University’s boys swim team can feel the excitement surrounding its season.
The Trojans appear loaded with enough CIF experience and talented newcomers to challenge for the Southern Section’s Division 1 title.
“I talked to (Coach Steve) Yancey over at Capo Valley. He’s saying Uni is going to take it (Division 1) this year,” University boys coach Tom Norton said. “I said, ‘Well, you never know. Loyola of Los Angeles is always strong.’ … (Two-time defending champion) Capo lost a lot of guys, but I’m looking at our team and we’ve got the depth and we’ve got a lot of great student-athletes.”
University finished a distant fourth last season in Division 1 and placed fifth and fourth, respectively, in 2012 and 2011.
This spring, the Trojans feature a senior class led by reigning Register swimmer of the year Corey Okubo and a junior class stacked with quality speed.
There’s even promise in the freshman and sophomore ranks.
“We have really high hopes for our team,” said Okubo, a senior who is bound for Princeton. “If we pull together at CIF, I think we’ll be really competitive and we’ll be able to place a lot higher than we did in previous years.”
Okubo enters the season as the county-record holder in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1minute, 47.07seconds from his victory at CIF last May. He recently lowered his best time in the 100 butterfly to 48.29 during a Speedo Champions Series meet in Texas with the Aquazot club.
More in the O.C. swim preview for 2014:
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While Okubo could join Michael Cavic (47.13) and Tom Shields (47.55) as the only male swimmers from the county to break 48 seconds in the butterfly, he will have plenty of support this season.
Notre Dame-bound senior Michael Schiffer returns as a double-CIF consolation finalist (200 individual medley and breaststroke), and senior Sam Lee did the same in the 50 and 100 freestyles last season.
There’s also excitement at University about the progress of Daniel Tran. The junior broke 50 seconds for the first time in the 100 backstroke with a 49.06 for the Aquazot in December. He then clocked a 49.45 at the Texas meet earlier this month.
Just think about University’s possibilities in the medley relay.
“I’m really excited to see what we can do,” Schiffer said. “Our team has a great deal of depth in all the events.”
The Trojans’ junior class includes double-CIF finalist Ken Takahashi (200 IM, 500 free), CIF point-scorers Judd Howard and Alejandro Ortiz along with Matthew Wong and emerging sprinter William Hofstadter. Howard blazed a 56.94 in the 100 breaststroke in Texas.
University also boasts talented freshmen Sean Messer, Andrew Knoell and George Horvath. All three are club swimmers with Aquazot.
“This year will be a special year,” Lee said. “Something, probably, Uni … has never seen before.”
SIZZLING IN TEXAS
Several other intriguing times were recently posted in Texas.
Woodbridge’s Daniela Georges blasted a 4:39.82 in the 500 free for Aquazot at the Speedo Champions Series meet in College Station. That’s 21/2seconds off Janet Evans‘ legendary 1988 time of 4:37.30, the oldest county record on the books and the former national record.
Georges, a junior, also blazed a 1:45.83 in 200 free, just off Katie McLaughlin’s stellar 2013 county record of 1:45.39. In the 200 individual medley, Georges touched in a swift 1:58.97.
NOTES
Foothill boys coach Jim Brumm has put the Knights’ coaching band from the late 1980s back together. Tom DeLong, who guided Foothill to five CIF boys titles, and Dave Simcox are coaching with the veteran Brumm. …
Crean Lutheran sophomore Tianna Jorgenson is a transfer from Victor Valley Christian. Jorgenson, who also has joined the SOCAL club, won the 50 free (24.58) at the CIF Division 4 finals last season and was second in the 100 free (53.33). …
Capistrano Valley senior swimmer Callum Robertson is a transfer from South Africa.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
