University’s boys swimming team backed up its title at the Capistrano Valley Relays with another big victory Thursday.
The fourth-ranked Trojans defeated top-ranked and host Santa Margarita, 88-82, in a nonleague showdown between CIF-SS Division 1 teams.
University, which captured the Capistrano Valley Relays on Saturday, won two of the three relays against the Eagles, ranked No. 1 in The Register’s dual meet poll.
The Trojans clinched the upset by touching first in the meet-ending 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3 minutes, 10.56 seconds. The team of Andrew Knoell (45.81 seconds leadoff), George Horvath, Aidan Yong and sophomore anchor Aaron Lee outdistanced Santa Margarita’s top team by just over a second to snap a 78-78 tie.
“That was insane,” University second-year coach Ryan Vande Wydeven said of the victory. “We’re really starting to roll right now. … Santa Margarita, they’re really tough.”
University won the meet-opening 200 medley in 1:37.42 and also touched third in the race. In the medley and 400 free relays, the Trojans outscored the Eagles, 20-8.
“I knew we had to win the medley and knew we had to win the 400,” Vande Wydeven said.
Knoell won the 100 free (46.22) and 100 backstroke (51.38) while Lee took the 50 free (22.16) and 100 butterfly (51.52).
Vande Wydeven praised his breaststroke duo of Yong (59.77) and David Lowengrub (1:00.76), who finished second and third behind Alexander Qu of Santa Margarita (59.19). Yong posted a lifetime-best time.
Santa Margarita’s Noah Brune out-dueled Horvath in the 500 free by clocking a 4:37.53.
In girls swimming:
In the Sunset League:
No. 7 Los Alamitos 94.5, No. 3 Edison 74.5: Sydney Rouse won the 200 free (155:23) and 50 free (24.39), and Bayley Weber touched first in the backstroke (59.35) and fly (58.73) to help pace the host Griffins.
