The challenges for JSerra girls swimming coach Kevin Clements seemed to pile up this spring.
Standout sprinter Kaitlyn Albertoli was on the comeback trail after surgery and she battled asthma and allergies. Distance stalwart Brittany Kahn was slowed by a cranky shoulder. The Lions tried to stay afloat in the challenging Trinity League with limited depth and contend in the postseason with an under-the-weather Sonia Wang.
The first-year coach stayed upbeat and met each challenge.
“He’s just so positive,” Albertoli said. “He definitely was an inspiration.”
JSerra’s finished product featured a runner-up finish at the CIF-SS Division 1 finals and a hard-earned team title at the inaugural CIF State Swimming and Diving Championships in Fresno.
For his efforts, Clements is the Register’s Orange County girls coach of the year.
“We had some struggles through the course of the year,” he said. “Ours seemingly hit right when it mattered the most, which was very unfortunate, but they were able to really pull together and swim fast despite that at the end of the year.”
Related:
All-County girls swimming & diving team
Girls swimmer of the year: Katie McLaughlin, Santa Margarita
JSerra crowned three individual state champions – seniors Albertoli (50 free, 22.67 seconds), Karli Thuen (500 free, 4:48.06) and Wang (100 back, 52.99), collecting victories in lifetime-best times. The Lions outdueled Crean Lutheran, 201-191, to capture the state title.
At the Division 1 finals, JSerra’s medley relay won in a meet-record 1:42.29.
Albertoli and Kahn said Clements, a former college assistant coach, helped JSerra succeed by emphasizing technique. Both trained under Clements, 35, this spring.
“I was kind of really discouraged (because of my shoulder),” Kahn said. “He was the reason why I kept swimming. He was so supportive and he fixed my stroke.”
Clements counts some of the biggest names in the sport as coaching influences. From David Durden, David Marsh, Rick Shipherd to the “late, great” Ralph Crocker at Auburn, his alma mater, the former U.S. national team swimmer has racked up experience. He has coached at USC, Maryland and LSU.
When it comes to JSerra’s success, he won’t take much credit. He defers to his swimmers’ talents and self-motivating habits. The Lions tell a different story about 2015.
“What Kevin has done with our team is phenomenal,” Albertoli said.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
