University girls sweep relays, repeat as Div. 1 champs

LONG BEACH - University's girls swim team showed its knockout power with this one.

The Trojans stormed to their second consecutive CIF-Southern Section Division 1 title by sweeping the three relays and claiming an individual race Friday night at Belmont Plaza.

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OCVARSITY HOT SHOTS: DIVISION 1 FINALS

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Coach Robin Jacobsen's squad racked up 297 points to outdistance runner-up Laguna Hills (172) by more than 100 points.

But it wasn't just the margin of victory that offered a striking contrast to University's two-point victory over Edison in last season's Division 1 final.

In 2010, University's signature was its depth. The Trojans didn't secure a relay or individual title.

This time, the Trojans claimed the medley (1 minute, 44.60 seconds), 200 free (1:35.61) and 400 free (3:26.00) relays and captured the 100 breaststroke thanks to Maggie Burton (1:01.69).

University even swam a few strokes with its CIF plaque in the wild post-meet celebration.

“This year, we knew what we were capable of,” said University junior Megan Rankin, who finished second in the 200 and 500 freestyles. “We got some really big swims.”

University started the session by capturing the medley relay and blazed all night.

.“We got on fire as soon as we hit the bus (to the pool),” said Burton, a sophomore who highlighted the 200 free relay by anchoring in 23.11.

The medley relay of Cheyenne Low, Burton, Olivia Evans and Maggie Hofstadter earned the sixth spot on the county's all-time list. In the 200 free relay, Burton teamed with Emma Henderson, Erin Parrett and Rankin to give University the No. 4 spot on the all-time county list.

Then in the 400 free relay, got a 50.26 anchor split from Low, a 51.05 from Rankin and a 51.67 from Hofstadter en route to the third fastest relay in county history.

"I can believe it," Jacobsen said of her team's performance. "But I didn't know it would be this sweet."

In the boys team race, Loyola of Los Angeles captured four events en route to scoring 287 points to outdistance runner-up Capistrano Valley (218), the two-time defending champion.

Corona del Mar's boys prevented a relay sweep by the Cubs by taking the medley (1:34.28).

Seniors Melanie Klaren of Aliso Niguel and Shelby Webber of Fountain Valley were the county's double-winners.

Klaren missed on her attempt to break Sippy Woodhead's 1982 county record in the 200 free (1:45.98) but defended her title with a 1:46.62.

Rankin's runner-up 1:47.85 moved her to fifth in county history.

Klaren also won the backstroke in a lifetime-best 53.23, second in county history to Cindy Tran, who was among the former standouts in the crowd.

Webber was the breakout performer of the meet by bolting to victories in 200 individual medley (2:00.28) and 100 free (49.90).

In the 100 free, she became the fourth county girl to break 50 seconds in a time ranks fourth in county history. She split the 50 in 24.34 and came home in 25.56.

"Welcome to the club," former Fountain Valley standout and sub 50-second member Cynthia Fascella told Webber.

Webber also moved to fourth on the all-time county list in the IM.

“I was hoping to get a 50-low and a 2:02,” said Webber, who finished the season undefeated. “I wasn't even going for first. I was just seeing how good I can get.”

In the sprints, Nick Soedel of Marina defended his title in the 100 free (45.05) while Laguna Hills' Courtney Wilde repeated in the 50 free (23.39).

In the boys 50, Mission Viejo's Steven Ewoldt lowered his county-leading time by two one-hundredths with a 20.44, but finished a narrow second to Loyola's Britt Dalby (20.40).

Michael Hauss gave Edison its fifth title in six years in the 200 free with a 1:38.14 -- 10th in county history. Four of those titles came courtesy of national record holder Tom Shields, who was in attendance Friday.

University's Chris Wong took the boys IM (1:50.74) while Irvine freshman Emily Jiang won the girls fly in 55.36.

Capistrano Valley's Logan Redondo won the 500 free (4:27.15). "Go Logan!!!" tweeted Olympian Chloe Sutton, who trains with Redondo at the Mission Viejo Nadadores.