The San Diego Section held its swimming and diving championship meets May 5-6 at Granite Hills High School. East County teams and swimmers represented themselves well despite not winning any team or individual championships.
Spectators were, however, treated to eight new records — five individual and three relay events — by swimmers from other parts of the county.
Student-athletes from reigning Grossmont Hills League dual meet champion Granite Hills, Helix Charter, Grossmont, and Steele Canyon high schools participated in the Division I meet while the Division II muster roll included West Hills, Santana, El Capitan, and Christian high schools.
Making waves
The top eight qualifiers swam in the championship heat while the next eight qualifiers swam in the consolation heat. The top eight place-finishers in the championship heat received medals.
Granite Hills junior Braden Felio finished third in both the Division I boys 200 freestyle (1:43.17) and 500 freestyle (4:39.67) to pace East County male swimmers while senior teammate Aidan Keane managed a third-place finish in the boys 100 backstroke (51.54) and a fifth-place finish in the 200 individual medley (1:54.88).
Felio’s younger brother Austin, a freshman, placed sixth in both the 200 freestyle (1:46.08) and 500 freestyle (4:45.11) while swimming in the same heat as his brother.
Valhalla senior Rachel Munch paced the Grossmont Conference’s female contingent in Division I with a third-place finish in the 200 individual medley (2:08.20) while also notching a ninth place-finish in the 100 freestyle (53.96) as the consolation winner.
Valhalla senior Louis Fehrensen finished fourth in the boys 100 freestyle (48.32). Helix Charter junior Riley Hull placed fifth in the girls 200 freestyle (1:55.23) and fifth in the 500 freestyle (5:04.72).
Valhalla junior Tess Forstot finished fifth in the girls 100 backstroke (F59.87) and 15th in the girls 200 freestyle (1:59.68).
Helix junior Coen Riggins finished sixth in the Division I boys 100 butterfly (52.21) and 12th in the boys 200 IM (1:47.91)
Granite Hills senior Izzy Cox finished seventh in the 200 IM (2:11.11) and 13th in the 100 butterfly (1;00.25).
Helix senior Cameron Drake finished seventh in the boys 500 freestyle (4:5.44) and 13th in the boys 200 IM (1:47.97).
Valhalla senior Alexander Golu finished seventh in the boys 200 IM (1:58.66) and eighth in the boys 100 breaststroke (1:00.94).
Helix junior Esequiel Antunez finished eighth in the Division I boys 50 freestyle (22.32).
Granite Hills junior Ava Eaton placed eighth in the girls 100 breaststroke (1:09.21).
Helix junior Asher Eaton finished ninth in the boys 100 freestyle (48.92) as the consolation champion.
Fehrensen and Golu both won their specialty events at the preceding league finals.
“It felt good, especially dropping my time and going out winning league; it’s something to be proud of,” Golu said.
“It felt fantastic,” Fehrensen added. “I came to the conference finals wanting to win league.”
Eagles nest
Junior Brooke McCoy finished 10th in the girls 100 backstroke (1:02.06).
Senior Chloe Morgan finished 12th in the girls 500 freestyle (5:22.98).
Freshman Linnea Puterbaugh placed 15th in the girls 200 IM (2:18.20).
Junior Carly Seiter finished 16th in the girls 100 freestyle (57.66).
Orange Nation
Freshman Angela Prado finished 11th in the girls 100 freestyle (55.53) and 12th in the 100 butterfly (59.97).
Junior Linda Eisenhamer finished 13th in the girls 100 freestyle (55.93).
Junior Tyler Piscopo finished 15th in the boys 100 freestyle (50.04).
Junior Alexandra Schow placed 15th in the girls 500 freestyle (5:34.44).
Junior Miles Boone finished 16th in the boys 500 freestyle (5:13.34).
Consolation heats
Grossmont sophomore Lorelei Carrillo placed 10th in the girls 50 freestyle (25.76).
Grossmont senior Elizabeth Weeks finished 10th in the girls 100 breaststroke (1:10.12).
Grossmont senior Patrick Reynolds placed 10th in the boys 100 backstroke (55.30) and 11th in the boys 100 butterfly (53.87).
Helix freshman Evan Tucker placed 12th in the boys 200 IM (2:01.92) and 16th in the boys 100 backstroke (58.07).
Steele Canyon sophomore Felix Medina finished 12th in the boys 100 butterfly (54.22) and 13th in the boys 200 IM (2:02.10).
Helix freshman Penelope Nelson finished 16th in the girls 100 butterfly (1:03.09).
Helix senior Sadie Henry finished 16th in the girls 500 freestyle (5:34.72).
Division II leader board Christian senior Sam Walker topped East County individuals in the Division II meet with a sixth-place finish in the boys 100 breaststroke (58.92) while also logging a 12th-place finish in the 50 freestyle (21.52). Walker also was part of the Patriots’ 10th place 200 medley relay (1:44.57) and 10th-place 200 freestyle relay (1:36.16).
Sophomores Gabe Ducharme, Noah Lewis and Alejanrdo Lopez joined Walker on the medley relay unit while sophomores Garret Carter and Peyton Mullen and Lopez joined Walker on the 4×50 freestyle unit.
Lewis, Carter, junior Diego Davies, and sophomore Linkin Glaze swam legs on Christian’s 15th-place 400 freestyle relay (3:40.99).
Santana junior Brooke Amos snared the consolation championship in the girls 100 butterfly (1:01.69).
West Hills sophomore Maggie Cline finished 11th in the girls 200 freestyle (2:00.21) and 13t in the 500 freestyle (5:25.02).
El Capitan freshman Hannah Cox placed 14th in the girls 100 butterfly (1:03.15).
Relay finishes
Granite Hills (McCoy, Eaton, Cox and Puterbaugh) finished third in the Division I girls 200 medley in 1:51.09 while Valhalla (Forstot, Munch, Prado, and senior Emily Hansen) was sixth in the same field in 1:51.86.
Helix (sophomore Jaylyn Wu-Cardona, freshman Avery Mann, Nelson and senior Mia Birkett) was 14th in the 200 medley in 1:59.48 while Grossmont was 15th in 1:59.57.
Granite Hills (Keane, junior Teagan Pennings, Braden Felio, and senior Vaughan Clark) placed fifth in the Division I boys 200 medley in 1:37.96. Valhalla (freshman Cody Smith, senior Jonathan Brikho, senior Jacob Belasco and Fehrensen) was 13th in 1:46.69.
Granite Hills (junior Carly Seiter, Puterbaugh, McCoy and Cox) placed fifth in the Division I girls 200 freestyle in 1:40.86. Helix (Hull, senior Emilee Punsalon, junior Savannah Ruiz and Eisenhamer) finished ninth in 1:44.80 as the consolation champion.
Grossmont (Weeks, Carrillo, sophomore Merilyn Allen and freshman Anabella Van Cotthem) placed 12th in 1:47.15 while Valhalla (sophomore Mairin Furlong, junior Margot Chammas, junior Marissa Sparks and Schow) finished 14th in 1:47.90.
Helix (Eaton, Tucker, Riggins and Antunez) placed fourth in the Division I boys 200 freestyle in 1:29.99 while Valhalla (Fehrensen, senior Matthew Hansen, Piscopo and Golu)) finished seventh in 1:30.57.
Granite Hills (Austin Felio, sophomore Sean Keane, junior Liam Keller, and Pennings) finished 10th in 1:32.63.
Valhalla (Emily Hansen, Forstot, Prado and Munch) placed fourth in the Division I girls 400 freestyle in 3:40.23 while Helix (Hull, Punsalon, Markett and Eisenhamer) finished eighth in 3:45.25. Granite Hills (Morgan, junior Sophia Birkenbach, Ava Eaton and Seiter) placed 11th in 3:53.65.
Helix (Asher Eaton, Drake, Tucker, and Riggins) finished fourth in the Division I boys 400 freestyle in 3:16.39 while Granite Hills (Clark, Aidan Keane, Sean Keane, and Braden Felio) was fifth in 3:16.49.
Valhalla (Matthew Hansen, Piscopo, Fehrensen and Golu) placed 10th in 3:21.02.
