If there’s anything better than winning back-to-back Rio Hondo League swim championships, it’s beating rival South Pasadena to win back-to-back Rio Hondo League swim championships and that’s precisely what happened last Thursday for San Marino High School’s boys’ and girls’ varsity squads, who made quick work of the Tigers to defend their titles.
The Lady Titans made off with a 109.5 – 59.5 victory while the boys faced even less opposition in cruising to a 121-49 win. The Titan boys’ junior varsity got into the fun as well, defeating South Pas by a final score of 100-53 to claim that championship as well. Only the Lady Titan junior varsity came up short, but Coach Mark Barr indicated that there is much to be happy about at the lower levels.
It would be an understatement to claim that the varsity girls were dominant. To get things started, Jasmine Chen, Ellie Chen, Zephy Koh and Kali Villaluna boiled to a time of 1:47.46 in the 200-yard medley relay. Villaluna won the 200-yard freestyle by a full 16 seconds with her clocking of 2:05.02 and Koh won the 200-yard individual medley in a brisk time of 2:19.52, with Jill Lin finishing in 3rd place.
Ellie Chen and Ashley Wang went 1-2 in the 50-yard freestyle, Koh scorched the competition with a 1:02 in the 100-yard butterfly with with Becky Chen finishing in 3rd and Villaluna scored again in the 100-yard freestyle with Caitlin Hernandez coming in 2nd.
Claire Chiu, Caitlin Hernandez, Ashley Wang and Jill Lin teamed up to win the 200-yard freestlye relay and Jasmine Chen and Jan Estandarte went 1-3 in the 100-yard backstroke.
Elise Chen finished 3rd in the 100-yard breaststroke and the Lady Titans’ entry of Villaluna, Koh, Ellie Chen and Jasmine Chen finished triumphantly with a 20-second victory in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
“I am very proud of these girls,” said Barr. “They have worked exceptionally hard this year and deserve this victory and the league championship.”
Like their counterparts in royal blue, the boys’ varsity started the meet with a convincing victory in the 200-yard medley relay as Tristin Lin, John Van, Kyle Day and Patrick Tulaphorn paddled to victory.
Kurtis Tsai and Kevin Chen went 1-2 in the 200-yard freestlye as did Tristin Lin and John Van in the 200-yard individual medley.
Maxwell Lin and Patrick Tulaphorn finished 2-3 in the 50 yard freestyle and Kyle Day, Kevin Chen and Adrian Huang went 1-2-3 claiming all 3 spots on the medal stand in the 100-yard butterfly,
Maxwell Lin, Devin Lee and Nicholas Oo made it two sweeps in a row as they hogged the top spots in the 100-yard freestyle. The team of Patrick Tulaphorn, Kevin Chen, John Van and Maxwell Lin easily claimed the 200-yard freestyle relay and Kyle Day and Preston Wong went 1-3 in the 100-yard backstroke. John Van and Tristin Lin took the two top spots in the 100-yard breaststroke before the grand finale, a victory by Kyle Day, Kevin Chen, Maxwell Lin and Tristin Lin in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
The Rio Hondo League finals wrap up today with many are hoping to advance to the CIF prelims on Friday, May 12.
