RIVERSIDE – Wilson High swim coach Eric Berg had just seen Lakewood High junior Daniel McArthur dominate the boys 200-yard medley at the CIF-SS Division 2 swimming championships when he shook his head and smiled.
“How about that McArthur?” said Berg, who has seen a lot of Moore League swimmers come and go over the years. “First there was Tim Shaw, then there was Jessica Hardy, now there’s Daniel McArthur.
“For the Moore League, he is that once-in-a-generation swimmer.”
Few from the Moore League would have disagreed with him after watching McArthur win two individual CIF championships, including a meet record in the 100 backstroke (48.48 seconds), and lead Lakewood’s 200 medley relay to a third title Saturday at Riverside City College. The meet ended with McArthur’s 45.38-second 100 anchor (just .12 off the individual winner), lifting Lakewood to a fifth-place finish in the 400-yard relay and a tie for fifth in the team standings.
“The record book already proves what a special swimmer Daniel is,” Lakewood coach A.J. Roberts said. “I mean, he already holds all the Lakewood records except for the 50 free, and he’s on his way to holding quite a few Moore League records, too.”
And he’s still getting better, as he proved in the final high school meet of his junior season.
As a freshman, he was second in two individual events, including his best event, the 100 back. As a sophomore, he took second in the 200 individual medley, the 200 medley relay and won the 100 back. On Saturday, McArthur was 3 for 3 in those events, with one CIF meet record in the backstroke and a narrow miss in the 200 individual medley (1:47.86, .06 of a second off a year-old record).
“It’s good to know I’m still improving,” McArthur said, smiling. “It’s not frustrating to miss that record. It’s still a good time and a championship, and I’ll get another chance at it next year.”
Roberts is happy that McArthur is on a steady course forward.
“He is getting better, and I think it’s important that he’s still having fun,” he said. “He’s doing great things for Lakewood, and the future is all ahead of him.”
Indeed, there was no hint that this was just another meet for a young man who could make his mark on the NCAA or national stage someday.
“Resetting the records is cool,” he said. “It’s great to be doing this for Lakewood. I’m from Lakewood, so this is a good thing. I look forward to next year, setting records and representing Lakewood as best I can.”
Nick Bustamante also was a factor in Lakewood’s fifth-place finish, a slot higher than last year for a school that doesn’t have great depth but does have some outstanding swimmers. He finished sixth in the 100 butterfly (51.52) and 11th in the 200 free (1:44.60) as well as swimming strong legs on the medley relay and 400 relay.
Relay swimmer Tim Valdez was 11th in the 100 breast and made the 200 IM consolation final, while sophomore Michael Talag swam two strong freestyles in the relays. Ryan Napohaku earned two points in diving to lift Lakewood to a tie for fifth, its best finish in recent years.
“This is tremendous,” Bustamante said. “We’re all coming back next year, so Lakewood has something good going in swimming. We’re all enjoying this together.”
There were a number of other highlights for the Moore League’s top swimmers and teams. Among them:
• Less than a year after suffering a serious leg injury, Millikan’s Maddie Meisel finished her outstanding high school swimming career with a solid performance. She was fifth in the 200 free final after setting a school record in the prelims (1:50.59), and she was fourth in the 500 free (4:57.10).
“I’m a little disappointed with my 200 final, but I got a PR (personal record) in the prelims and my 500 was good,” the Utah-bound Meisel said. “I’m just happy to be finishing in the pool after last summer. I think I’m 100 percent.”
• Led by sophomore Saranna Quach, Poly’s girls team finished an encouraging ninth in the team standings, best among the Moore League teams, ahead of Wilson (18th) and Millikan (21st). She finished sixth in the 50 free and seventh in the 100 back and swam with Isabella Magalong, Clare Leonard and Alana Murray, who were third in the 200 medley relay and seventh in the 400 free relay.
“I’m relieved it’s over,” Quach said, “but I had a lot of fun. We’ve got a pretty young team. Things are looking good for us.”
• Senior Ryan Sar finished his career on a happy note, helping Poly finish tied with Millikan for 18th place by winning his consolation final in the 100 butterfly in a career-best 52.05 and swimming a career-best 50 free (21.43) on Poly’s 200 free relay. Jonathan Coleman, Lee Puckett and Ryan Rockenbach were also on the relay.
“It was a great way to end my high school career,” Sar said.
• Millikan junior Alec Wiggington made the 100 breaststroke final, finishing seventh in 58.15, and also was 16th in the 50 free. He also swam with Anthony Modica, Ryan Spalding and Garrett Arnsparger, who were eighth in the 200 medley relay (1:39.67), and with Arnsparger, Mark Denison and Giovanni Tobar, who were 14th in the 200 free relay.
• Freshman Mia Tedesco led Wilson’s girls by making the 50 free final (ninth, 24.61) and swimming with third-place relay team in the 200 free. Tedesco, Marley Abbott, Devon Beebe and Jessica King combined to swim 1:38.54, just a second off Vista Murrieta’s winning time.
CIF-SS DIVISION 2 SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Riverside Aquatics Complex, Riverside City College
(Area finishers only, with all distances in yards)
BOYS
200 medley relay: 1. Lakewood (Daniel McArthur, Tim Valdez, Jake Bustamante, Michael Talag), 1:34.23; 8. Millikan (Anthony Modica, Alec Wiggington, Ryan Spalding, Garrett Arnsparger), 1:39.67.
200 free: 11. Bustamante, 1:44.60; 17. Kai Pierce, Wilson, 1:46.08.
200 IM: 1. McArthur, 1:47.86; 18. Valdez, 2:00.82.
50 free: 15. Jonathan Coleman, Poly, 22.24; 16. Wiggington, 22.31.
100 fly: 6. Bustamante, 51.52; 10. Ryan Sar, Poly, 52.05.
100 free: 18. Lee Puckett, Poly, 49.41.
500 free: 16. Daniel Shrout, Wilson, 4:49.56,
200 free relay: 7. Poly (Coleman, Puckett, Ryan Rockenbach, Sar), 1:29.02; 14. Millikan (Wiggington, Mark Denison, Giovanni Tobar, Arnsparger), 1:30.79; 16. Wilson (Spencer Allen, Pierce, Shrout, Brock Gordon) 1:31.37; 18. Lakewood (Capt, Clark, Dorris, Heckert) 1:33.35.
100 back: 1. McArthur, 48.48 (meet record); 13. Pierce, 54.40.
100 breast: 7. Wiggington, 58.15; 11. Valdez, 1:00.34.
400 free relay: 5. Lakewood (Bustamante, Valdez, Talag, McArthur) 3:13.12.
Team scores: 5. Lakewood (156); 18. (tie) Poly and Millikan (53).
GIRLS
200 medley relay: 3. Poly (Saranna Quach, Isabella Magalong, Clare Leonard, Alana Murray) 1:50.76; 16. Wilson (Megan Espeleta, Sydnei Obando, Marley Abbott, Mia Tedesco) 1:54.13; 18. Millikan (Gabriella Garcia, Katie Persley, Codie Brodeur, Emma Carroll) 1:57.67.
200 free: 5. Maddie Meisel, Millikan, 1:51.23; 13. Briana Peterson, Millikan, 1:56.34; 15. Jessica King, Wilson, 1:57.29.
50 free: 6. Quach, 24.31; 9. Tedesco, 4.61.
100 fly: 15. Leonard, 59.62.
100 free: 17. King, 55.07.
500 free: 4. Meisel, 4:57.10; 16. Peterson, 5:15.22.
200 free relay: 3. Wilson (Abbott, Devon Beebe, King, Tedesco) 1:38.54; 15. Millikan (Meisel, Peterson, Garcia, Brodeur) 1:43.32
100 back: 7. Quach, 58.98.
100 breast: 15. Persley, 1:10.12.
400 free relay: 7. Poly (Magalong, Murray, Leonard, Quach) 3:38.07; 18. Wilson (Devon Beebe, Shannon Beebe, Eileen Salsgiver, King) 3:47.10.
Team scores: 9. Poly (105); 18. Wilson (62); 21. Millikan (55.5).
Contact the writer: jimthomas@lbregister.com
