first-third to stake a 64-60 advantage.
The team of Hemmens, Grew, Max Sandberg and anchor Halphide placed first in 1:28.04.
Los Alamitos’ No. 3 third girls posted a 101-69 victory against the No. 7 Sailors to improve to 3-0 in the Sunset.
Aly Mendez and Bayley Weber helped spark the victory with a first-second finish in the 200 freestyle with touches of 1:55.54 and 1:55.70, respectively. The Griffins also placed first-second in the 200 free relay for a 10-point advantage in the event.
Sydney Rouse of Los Alamitos won the 50 free by four-tenths of a second with a 24.49.
Ayla Spitz of Newport Harbor impressed in victories in the 200 individual medley (2:05.30) and 100 back (county-leading 55.60).
“(Newport Harbor coach Brian) Melstrom and I were both pleased at how both teams brought out the fight and pushed each other,” Los Alamitos coach Dave Carlson said in a text message.
