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  • Tesoro's Jessica Epps competes in the 100 butterfly at the...

    Tesoro's Jessica Epps competes in the 100 butterfly at the the Academy League Finals at Capistrano Valley High on Thursday.

  • Tesoro's girls celebrate a third consecutive South Coast League title...

    Tesoro's girls celebrate a third consecutive South Coast League title on Thursday at Capo Valley.

  • Dana Hills' Owen Kao enters the water at the start...

    Dana Hills' Owen Kao enters the water at the start of the 200 freestyle at the South Coast League Finals at Capistrano Valley High on Thursday.

  • Dana Hills' Owen Kao swims in the 500 freestyle at...

    Dana Hills' Owen Kao swims in the 500 freestyle at the South Coast League Finals swimming finals on Thursday.

  • Tesoro's Casey Brotherton flashes a smile after winning the 500...

    Tesoro's Casey Brotherton flashes a smile after winning the 500 freestyle at the South Coast League Finals on Thursday.

  • Tesoro's Casey Brotherton swims to victory in the 500 freestyle...

    Tesoro's Casey Brotherton swims to victory in the 500 freestyle at the South Coast League Finals on Thursday.

  • San Clemente's Savannah DuPuis swims in the 500 freestyle at...

    San Clemente's Savannah DuPuis swims in the 500 freestyle at the South Coast League Finals on Thursday.

  • Dana Hills' Bennett Williams, right, celebrates with teammate Cole Adams...

    Dana Hills' Bennett Williams, right, celebrates with teammate Cole Adams after winning the 100 freestyle at the South Coast League finals on Thursday.

  • Dana Hills' Bennett Williams swims his way to victory in...

    Dana Hills' Bennett Williams swims his way to victory in the 100 freestyle at the South Coast League Finals on Thursday.

  • Capistrano Valley's Austin Sechrest enters the water during the 100...

    Capistrano Valley's Austin Sechrest enters the water during the 100 freestyle at the the South Coast League Finals on Thursday.

  • Tesoro teammates Jessica Epps, left, and Dominique Gray hug after...

    Tesoro teammates Jessica Epps, left, and Dominique Gray hug after the girls 200 freestyle at the South Coast League finals at Capistrano Valley.

  • Capistrano Valley's Courtney Robertson laughs while being honored with fellow...

    Capistrano Valley's Courtney Robertson laughs while being honored with fellow seniors during the South Coast League Finals at Capistrano Valley High on Thursday.

  • Dana Hills' Jack McLaughlin, in green cap, celebrates his finish...

    Dana Hills' Jack McLaughlin, in green cap, celebrates his finish in the 50 freestyle at the South Coast League Finals at Capistrano Valley High on Thursday.

  • Capistrano Valley's Austin Sechrest, left, enters the water during the...

    Capistrano Valley's Austin Sechrest, left, enters the water during the 50 freestyle at the South Coast League Finals on Thursday.

  • Capistrano Valley's Austin Sechrest prepares for the 50 freestyle at...

    Capistrano Valley's Austin Sechrest prepares for the 50 freestyle at the South Coast League Finals at Capistrano Valley High on Thursday.

  • Dana Hills' Trent Pellini, left, was the winner in the...

    Dana Hills' Trent Pellini, left, was the winner in the boys 200-yard individual medley at the South Coast League finals on Thursday. Pellini also won the 100 breaststroke.

  • Tesoro's Emily Baker swims the 200 individual medley at the...

    Tesoro's Emily Baker swims the 200 individual medley at the South Coast League Finals at Capistrano Valley High on Thursday.

  • Tesoro's Emily Baker swims the 200 individual medley at the...

    Tesoro's Emily Baker swims the 200 individual medley at the South Coast League Finals at Capistrano Valley High on Thursday.

  • Dana Hills' Owen Kao prepares to s swim the boys...

    Dana Hills' Owen Kao prepares to s swim the boys 200 freestyle at the South Coast League Finals at Capistrano Valley High on Thursday.

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Dan Albano. Sports HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Staff Mug Shot taken August 26, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.

Tesoro’s girls and Dana Hills’ boys defended their South Coast League swimming titles in impressive fashion Thursday night but didn’t stop there.

Both squads strengthened their resumes for the CIF-SS Division 1 meet next week in Riverside.

“They swam lights out,” Tesoro girls coach Todd Conrad said. “I definitely feel like we’re going to be contenders (in Division 1).”

The Titans captured their third consecutive league title by sweeping the relays and capturing six of the eight individual events. They scored 620 points to outdistance runner-up Trabuco Hills at 435.

Sophomore Jessica Epps paced Tesoro by capturing the 200-yard freestyle in a school-record 1 minute, 49.76 seconds and out-touching Andrea Felix of Capistrano Valley in the 100 butterfly (56.17).

The Titans raised their Division 1 profile in multiple events. Dominique Gray finished second in the 200 free with a Division 1 automatic-qualifying time of 1:50.82, while Emily Baker won the 200 individual medley in a qualifying time of 2:06.80.

Casey Brotherton claimed the 500 free in a season-best 4:56.20, while third-place Rhys Empey clocked an automatic qualifying time of 4:59.57.

After Jami Hwang took the backstroke in an automatic qualifying time of 56.89, the Titans’ Gray (school-record 1:05.38), Baker (1:06.11) and Victoria Epps (1:06.24) swept the top three places in the breaststroke. All three times were automatic Division 1 times.

The Dana Hills boys showed no effects from the league’s adjusted schedule, which moved up the finals one day because of weather concerns. The Dolphins won a fourth consecutive title by sweeping the three relays and claiming six of the eight individual events to outdistance Tesoro, 514-420.

Trent Pellini led Dana Hills by outdueling San Clemente’s Brad Prolo in the 200 individual medley (1:50.37) and breaststroke (55.80), which were both meet records. Prolo (1:51.23, 56.09) also raced under the existing records in both events.

Owen Kao (200, 500 free) and Bennett Williams (50, 100 free) also were double-winner. The Dolphins received two second-place touches from Shane Forker, two lifetime-best times from Jack McLaughlin (50 free, 50 fly) and a second-place touch from Adam Cole in the backstroke.

“Today was really incredible for our team, seeing a lot of guys who stepped up,” Kao said.

Tesoro’s Daniel Kim prevented the sweep by grabbing the 100 butterfly (meet-record 49.12) and 100 backstroke (50.28).

In the Sea View League:

Mission Viejo’s boys won the A and B finals in the meet-ending 400 free relay to edge dual-meet winner Aliso Niguel, 475-472, for the title at El Toro. Aliso Niguel took the girls title.

In the Academy League:

Crean Lutheran’s girls and Sage Hill’s boys captured titles at Kennedy. Taras Polakoff of Sage Hill lowered his meet record in the backstroke (55.04) and captured the butterfly (53.89).

Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com