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Belmont Plaza's new outdoor pool played host to its first high school meet Friday with the Klaus Barth Invitational.
Belmont Plaza’s new outdoor pool played host to its first high school meet Friday with the Klaus Barth Invitational.
Dan Albano. Sports HS Reporter.

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

Belmont Plaza’s new outdoor pool was well-received by Orange County swimmers Friday night at the Klaus Barth Invitational.

From the starting blocks to the scenic location near the beach, the Myrtha pool earned positive reviews.

“It’s just a fast pool,” Marina sophomore Joseph Lastelic said. “(And) it has plenty of warm-up space.”

The above-ground, 50-meter facility hosted its first high school meet Friday. The pool features 10 lanes, a bulkhead in the middle that divides the competition and the warm-up pools, a shade structure and lights.

“I really like it,” Marina freshman Jacquelyn Harris said. “I really like the blocks. I think they help a lot.”

About the only downside is limited deck space. The swimmers made camps outside the pool, which is located in the parking lot south of the old indoor pool at Belmont Plaza.

There has been talk of moving the pool — technically a temporary facility — to the park area in front of the old indoor pool. A new 65-meter pool is scheduled to be built in the indoor location. Demolition of the old indoor facility could begin in October, ex-Long Beach Wilson water polo coach Tony Martinho said.

The outdoor pool also will play host to Long Beach Wilson’s water polo games next school year.

“It’s really pretty,” Los Alamitos’ Nicqueline Rettberg said.

A NEW COURSE

Meredith Lillie is used to navigating new courses in golf but her latest move has her enjoying a new sport.

After five years of competitive golf, the Troy junior has decided to focus on swimming.

Lillie started training full-time with Brea Aquatics in the fall and has emerged as a sprint-freestyler to watch.

“Swim was always kind of just the thing I did for fun but I really liked it, so I gave it a shot,” she said last week during a meet at La Habra. “It’s worked out pretty well.”

Lillie finished fifth in the 50- (24.94 seconds) and eighth in the 100-yard freestyles (55.33) at the Mt. SAC Winterfest earlier this season. On Friday, she captured the 50 (25.54) in a double-dual meet against Ayala and Glendora at Fullerton College.

The times are strong improvements from her performance at the Freeway League’s frosh-soph finals last season.

Lillie’s family is well-known for golf. She and her sister, Beth Lillie, a freshman, helped Troy capture a CIF title in golf this past season.

And the girls’ sister, Alison Lillie, golfs for University of San Francisco.

“I still like (golf) and it was fun,” Lillie said. “I was pretty competitive but I think swim is a better fit for me.”

Troy’s girls, the defending CIF Division 2 champion in girls swimming and diving, fell to Glendora, 103-67, and Ayala, 90-80.

McLAUGHLIN TO MESA, ARIZONA

Katie McLaughlin of Santa Margarita and the Mission Viejo Nadadores is seeded first in the 200-meter butterfly and second in the 100 fly for this week’s Grand Prix meet in Mesa, Ariz. The meet will receive extra attention with the presence of Michael Phelps, who is racing for the first time since coming out of retirement. The meet runs Thursday through Saturday.

CATHOLIC CHALLENGE SET FOR SATURDAY

Santa Margarita is hosting its Catholic State Swim Challenge on Saturday at 10 a.m. 

DIVERS READY FOR JUNIOR WEST NATIONALS

Many Orange County divers, including several from the Crown Valley Divers club, will be competing at the Junior West Nationals at Riverside City College this week.

Only the top-six finishers from various regional meets qualified for the USA Diving event.

Crown Valley’s roster for the meet includes the champions from Saturday’s Santa Margarita Invitational: Mission Viejo’s Alexandra Caplan and Dana Hills’ Christopher LaBella.

Crown Valley has 17 overall divers in the meet, including age-group competitors.