Edison boys swimming coach Diggy Riley projected that Tuesday’s Sunset League dual-meet showdown against visiting Newport Harbor would come down to the final relay.
His sixth-ranked boys and their quick touches at the wall had other ideas.
Edison won key touch-finishes in the 200-yard medley relay and 100 butterfly and swept the top-three places in the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle en route to a 94-76 victory against No. 10 Newport Harbor.
Edison’s fourth-ranked girls defeated the Sailors, 115-55, to help set up a duel for first place next week at No. 9 Los Alamitos.
The Chargers’ key touches in the boys meet came early from their supporting cast. Diego Quinonez out-touched Newport Harbor’s B anchor in the medley relay to give the Edison B relay third place.
In the 100 butterfly, Matthew Dalija of Edison (4-0 in league) out-touched Griffin Burke and Jack Mooers of Newport Harbor (3-1) by 18 one-hundredths of a second to claim third in 57 seconds.
“It always comes down to, especially in meets like this, (getting) second-third-fourth-fifth place,” Newport Harbor boys coach Aaron Peirsol said. “Edison was really good at getting their hand on the wall (before us) today.”
Newport Harbor’s Jason Trezciecki won a close touch for third in the 100 free with a 51.23, but Edison’s strength in the 200 IM and 500 free proved decisive.
Thomas Smith won the 200 IM in 1:55.66 to lead a sweep with Zach Nelson (2:01.13) and Jonathan Bramm (2:03.31). In the 500, Bramm clocked a 4:51.04 to pace a sweep with Quinonez (5:05.60) and Treyton Crooks (5:10.21).
“It was a close (meet) until the 500,” Riley said. “That was a huge surprise.”
Riley also praised his team for racing for scoring-finishes rather than times. The Chargers grabbed fifth-place — the final scoring position — in five events.
“Those fifth-place finishes win (close) meets,” he said. “It’s all about team.”
Smith also captured the 100 backstroke in 51.11. He later was among the Edison swimmers to take pictures with Peirsol, the Olympic champion and world-record holder in the backstroke.
“It’s not every day that he swings by,” Smith said of Peirsol.
Newport Harbor’s Hayden Hemmens won the 200 free (1:44.47) and touched second to Smith in the backstroke (53.58). The Sailors also swept the 200 and 400 free relays.
Hemmens, Simon Young, Sawyer Farmer and Dominik Folkner combined to take the 400 in 3:14.82.
“What’s nice for me to see is when the guys get back up (after a close loss),” Peirsol said. “Our guys definitely learned a lot, more or less, because Edison is really good at what they do.”
In the girls meet, Taylor Newton (200 free, 100 free) and Nora Deleske (200 IM, 100 breast) were double-winners for Edison (4-0 in league).
In a South Coast League boys meet:
No. 5 Dana Hills 116, No. 9 Tesoro 54: Owen Kao led a sweep in the 100 free with a time of 47.61 to help the host Dolphins take over first place. The Titans raced without standout freshman Daniel Kim.
In a Trinity League girls meet:
No. 1 Santa Margarita 126, Orange Lutheran 44: Katie McLaughlin clocked a county-leading 100 free (50.32) to pace the Eagles.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com