Troy’s girls swim team made the rebuilding process look easier than it really is.
The defending CIF Division 2 champion overcame a transportation miscue to sprint past host La Habra, 125-41, on Wednesday in a showdown of undefeated teams in the Freeway League.
The meet started about an hour late because one of Troy’s buses arrived tardy. The Warriors’ timing in the pool, however, was sharp as their defending league champion boys and girls teams improved to 3-0 in league.
Troy’s boys won, 118-36.
Lost in the girls’ score was Troy’s daunting task of replacing the senior trio of Katelyn Martin, Katja Claesson and Gwen Walter, who powered Troy to the title last season.
“I took me years to get those three girls up there,” Troy coach Jason Wilson said. “Those three were our heart and soul, and they improved. … We’re kind of rebuilding that (heart).”
Troy aims to follow that script again. The Warriors are young and short on automatic Division 2 qualifying times, but the girls flashed potential against La Habra.
Junior Meredith Lillie, a former golfer who committed to full-time swimming in the fall, blazed to victories in the 50- (25.21 seconds) and 100-yard (55.16) freestyles.
The Brea club member also anchored the 200-yard medley relay of Minna Mattis, Jill Milliken and Lindsay Park to the wall first in 2:00.60.
Lillie’s story is reminiscent of Martin, who Wilson discovered in a physical education class and now races for Boise State. Both are sprinters who committed to swimming in high school.
“She’s going to get faster,” Wilson said of the 5-foot-9 Lillie.
Milliken also looked like a potential CIF qualifier by capturing the 200 IM (2:20.89) and the breaststroke (1:13.69). Teammate Hana Claesson touched second in the breast with a 1:14.87.
Troy also showed progress in the butterfly as sophomores Alex Dowell and Sophia Gaitatjis touched second and third in season-best times of 1:06.64 and 1:06.82, respectively.
“We’re pretty good,” Lillie said. “We’re probably not as strong as last year, but I think we’ll still be able to go out there and get some good times.”
Troy will be host to Division 2 rivals Ayala and Glendora on Friday at Fullerton College.
“We’ll drop time as we go these last couple of weeks,” Wilson said. “We may do some things and qualify some things that we may not expect.”
Kevin Ho helped pace the Troy boys by capturing the 100 butterfly in 54.64.
In girls nonleague:
Corona del Mar 92, Newport Harbor 78: Stephanie Samudro and Meagan Popp each won two events to lead the host Sea Kings. The Sailors were hurt by a disqualification of their No. 2 medley relay but received a swift 50 free from Marissa Robertson (24.39).
In boys nonleague:
Corona del Mar 104, Newport Harbor 66: Princeton-bound Liam Karas won the 200 IM (1:53.72) and 100 free (47.95) to help pace the host Sea Kings.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
