Last Friday’s Grossmont Hills League swim finals provided a prideful sendoff for seniors as well as a statement showing by underclassmen.
First-place finishers in each event earned first-team all-league honors while second-place finishers received second-team all-league honors.
Along the way, three new meet records were set while there was one tie for first place as well as a bunch of touches separated by tenths or even hundredths of a second.
In other words, the meet at Granite Hills High School was as competitive as usual.
Pride and honor
All six schools in the league were represented on the starting platform. Four schools came away with at least one event champion while all six schools recorded at least one second place showing.
“It was a fun meet for the kids,” Granite Hills coach Cathy Elgas summed up.
Granite Hills swept both the boys and girls Grossmont Hills League regular season dual meet titles and will receive championship banners to hang in the school’s gymnasium.
Last Friday’s meet was for bragging rights, and there was a lot to brag about, especially for swimmers from Granite Hills, Valhalla and Helix high schools who combined for 22 individual event championships.
The Lady Eagles continued their dominance at the league finals by topping the field with 530.5 points, followed by runner-up Helix Charter with 402 points, third place Valhalla with 310.5 points, a fourth-place tie between West Hills and Grossmont with 237 points and sixth place Steele Canyon with 218 points.
Helix Charter repeated as the top team at the boys league finals by accumulating 478 points to out-pace runner-up Granite Hills (456.5 points) and third place Valhalla (330 points). Rounding out the field were Steele Canyon in fourth place with 290.5 points, Grossmont in fifth place with 244 points and West Hills in sixth place with 137 points.
Granite Hills sophomore Braden Felio fired the first salvo in the meet with a time of 1:42.48 in the boys 200-yard freestyle to eclipse the old record of 1:43.38 set by Steele Canyon alumnus Marco Russo in 2013. The time also broke a 34-year-old school record, according to Elgas.
Helix Charter junior Cameron Drake was the next to make history after recording a time of 4:42.77 to set a new meet record in the boys 500 freestyle event. The old record of 4:45.86 set by Helix grad Matt Buckley had stood since 1989.
“It feels amazing — I’ve never felt anything like this,” said Drake, who finished with two gold medals (500 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay) and two bronze medals (200 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay) last Friday.
Besides Drake, Helix’s victorious 200 freestyle relay team included sophomores Esequiel Antunez and Asher Eaton and junior Baxter Orvell. The Highlander quartet had to give it their all to record a scant 0.15-second win over a fast-charging Valhalla team.
“The competition made it intense,” Drake said.
Not to be outdone, the Granite Hills foursome of sophomores Brooke McCoy and Delaney Fry, senior Erin Kluge and junior Izzy Cox combined to post a new record time of 1:40.40 in the 200 freestyle relay (4×50). The quarter just slipped under the previous record of 1:40.42 set last year by West Hills. The new time is also a school record, Elgas said.
Besides the new meet records, league royalty included four double individual event winners — two each from Granite Hills and Valhalla.
Felio came out victorious in both the boys 200 freestyle (1:42.48) and 100 freestyle (47.55) while Granite Hills junior Aidan Keane won the boys 200 individual medley (1:58.75) and 100 backstroke (53.76).
“It’s pretty fun — I want to keep doing this every year for league and keep getting better and better,” said Felio, who won two gold medals as a freshman at last year’s league finals.
Keane finished last Friday’s meet with three gold medals (200 IM, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay) and one silver medal (400 freestyle relay).
“It’s fun, it feels great,” Keane said. “I have a really good coach and really great teammates on my relays. I’m happy.”
Valhalla junior Rachel Munch captured top honors in the girls 200 IM (2:08.20) and 100 breaststroke (1:08.22) while Valhalla senior Jack Forstot claimed bragging rights in the boys 50 freestyle (21.92) and 100 butterfly (53.85).
“The Norsemen had an excellent showing at his year’s league finals,” VHS coach Steena Harriman said. “Overall, we achieved best times in 96 percent of our individual races. We had standout swims from sophomore Alexandra Schow in the 200 free and 500 free and sophomore Miles Boone in the 100 breaststroke.
“In addition, Jack Forstot, Rachel Munch, Tess Forstot, Alexander Golu and Eli Mohr all had races that made them league champions.”
Munch repeated as the league champion in the girls 200 individual medley, though her winning time of 2:08.20 fell short of her meet record time of 2:07.76 set last year. Munch (1:08.22) also score a thrilling victory in the 100 breaststroke by out-touching Helix senior Maya Garcia-Hale (1:08.30) by 0.08 second in a race that was hotly contested from start to finish.
Munch finished second at last year’s 100 breaststroke finals with a school record time of 1:07.24. She left this year’s finals laden with two gold medals (200 IM, 100 breaststroke) and two silver medals (200 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay).
“I feel really good,” the VHS junior said. “I’m really happy with my breaststroke time; that’s exactly where I want to be. It’s been fun cheering on my teammates.”
Jack Forstot finished the meet with three gold medals (50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 400 freestyle relay) and one silver medal (200 freestyle relay). He out-touched Steele Canyon’s Nikola Petakovich in the 50 freestyle by 0.69 second and defending 100 butterfly champion Patrick Reynolds of Grossmont by 0.09 second in a stroke-for-stroke duel.
“It was pretty special, this is my best performance in my career,” said Forstot, who will attend Colby College in Waterville, Maine. “This is the most fun I’ve had in swimming. I wouldn’t give it away. For all the hard work I’ve put in, I’m really glad to have this moment.”
In a dramatic finish, Tess Forstot tied for first place in the girls 100 backstroke with Granite Hills senior Erin Kluge with identical times of 59.44.
Golu won the boys 100 breaststroke in 1:01.63 while Mohr was a member of the Norsemen’s victorious 400 freestyle relay (3:20.47) along with Tyler Piscopo, Golu and Jack Forstot.
Schow placed fifth in the girls 500 freestyle (5:35.44) and sixth in the 200 freestyle (2:04.59) while Boone finished runnerup in the boys 100 breaststroke (1:05.89) and fourth in the 500 freestyle (5:12.90).
Granite Hills notched seven individual first-place finishes between the two gender fields — four events on the boys side (Felio and Keane in two events each) and three events on the girls side (Kluge with two and Cox with one).
Kluge (57.32) edged Tess Forstot (1:01.11) in the 100 butterfly after finishing runner-up in the event last year.
Cox won the girls 100 freestyle in 53.93 to repeat as a league champion while placing second behind Munch in the 200 IM in 2:11.05.
Cox, McCoy, Kluge and Fry combined to win the meet-opening 200 medley relay in 1:50.35.
Helix sophomore Riley Hull repeated as the girls 200 freestyle champion (1:55.56) while placing second in the 500 freestyle (5:13.64) to teammate GarciaHale (5:01.78). Hull had won last year’s 500 free title in 5:10. 5:10.11.
“It was a great time,” Hull said. “My goal was to just give it my all; I’ve still got CIF coming up.”
Grossmont junior Erica Neri also posted outstanding swims by winning the 50 freestyle in 24.84 ahead of Steele Canyon’s Camille Seiley (25.24) and placing runnerup to Cox in the 100 freestyle in 54.44.
Of note:
•Grossmont’s Reynolds, last year’s league champion in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly, settled for second-place finishes in both events this year.
•Steele’s Petakovich also placed second in the 100 freestyle (49.53).
•Granite Hills junior Chloe Morgan finished second in the 200 freestyle (2:00.49) and third in the 500 freestyle (5:20.84) while McCoy was third in both the 200 IM (2:16.29) and 100 backstroke (1:01.29).
•West Hills’ Maggie Cline finished third in both the 200 IM (2:17.07) and 100 butterfly (1:01.56).
Helix coach Joel Hull said it took efforts from the entire team to repeat as league finals champions after posting a runner-up finish to Granite Hills in league dual meets.
“We talked with the team and told the guys it would take a total team effort,” Hull said. “We had 32 swimmers involved, everyone qualified from the prelims to the finals. Everyone contributed.”
Swimmers with the top eight times from the preceding prelims competed in the championship finals while swimmers with the next eight best times competed in the consolation finals (final placement ninth through 16th).
Consolation winners in the boys field included Granite Hills freshman Sean Keane (2:00.49 in the 200 freestyle), Steele Canyon’s Angus Kirkpatrick (2:22.46 in the 200 IM), Valhalla junior Jonathan Brikho (24.72 in the 50 freestyle), Granite Hills junior Vaughan Clark (1:00.48 in the 100 butterfly), Helix sophomore Tobin Gloyer (54.07 in the 100 freestyle), Granite Hills senior Brandon Riggs (5:34.37 in the 500 freestyle), Valhalla’s Piscopo (1:03.55 in the 100 backstroke) and Granite Hills freshman Chance Hall (1:11.47 in the 100 breaststroke).
Consolation winners in the girls field included Granite Hills sophomore Athena Miranda (2:09.97 in the 200 freestyle), Valhalla sophomore Margot Chammas (2:32.99 in the 200 IM), Grossmont’s Raquel Berk (27.61 in the 50 freestyle), Valhalla freshman Mairin Furlong (1:07.31 in the 100 butterfly), West Hills junior Dakota Rozeboom (59.66 in the 100 freestyle), Granite Hills junior Olivia Sapper (5:52.08 in the 500 freestyle), Steele Canyon’s Lila Werland (1:08.72 in the 100 backstroke) and Grossmont senior Isabelle Lareau (1:23.98 in the 100 breaststroke).
The league diving finals took place on April 25. Granite Hills’s Hall won the boys one-meter competition with 198.55 points while Steele Canyon’s Halle Severson captured the girls competition with 171.65 points.
Grossmont Hills League Swim & Dive Championships
BOYS FINALS
200 medley relay: 1. Granite Hills 1:41.62; 2. Grossmont 1:45.26; 3. Helix 1:45.56; 4. Steele Canyon 1:48.14; 5. Valhalla 1:53.03; 6. West Hills 1:54.82
200 freestyle: 1. Braden Felio (GH) 1:42.48 (meet record); 2. Eli Mohr (V) 1:45.64; 3. Cameron Drake (H) 1:46.14; 4. Cavan Cox (GH) 1:51.11; 5. Coen Riggins (H) 1:52.09; 6. Anthony Asaro (G) 1:55.01; 7. Lucas Johnson (GH) 1:55.76; 8. Mason Mongiello (SC) 1:58.11
200 individual medley: 1. Aidan Keane (GH) 1:58.75; 2. Patrick Reynolds (G) 2:01.62; 3. Wyatt Loorya (H) 2:08.00; 4. Teagan Pennings (GH) 2:09.90; 5. Gavan Pena (H) 2:09.94; 6. Asher Easton (H) 2:13.36; 7. Branson Riggs (GH) 2:21.47; 8. Jacob Belasco (V) 2:23.05
50 freestyle: 1. Jack Forstot (V) 21.92; 2. Nikola Petakovich (SC) 22.61; 3. Baxter Orvell (H) 22.87; 4. Esequiel Antunez (H) 23.24; 5. Louie Thompson (G) 23.71l 6. Luke Knierim (GH) 24.01; 7. Tobin Gloyer (H) 24.21; 8. Matthew Hansen (V) 24.54
100 butterfly: 1. Jack Forstot (V) 53.85; 2. Patrick Reynolds (G) 53.94; 3. Coen Riggins (H) 54.48; 4. Gabe Morales (SC) 55.65; 5. Thomas Lockhart (G) 55.73l 6. Michael Whitman (H) 58.74; 7. Gavan Pena (H) 59.40; 8. Liam Keller (GH) 59.94
100 freestyle: 1. Braden Felio (GH) 47.55; 2. Nikola Petakovich (SC) 49.53; 3. Alexander Golu (V) 50.11; 4. Asher Eaton (H) 50.90; 5. Lucas Johnson (GH) 52.35; 6. Louie Thompson (G) 52.51; 7. Baxter Orvell (H) 52.55; 8. Tyler Piscopo (V) 53.34
500 freestyle: 1. Cameron Drake
(H) 4:42.77 (meet record); 2. Eli Mohr (V) 4:46.59; 3. Cavan Cox (GH) 5:05.03; 4. Miles Boone (V) 5:12.90; 5. Anthony Asaro (G) 5:14.85; 6. Will Feser (SC) 5:19.92; 7. Landor Avalos-Kennedy (H) 5:23.13; 8. Sean Keane (GH) 5:34.16
200 freestyle relay: 1. Helix 1:31.69; 2. Valhalla 1:31.84; 3. Steele Canyon 1:33.52; 4. Granite Hills1:34.60; 5. Grossmont 1:37.41; 6. West Hills 1:42.84
100 backstroke: 1. Aidan Keane (GH) 53.76; 2. Gabe Morales (SC) 57.03; 3. Thomas Lockhart (G) 1:00.09; 4. Vaughan Clark (GH) 1:01.05; 5. Luke Knierim (GH) 1:02.32; 6. Mason Mongiello (SC) 1:03.11; 7. Landor Avalos-Kennedy (H) 1:03.64; 8. Kendrick Do (H) 1:04.00
100 breaststroke: 1. Alexander Golu (V) 1:01.63; 2. Miles Boone (V) 1:05.89; 3. Wyatt Loorya (H) 1:06.05; 4. Teagan Pennings (GH) 1:06.32; 5. Michael Whitman (H) 1:09.59; 6. Nathan Buechner (WH) 1:10.06; 7. Daniel Drake (G) 1:10.10; 8. Jacob Morgans (H) 1:11.36
400 freestyle relay: 1. Valhalla 3:20.47; 2. Granite Hills 3:20.77; 3. Helix 3:22.31; 4. Grossmont 3:37.25; 5. Steele Canyon 3:41.18; 6. West Hills 4:14.51
GIRLS FINALS
200 medley relay: 1. Granite Hills 1:50.35; 2. Valhalla 1:52.32; 3. Helix 1:56.64; 4. Grossmont 1:58.19; 5. West Hills 2:00.12; 6. Steele Canyon 2:06.00
200 freestyle: 1. Riley Hull (H) 1:55.56; 2. Chloe Morgan (GH) 2:00.49; 3. Adelina Willett (G) 2:03.63; 4. Linda Eisenhamer (H) 2:03.68; 5. Delaney Fry (GH) 2:04.16; 6. Alexandra Schow (V) 2:04.59; 7. Savannah Rui (H) 2:09.56; 8. Maria Minutelli (G) 2:11.32
200 individual medley: 1. Rachel Munch (V) 2:08.20; 2. Izzy Cox (GH) 2:11.05; 3. Brooke McCoy (GH) 2:16.29; 4. Maggie Cline (WH) 2:17.07; 5. Korinne McCarty (GH) 2:23.66; 6. Emilee Punsalon (H) 2:27.34; 7. Hollie Leraas (WH) 2:30.70; 8. Sophia Birkenbach (GH) 2:32.49
50 freestyle: 1. Erica Neri (G) 24.84; 2. Camille Seiley (SC) 25.24; 3. Lorelei Carrillo (G) 25.95; 4. Emily Hansen (V) 26.47; 5. Gabby Morales (H) 26.63; 6. (tie) Dakota Rozeboom (WH), Ryann Gideon (WH) 27.68; 8. Mia Barkett (H) 26.70
100 butterfly: 1. Erin Kluge (GH) 57.32; 2. Tess Forstot (V) 1:011.11; 3. Maggie Cline (WH) 1:01.56; 4. Olivia Sapper (GH) 1:03.14; 5. Lorelei Carrillo (G) 1:03.36; 6. Linda Eisenhamer (H) 1:05.66; 7. Emilee Punsalon (H) 1:06.19; 8. Hollie Leraas (WH) 1:07.44
100 freestyle: 1. Izzy Cox (GH) 53.93; 2. Eric Neri (G) 54.44; 3. Camille Seiley (SC) 55.52; 4. Carly Seiter (GH) 57.03l 5. Gabby Morales (H) 57.68; 6. Ava Eaton (GH) 58.22; 7. Emily Hansen (V) 58.33; 8. Margot Chammas (V) 1:00.80
500 freestyle: 1. Maya Garcia-Hale (H) 5:01.78; 2. Riley Hull (H) 5:13.64; 3. Chloe Morgan (GH) 5:20.84; 4. Adelina Willett (G) 5:32.90; 5. Alexandra Schow (H) 5:35.44; 6. Lila Werland (SC) 5:40.03; 7. Mia Barkett (H) 5:45.97; 8. Annika Sawicki (H) 5:56.28
200 freestyle relay: 1. Granite Hills 1:40.40 (meet record); 2. West Hills 1:47.77; 3. Helix 1:48.31; 4. Steele Canyon 1:50.15; 5. Valhalla 1:53.41; Grossmont DQ
100 backstroke: 1. (tie) Tess Forstot (V), Erin Kluge (GH) 59.44; 3, Brooke McCoy (GH) 1:01.29; 4. Ryann Gideon (WH) 1:03.34; 5. Carly Seiter (GH) 1:04.13; 6.Delaney Fry (GH) 1:04.27; 7. Savannah Ruiz (H) 1:07.15; 8. Maria Minutelli (G) 1:09.33
100 breaststroke: 1. Rachel Munch (V) 1:08.22; 2. Maya Garcia-Hale (H) 1:08.30; 3. Ava Eaton (GH) 1:12.59; 4. Korinne McCarty (GH) 1:15.03; 5. Sophia Birkenbach (GH) 1:16.32l 6. Kayden Abrahamsen (GH) 1:19.80; 7. Annika Sawicki (H) 1:22.00; 8. Elizabeth Spiller (H) 1:22.55
400 freestyle relay: 1. Helix 3:44.49; 2. Valhalla 3:47.16; 3. Granite Hills 4:14.50; 4. Grossmont 4:16.88; 5. Steele Canyon 4:30.16; 6. West Hills 4:33.16
Varsity Diving
BOYS FINALS
1. Chance Hall (Granite Hills) 198.55
2. Sam Mascari (Steele Canyon) 182.85
3. Miles Ball (Helix) 172.35
4. Bruce Nordlof (Grossmont) 156.90
5. Dallin Jenkins (Granite Hills) 133.65
6. Jonah Leistiko (Granite Hills) 119.95
7. Cooper Eckert (Helix) 116.20
GIRLS FINALS
1. Halle Severson (Steele Canyon) 171.65
2. Skylar Parga (Granite Hills) 169.85
3. Jordan Sterner (Granite Hills) 169.65
4. Jada Clark (Granite Hills) 165.25
5. Addison Clark (Granite Hills) 157.45
6. Cortlyn Patterson (Steele Canyon) 156.55
7. Elle Fishwick (Valhalla) 146.55
8. Taylor Dang (Helix) 145.30
9. Ireland Allison (West Hills) 136.60
