Relaxed Rankin gives University another highlight

If any of Megan Rankin's coaches see her dancing and laughing before one of her races at the CIF-SS Division 1 swim finals in May, they might want to relax and go with it.

The University junior showed Thursday how well she races when relaxed and having fun.

After dancing with her teammates and a short warmup, Rankin clocked an automatic All-American time in the 500-yard freestyle to highlight another impressive victory by Orange County's top-ranked girls team.

The Aquazot club standout almost even-split the race in touching in a county-leading 4 minutes, 53.72 seconds to help pace the visiting Trojans to a 114-56 nonleague victory against the No. 4 but short-handed Hawks. Laguna Hills was without several club swimmers.

Rankin split the 250 at 2:25.92 and powered through the back half of the race at about the same pace.

"I was surprised," she said of her time. "I was just messing around with my friends before and wasn't really thinking about it."

Last May, Rankin finished second to Aliso Niguel's Melanie Klaren in the 500 (4:50.11) at the Division 1 finals.

Klaren has said she will likely not race the 500 this May, but Rankin will still face plenty of competition, including newcomer Kathryn Campbell from La Canada, last year's Division 2 champion with a 4:47.69.

"I'm just really excited for CIF again," Rankin said. "I didn't have a championship meet this (club) season ... so I'm excited to be all tapered for CIF."

University's girls (2-0) also will be out to defend their Division 1 title. "We're more of a team that just wants to have fun and we just do the best we can," Rankin said.

University swept all three relays against Laguna Hills. After the 500, Rankin slipped into the 200 free relay and gave the Trojans the lead by splitting a 24.95 in her second leg.

Sophomore Maggie Burton was a double-winner for University, claiming the 200 IM (2:10.50) and the 100 breaststroke (Division 1 automatic 1:05.86).

UCLA-bound Courtney Wilde of Laguna Hills swept the 50 (24.60) and 100 freestyles (52.89) in Division 1 automatic qualifying times.

University's Cheyenne Low touched second in the 100 free with a Division 1 automatic-qualifying 53.56. The sophomore later showed composure by holding her lead against Wilde in the 400 free relay.

Laguna Hills' junior Kendall Brown finished second in the 500 with a lifetime-best 5:03.53.

"I'm really close (to breaking 5 minutes), so I'm determined to get it," said Brown, who with trains Rankin at the Aquazot.

In a nonleague boys meet:

Rancho Alamitos 94, Saddleback Valley Christian 84: Alex Cisneros blazed a school-record 4:40.82 in the 500 free to help lead the host Vaqueros.

At the boys Millikan Southern Section Relays prelims: Corona del Mar's 4x50 backstroke earned the county's lone top seed with a 1:40.75 but the Sea Kings were disqualified in the medley relay.

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Related: Capistrano Valley to chase Loyola at Millikan Relays

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