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Tesoro's Mandy Barnes, left, and Capistrano Valley's Brooke Lorentzen, right, dive into the pool for the 200-yard freestyle Tuesday. Lorentzen won the race to help the Cougars win the South Coast League meet.
Tesoro’s Mandy Barnes, left, and Capistrano Valley’s Brooke Lorentzen, right, dive into the pool for the 200-yard freestyle Tuesday. Lorentzen won the race to help the Cougars win the South Coast League meet.
Dan Albano. Sports HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Staff Mug Shot taken August 26, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.

Capistrano Valley’s girls swim team isn’t as high-profile as the boys team at the South Coast League school. But if aquatics fans watch them closely, they’ll likely be impressed.

Coach Pat Higginson‘s ninth-ranked Cougars feature a spirited and competitive leader in junior Brooke Lorentzen.

They’re the two-time defending league champion and loaded with depth.

And on Tuesday, they improved to 2-0 in the Division 1 league by defeating a solid Tesoro squad, 105-65, in Las Flores. The Cougars’ margin of victory was similar to the 112-56 victory No. 1 Santa Margarita posted at Tesoro on March 14.

“They swam great,” first-year Tesoro coach Todd Conrad said of Capistrano Valley. “Our girls were 80 percent best-times … and we still lost.”

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Tuesday’s O.C. leaderboard

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Lorentzen paced the Cougars by claiming the 200-yard freestyle (season-best 1 minute, 53.02 seconds) and the 500 free (4:57.97, about two seconds off her county-leading time).

The U.S. national team member followed the 500 free by anchoring the 200 free relay of Megan Leckich, Danielle Burton and Sierra Gage to victory in 1:42.99.

The fun-loving Lorentzen did a friendly belly-bump with Tesoro’s Mandy Barnes, her club teammate with the Mission Viejo Nadadores, before their anchor swims in the meet-ending 400 free relay.

“I love racing,” Lorentzen said. “The boys (team) is still amazing (at Capistrano Valley) … but (our) girls are still really good.

“We have fun with it. The boys can have their time. They deserve it. (But) the girls have been working hard these past two years to win league.”

Leckich joined Lorentzen as a double-winner, taking the 50 (25.64) and 100 freestyles (55.21). The Cougars’ medley relay of Alison Sechrest, Sierra Boisen and Madison Matsushima won in 1:54.88.

“They raced today,” Higginson said of his team. “We don’t even worry about times on this one. We worry about touches for place).”

Barnes, a sophomore, touched second in the 200 free in a school-record 1:54.07 and also won the butterfly in 59.09.

Capistrano Valley’s depth surfaced in the 200 free. Hannah Rios and Gage touched third-fourth in a respectable 1:59.52 and 2:00.42.

Versatile freshman Casey Brotherton provided a few other reasons why the future looks bright for Tesoro. She finished second to Lorentzen in the 500 (5:10.06) and won the 200 individual medley (2:15.02).

“She’s lights out,” Conrad said of Brotherton. “She’ll swim anything. … I love every direction we’re heading.”

In another girls meet:

In the Sea View League:

San Clemente 86, Dana Hills 84: Raselle Chetwynd won the butterfly (1:00.62) and backstroke (1:04.06) to lead the host Tritons. Cassidy Humphrey of Dana Hills claimed the 200 free (1:58.56) and 500 free (5:12.40).

In the Sunset League:

No. 10 Newport Harbor 91.5, Fountain Valley 77.5: Carly Christian anchored the 400 free relay (3:43.83) in 52.65 to help power the Sailors. “She’s doing really well and she has a broken hand, too,” Newport Harbor coach Brian Melstrom said of Christian. “She’s flying.”

In boys swimming:

No. 3 Capistrano Valley 119, No. 8 Tesoro 50: Spencer DeShon, Slater Goodman, Matthew Chalcarz and Jack DesCombes combined to win the medley relay in a season-best 1:36.85 to lead the visiting Cougars.

Chalcarz later outdueled Tesoro’s Brandon Boval by five hundredths of a second to take the 200 individual medley in 1:54.59. Boval touched in a school-record 1:54.64.

And another close race, DeShon rallied to edge teammate Jon Beck in the 100 free by three one-hundredth of a second with a 47.82. Beck split the 50 in 22.68 for more than a half-a-second lead.

Tesoro’s Jeff Wynkoop won the 100 back in a swift 51.10.

Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com