IRVINE – Northwood’s boys swimming team is a rising Division 1 power because of its speed but the Timberwolves also showed their resolve Saturday in their debut at the Mission Viejo Invitational.
Orange County’s No. 4 dual-meet team overcame a disqualification in the 200-yard medley relay to capture three individual races and the two freestyle relays en route to a third-place finish in the team competition at the Woollett Aquatics Center.
The Timberwolves highlighted efforts by O.C. teams at the 45th annual meet, which moved north because of the ongoing renovation of the Marguerite Recreation Center.
San Clemente’s Brad Prolo helped pace county individuals by setting the meet record in the 100-yard breaststroke in prelims and outdueling Mission Viejo’s Min Zhu Chua for the title in the finals.
Northwood’s boys medley relay finished first in 1 minute, 34.11 seconds, which would have set a meet record, but was disqualified because its leadoff backstroker raced under water beyond the 15-meter mark.
But the reigning Pacific Coast League champion recovered. Shawn Lou swept the 50 (21.53) and 100 freestyles (46.24) in lifetime-best times while Hunter Hitchens touched first in 200 freestyle with a 1:41.23.
Lou also led off Northwood’s victorious 200 freestyle relay with a 21.56, teaming with Hwa Min Sim, Collin Press and Hitchens to clock a season-best 1:26.60.
The junior also led off the 400 free relay with 46.50, combining with Mack Nesbit, Henry Wu and Gabe Munoz for a first-place touch of 3:09.23.
“After getting DQ’d, our team wanted to come back, so we all tried extra hard,” said Lou, who posted four victories in as many swims in finals.
Northwood lost 48 points with the disqualification and finished with 415, a narrow second to Division 2 Redlands (420.50). Campolindo of Moraga defended its title with 512 points. Division 2 Redlands East Valley won the girls title.
Northwood’s boys hope their experience Saturday pays dividends later in the spring.
“I was hoping that we would have a good character-building meet,” Northwood coach Alex Nieto said. “We learn little lessons like the one we just learned with the medley relay and take it to a team like Uni(versity).”
Prolo blazed to a county-leading and lifetime-best matching 55.58 in the breaststroke in prelims, breaking the 2007 meet record of former Register swimmer of the year John Criste of Mission Viejo (56.17). The BYU-bound senior then outdistanced Chua by just under a second in the finals with a 56.04.
“I was hoping I was going to break the record because last year I was super close,” Prolo said. “I was thinking, ‘I got to get it in prelims.’ I’m usually tired for finals.”
Prolo’s 55.58 ranks him 10th in county history.
The county’s other individual champions were Chua (200 individual medley, 1:50.94), Crean Lutheran’s Kevin Chao (500 free, 4:35.67), Laguna Beach’s Kasey Karkoska (100 back, school-record 55.66) and Northwood’s Julia Gonik (100 breast, 1:05.84).
Chao dropped just over 7 seconds from his prelims time to claim his victory. He also attended a light morning practice and dance Friday night.
“I’m sore,” he said. “(But) I’m happy.”
Crean Lutheran standouts Eva Merrell (sick) and Elise Garcia (family) scratched finals. The juniors, however, posted fast times during the morning prelims. Merrell clocked a 1:50.93 in the 200 free while Garcia touched in a county-leading 23.33 in the 50 free, which would have won finals.
