A season and school-year full of significant changes couldn’t slow Katie McLaughlin in the pool.
The Santa Margarita junior got faster, which at her level, is a considerable undertaking.
McLaughlin blazed to a national high school record in the 100-yard butterfly, an Orange County record in the 200 freestyle and led her new school to the championship at the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 finals.
Those accomplishments have earned her recognition as the Register’s girls swimmer of the year.
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She made her transition from JSerra look as smooth as one of her underwater streamlines, but she navigated past several challenges.
“(Transferring) was really hard during (the year), but now looking back after, it was good,” she said. “It’s helped me go through change and adjust.
“I also learned (how supportive) some of my friends, the good ones … can be.”
McLaughlin transferred to Santa Margarita just before the start of the season and began adjusting to new teachers in mid-semester and taking courses in which she didn’t know many classmates.
“It’s definitely gotten better as I’ve been (at Santa Margarita) longer,” she said. “Everyone was welcoming on the team.”
McLaughlin also got better in the pool as she sometimes dueled against her ex-teammates.
At the CIF-SS Division 1 finals on May 17, the Mission Viejo Nadadores’ club standout set the national high school record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 51.78 seconds. She clipped the 2011 record (51.92) of Jasmine Tosky, now at USC.
“I was happy with that,” McLaughlin said of her butterfly.
McLaughlin also captured the 200 freestyle by lowering her Division 1 and county records by almost a second to 1:44.66.
McLaughlin saved plenty of speed for the relays.
She split a 22.11 anchor in the 200 free relay to rally the Eagles to the victory and a 48.46 anchor for another comeback victory for Santa Margarita in the 400 free relay. Both splits were lifetime-best times, including her first time under 49 seconds in the 100 free.
“Relays definitely pull it out of me,” McLaughin said. “At CIF, there’s always more of a team aspect and more energy swimming for your school and your other teammates.”
Despite the change of schools, McLaughlin showed the same energy she used while leading JSerra to Division 1 titles in 2012-13.
“Having Katie here definitely helps,” Santa Margarita co-coach Rich Blanc said. “But what’s kind of nice is getting to know her this year as a student and person; she’s even a better person than she is an athlete.
“That’s something we always try to convince the kids of. This is great and all, but in swimming, someone is eventually going to tell you to stop and you’re going to have to be a great person. … She’s just a really remarkable young lady, swimming aside.”
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
