It was arguably the No. 1 story of the offseason, and it will be one of the most intriguing story lines during the CIF-SS Division 1 swim finals Saturday night.
The transfer of Katie McLaughlin and the ensuing waves will certainly give Orange County aquatics fans something additional to ponder amid the potential slew of records and races for the team titles.
The finals at Riverside City College start at 5 p.m.
A scoring based on prelims illustrates the significance of McLaughlin’s move from JSerra to Santa Margarita prior to the season. Santa Margarita projects to capture its first Division 1 title with 263.5 points with the two-time defending champion Lions headed for second with 207.
Subtract McLaughlin’s projected 38 points in the 200-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly from the Eagles’ total and give the points to JSerra, and the Lions lead, 245-225.5.
The transfer “certainly created a lot of parity between the two schools in terms of competitive equity,” said Kristine Palle, Southern Section assistant commissioner. “It wasn’t anything that was an athletic deal. I think it was more a personal thing for the family and a family choice. … It will be interesting to see how it all pans out.”
There might be other potential factors in the girls race. Santa Margarita diver Annie Whelan scratched because of a conflict with IB testing.
But either way, the team races will add drama to the finals. Flintridge Sacred Heart, Foothill and Edison appear the top contenders for third place.
University’s boys project to score 350 points, nearly 100 points more than the team projected to finish second, Loyola of Los Angeles. Edison and Corona del Mar appear headed for a duel for third.
CREAN MOVING UP?
There have been discussions about moving Crean Lutheran’s girls and the other Academy League schools to Division 2 for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Palle said. Crean Lutheran’s girls claimed a second consecutive Division 3 title on Thursday.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER
Corona del Mar’s Meagan Popp, a rising junior who qualified for a pair of finals in Division 1, has strong swimming bloodlines.
Her father, Craig Popp, was a standout at El Toro in the 1980s and went on to swim at Cal with Olympic great Matt Biondi. In 1983, Craig Popp clocked a 1:50.28 in the 200 individual medley and a 57.08 in the 100 breaststroke to rank third in county history at the time in each event.
Corona del Mar girls coach Doug Volding said ex-El Toro water polo and swim coach Don Stoll ribbed him recently for not mentioning Craig Popp’s daughter to him earlier.
Meagan Popp, a club swimmer with the Irvine Novaquatics, qualified fourth for the finals in the 200 free with a 1:49.77 and third in the 500 free with a 4:50.71. Both times were school records.
LONG-DISTANCE THREATS
Capistrano Valley’s Nick Norman in Division 1 and Ryan Kao of Kennedy in Division 2 are among the swimmers to watch Saturday in the 500 free.
Norman qualified first with a county-leading 4:24.48, while Kao qualified first in Division 2 with a 4:33.20.
TOP JUNIOR GIRLS
Southern California’s Class of 2015 girls looks like a gold mine for college recruiters. The top prospects from Orange County are (in no particular order) Ella Eastin of Crean Lutheran, McLaughlin, Kaitlyn Albertoli of JSerra and Daniela Georges from Woodbridge.
Outside of the county there’s Abbey Weitzeil of Saugus, the state record holder in the 50 and 100 freestyles.
NEVER EASY IN D1
Division 1’s reputation for tough competition was affirmed with multiple swim-offs in prelims for one of the nine spots in the championship finals.
Among the swimmers to watch in the finals who won swim-offs: University’s Michael Schiffer (200 IM), Marina’s Jacquelyn Harris (100 butterfly) and Hart of Newhall’s Kevin Moore (50 free).
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
