Engel, Jiang finish strong at Masters

IRVINE - Several of Orange County’s top swimmers and divers took advantage of their “last chance” meet Tuesday.

But the CIF-Southern Section Masters still meant different things to the county standouts competing at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.

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OCVarsity Hot Shots: The Masters Meet

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Crean Lutheran’s Lindsey Engel used the meet to cap a sensational freshman campaign. She blazed to a Masters record in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 49.75 seconds.

In dipping under the hallowed 50-second barrier in her third consecutive race, Engel sliced 14 one-hundredths of a second off Cynthia Fascella’s 2009 meet record for Fountain Valley.

Engel also captured the 100 backstroke in 54.96, beating the chilly evening temperatures and runner-up Haley Preston of Westlake by almost second.

“I thought I had a good year throughout,” Engel said of her season. “It’s kind of cool to see that this is just a jumping off point. The next couple years are just going to be good.”

The same could be said for Irvine freshman Emily Jiang. The Division 1 champion in the 100 butterfly added the Masters crown to her resume by touching in 55.87.

Seniors Steven Ewoldt of Mission Viejo and Brennan Jacobsen of Sonora used the meet to take one more crack at milestones. Neither reached the times but they won titles and were thankful for their opportunity.

Ewoldt claimed the 50 freestyle in a lifetime-best and county-leading 20.42 seconds, which keeps him ranked third in county history. His goal was to break 20-seconds but he broke the 21-second barrier in his fifth consecutive 50 race.

Ewoldt also did it all despite slipping off his starting block at the start.

“It’s not my 19 but it will do,” said Ewoldt, who finished as the narrow Division 1 runner-up with a 20.46. "Winnings always feels good. Winning Division 1 would have definitely topped my cake."

Jacobsen was chasing a sub-4:20 or a meet record in the 500 freestyle. He captured the county title in the distance event for the second consecutive season by winning in 4:26.54.

"That's pretty cool but I'm tired," Jacobsen said. "I think I went out too fast today."

Jacobsen stayed with early-leader William Cobau of La Serna and split the 250 at a quick 2:09.70.

Several swimmers scratched the meet to focus on training.

University’s Division 1 champion girls had only a few swimmers but still won the 200 free relay with a new lineup.

Maggie Hofstadter, Cheyenne Low, Emma Henderson and Erin Parrett won in 1:38.35. Hofstadter said she wanted another chance at the 50 and led off in a lifetime-best 23.98, which would have won Tuesday night's 50. Hofstadter "one more shot" effort would have placed seventh in Division 1.

Los Alamitos’ boys took the 200 free relay.

Joe Ferretti, Jack Blake, Justin Kelley and Chandler Jarrels combined to clock a 1:27.67. "It's the meet, so you might as well (race)," said Ferretti, who is headed to Loyola Marymount to play water polo.

In diving, Newport Harbor senior Clay Pinckney (379.45) finished second to Long Beach Poly junior Deon Reid (meet-record 404.00), who captured his third consecutive Masters crown.

Pinkcney had a challenging Division 1 final in which he failed to execute one of his dives en route to a runner-up finished. But he was more consistent Tuesday.

"I feel a lot better (about Masters than CIF)," Pinckney said.

Division 1 champion Mark Anderson of El Toro finished third at 346.20 but scored multiple 10s on a spectatular reverse 2 ½ somersault with tuck off the 3-meter springboard (VIDEO COMING).

"If it goes good, it's my best (dive) usually," Anderson said of the reverse 2 1/2.

Troy senior Allison Casareto (316.95) emerged from the pack to finish second to Pasadena Poly’s Annika Lenz (354.55). The second through fifth-place finishers were seperated by less than eight points.

Santa Margarita's Izzy Choquehuanca made a strong move late by hitting her back, 1 1/2 somerasault with 1 1/2 twist on her final dive.

"It's one of my better dives," said the junior, who tied with fifth with Mission Viejo's Samantha Adams. "I'm really excited because I didn't do that well at CIF and I didn't hit all my optonal (dives)."

Choquebuanca also was excited by the crowd that the diving competition generated. The diving started an hour before the swimming and concluded during the break from swimming. "This is the biggest crowd I've ever been in front of (for a high school meet)," she said.