MISSION VIEJO The term “depth” in swimming sometimes describes swimmers who are more role players than standouts.
Santa Margarita’s girls team appears set to redefine that terminology, and maybe a few records.
“I think we’re more than depth,” senior Emily Gibson said Saturday night at the girls Millikan Southern Section Relays. “We’re a team of stars.”
The Eagles shined bright at Capistrano Valley as they overcame a disqualification in prelims and a shorthanded lineup to convincingly defend their title.
Top-ranked Santa Margarita won two of the seven races and set one of the two meet records en route to 210 points, which outdistanced No. 4 and runner-up University at 184. Foothill (174), Edison (162) and Tesoro (140) rounded out the top five.
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Saturday leaderboard: Millikan girls relays
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Racing without ineligible transfer Katie McLaughlin, Santa Margarita highlighted its victory by capturing the 200-yard breaststroke relay in a meet record 2 minutes, 3.91 seconds. Seeded second to Edison, the relay of Emily Boggess, Kristi Fecarotta, Haley Wan and Gibson out-dueled the Chargers (2:04.25), who also raced under Santa Margarita’s 2013 meet record (2:05.06).
Wan delivered a strong third leg to give the Eagles the lead for good.
Santa Margarita also captured the 300 free relay as Camryn Barry, Allison Plamondon, Audrey Johnstone, Fecarotta, Sydney Franzen and Lizzie Devitt combined for a 2:29.58, seventh-best in meet history.
Barry, who led off with a swift 24.37, and Plamondon are freshmen.
“Things are falling into place,” Devitt said. “I’m just really proud our girls are so strong mentally.”
Santa Margarita’s consistency showed throughout the finals session as it also collected a second and three third-place finishes. The effort more than made up for a disqualification the backstroke in prelims and the absence of McLaughlin, who becomes eligible next month.
“We all stepped up,” Gibson said.
JSerra’s 4×100 individual medley relay of Kaitlyn Albertoli, Brittany Kahn, Katie Glavinovich and Karli Thuen combined for a meet-record 3:53.26.
The group also claimed the 400 free in a county-leading and automatic All-America 3:27.36 after Albertoli blazed a county-leading 50.60 lead-off leg. The Lions’ time ranks second all-time in meet history. Runner-up Edison touched in 3:29.60, another automatic All-America time and good for third on Millikan’s all-time list.
The 200 medley relay produced the closest finish. Edison out-touched JSerra by three one-hundredth of a second to claim the race in 1 minute, 47.09 seconds, second-fastest in meet history.
Sophomore Taylor Newton delivered a strong anchor for the Chargers, who also dueled against Santa Margarita (1:47.49) in the final lap.
“I had no clue we were going to win,” said Newton, who teamed with her sister, Devin Newton, and freshmen Nora Deleske and Gabrielle Limon.
University’s butterfly relay also sizzled. The team of Megan Sirijariyavat, Mary Kate Colao, Annie Tran and Kathy Lim won in 1:46.06, third fastest in meet history.
Foothill’s backstroke relay of Rachel Thompson, Sydney Groot, Zoe Nervo and Courtney Mykkanen stopped the clock first in 1:51.72, just outside the all-time top-10.
In boys swimming:
Loyola 659, Edison 435, Corona del Mar 381, Capistrano Valley 360: Nick Norman of the host Cougars posted county-leading times in the 200 (1:41.23) and 500 (4:27.53) freestyles. Corona del Mar’s Tyler Lin won the breaststroke in a county-leading 57.96.
