MISSION VIEJO Corey Okubo and many of his fellow competitors at the TYR Fran Crippen Memorial Swim Meet of Champions made time Saturday to remember a legend in the sport enduring a challenging time.
The recent University graduate was among the mass of swimmers who gathered in the diving pool during prelims to snap a tribute picture for six-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, who was recently injured in a near-fatal ATV accident that severed her spine and caused partial paralysis.
“It’s good to see everyone supporting her,” Okubo said of Van Dyken. “(Swimming) is a family. We’re all connected.”
But inside the competition pool, Okubo continued to separate himself during Saturday night’s at the Marguerite Recreation Center. The Aquazot club swimmer claimed his third individual title in two days by capturing the 400-meter individual medley by almost 6 ½ seconds with a time of 4 minutes, 20.39 seconds.
“He’s had a good year so far,” Aquazot coach Brian Pajer said of Okubo, who won the 200 butterfly and 200 backstroke on Friday. “Every year he’s developed more.”
The 5-foot-7 Okubo is known for his well-rounded technique but is working hard to strength his mental approach. Last weekend, he tested his nerves at the Santa Clara Grand Prix for the first time.
“It adds on to my experience,” Okubo said, “and hopefully that leads me to nationals (in August), which will be very fast and I’ll be nervous.”
In other results, Saugus senior-to-be Abbey Weitzeil edged Olympian Jessica Hardy in the 50 free by two one-hundredths of a second with a 25.37 while Canada’s Emily Overholt, 16, sizzled a 4:43.57 to claim the women’s 400 IM. SOCAL’s Ella Eastin, a senior-to-be at Crean Lutheran, placed second in 4:51.90.
Utah senior-to-be Nick Soedel (Marina) touched a narrow-second in the men’s 50 with a 22.80, just one one-hundredth of a second behind Joey Hale of Redlands Swim Team (22.79).
Former Irvine Novaquatics standout Dave Denniston, who was paralyzed in a sledding accident in 2005, was among the many in the photo for Van Dyken.
“She’s doing really well (in recovery) but she loves getting that kind of stuff,” said Denniston, now a coach with the U.S. Paralympics program. “When something happens like that (accident), you just rally around them.”
