Roundup: Churnside leads Villa Park boys past Brea Olinda

BREA - Villa Park's boys swim team hadn't raced an opponent in about 3½ weeks prior to its Century League showdown at Brea Olinda on Wednesday.

Neither the layoff nor the reigning league champion could slow the Spartans.

Villa Park's BJ Churnside clocked two of the best swims in the county this spring and the Spartans supplied him plenty of support en route to a 91-79 victory.

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OCVarsity Hot Shots: VP-Brea display sportsmanship

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Villa Park (8-0, 6-0), tied with Brea Olinda (6-1, 5-1) for 10th in the county rankings, held tough in the medley relay and captured the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays.

"This was a good one," said Churnside, who won the 50 free (21.22 seconds) and 100 breaststroke (59.72). "We've been gunning for these guys since Day 1."

Brea Olinda made a late surge in the backstroke to make the score tight. Ryan Lank led a first-second-third sweep for the Wildcats with a season-best time of 55.57 seconds. The sweep cut Villa Park's lead to 72-68.

But Churnside responded by out-dueling Brea Olinda's Nolan Rogers (season-best 1:00.54) in the breaststroke. Churnside, a junior, became the first Villa Park boy to break the minute in the breaststroke.

Villa Park won the event, 11-5, to essentially seal the victory.

The Spartans' last meet was an impressive 103-67 victory against Foothill, and that was without Churnside.

"Coming off the last meet, where we had multiple great, lifetime-bests, I didn't quite know for sure if we'd be able to match it but we did it again," said Villa Park coach John Carcich.

Kyle Etrata and Dylan Burns helped highlight the meet for the Spartans by finishing first-second in the 100 free with times of 49.09 and 49.22, respectively.

Villa Park made a strategic move with Burns in the medley relay, and it paid off. The Spartans inserted Burns as the anchor on their B relay. Burns responded with a 22.20 split to bring the B relay to wall third. Brea Olinda won the medley with a 1:41.74 but the Villa Park softened the blow by finishing second (1:44.70)-third (1:45.94). Brea Olinda's B was a close fourth with a 1:46.44.

In other meet highlights, Rogers captured the butterfly in 52.66.

Brea Olinda coach Gil Rotblum was pleased with how his team performed.

"We had PRs (personal records) everywhere and it wasn't good enough to win," he said.

Wednesday's meet also was special for inspirational Brea Olinda senior Alec Boliver. He delayed brain surgery so he could race in the meet and clocked a season-best 1:01.95 in the fly.

After the race, the Spartans' butterfliers presented Boliver with a signed swim cap.

"I feel pretty happy just because everybody supported me," he said.

Villa Park's girls defeated Brea Olinda, 108-62.

ENGEL STAYS HOT

Crean Lutheran freshman Lindsey Engel blazed again Tuesday, clocking a county-leading 1:50.79 in the 200 freestyle as part of the University-Northwood dual meet.