For the third consecutive year, Bonita Vista’s Julissa Arzave was the Metro Conference’s lone representative at the state swimming championship meet.
Being in familiar territory provided the calming touch at last weekend’s elite gathering at the Clovis Olympic Complex at Clovis West High School as Arzave zoomed to a meteoric fifth-place finish in the championship heat.
“I’m really, really happy with my time,” the BVHS junior gushed at Monday’s Metro Conference spring awards ceremony at Montgomery High School. “I think I was really mentally prepared this year.
“I was less nervous on the blocks. It was nice having my friends from the other Southern California teams there. Having the opportunity to race my best friends made me feel less nervous.”
Arzave entered the state prelims with the 12th-fastest qualifying time of 4:56.30 after winning the event at the preceding San Diego Section Division I finals.
However, with only the top six place-finishers receiving medals, the Bonita Vista swimmer knew she would have to better her time in order to get into the championship heat that would include the top eight qualifiers from the prelims.
“I was really hoping to get into the final,” she noted. “I had set a goal of doing that from the start of the season.”
Arzave recorded a personal best time of 4:50.66 in the prelims to rank fifth overall in the field.
She nearly matched that in the championship finals with a time of 4:50.83 to again place fifth.
Granada junior Miranda Heckman won her third consecutive state title with a time of 4:44.04, followed just .22 seconds later in second place by Saint Francis sophomore Nicole Oliva in 4:44.26.
Clovis junior Averee Preble finished third in 4:48.93, followed by Mater Dei junior Stephanie Su in 4:49.87.
Arzave finished comfortably in fifth place, followed by Los Osos junior Cassly Treydte in sixth place in 4:52.97.
Rounding out the championship field were Glendora senior Kati Sulkevich in seventh place in 4:56.39 and California junior Danielle Hawkins in eighth place in 4:58.07.
St. Margarita junior Mackenzie Degn won the consolation heat in 4:49.62 to officially place ninth.
A total of 40 swimmers competed in the prelims.
The top 16 qualifiers advanced to the finals, with swimmers recording the top eight times competing in the championship heat and the next eight swimmers competing in the consolation heat.
Arzave was joined by three other section swimmers at the state meet in the 500 freestyle competition but was the only one to advance to the finals.
West Hills junior Danielle Nowaski finished 15th in the prelims with a time of 4:57.18. Torrey Pines sophomore Cameron Collins was 24th in 5:01.32 while teammate Rylee Gordillo finished 29th in the prelims in 5:04.17.
Arzave said she’s not done setting records. She has one more year to make even more history at the state meet.
“Next up is club,” she said of the immediate future, then added, “I’m hoping to get top three at state next year.”
Making a splash
San Diego Section swimmers turned in several outstanding marks.
Among them, La Costa Canyon senior Dylan Delany finished second in the boys 50 freestyle in 20.24 to better the section record of 20.35 he set in winning the Division II championship at the section finals May 5 at Granite Hills High School.
Delaney also placed fourth in the boys 100 freestyle in 44.92 well under the 45.93 he posted in recording a runner-up finish at the section finals.
San Ramon Valley senior Spencer Daily won the state 50 freestyle title in 20.07 while Viewpoint senior Thomas Finello won the state 100 freestyle title in 44.18.
Del Norte senior Jacob Sauter finished third in the boys 500 freestyle in 4:24.09, bettering his prelim time of 4:25.96.
For others, the state meet remained a learning experience.
Grossmont freshman Laney Hall, this year’s Division I section girls 200 freestyle champion, finished 20th in prelim qualifying with a time of 1:52.06 while Nowaski was 31st in 1:54.22.
Valhalla sophomore Taylor Moultrie finished 31st in the girls 100 butterfly prelims with a time of 57.53 while Steele Canyon sophomore Jack Werland finished 34th in the boys 200 individual medley prelims with a time of 1:57.57.
Dive card
Patrick Henry senior Jack Macceca, the reigning San Diego Section Division I champion, led the contingent of four section dives with a seventh-place finish with a score of 481.70 points.
Steele Canyon senior Nathan Cummins placed 12th in the boys diving competition with a score of 443.80 points. He finished as the second-highest placer from San Diego County after Macceca.
Fallbrook senior Joey Greenwood finished 18th at the state finals with a score of 274.15 points while La Jolla senior Jordan Schultz placed 20th with a score of 257.95 points.
The top 16 divers scored points for their respective teams.
River Valley (Sac-Joaquin Section) Rylan Little won the state boys diving competition with a score of 558.10 points, followed by Mitty freshman Adam Wesson in second place with 543.45 points.
Canyon Crest junior Jaye Patrick notched the highest place-finish among section girls divers at the state meet with a score of 449.75 points to place 10th.
Bishop’s junior Leah Parsons finished 14th with a score of 425.10 points while La Jolla freshman Makenna Sammons was 19th with a score of 293.10 points.
La Jolla freshman Jordan Mariani also represented the San Diego Section, placing 24th with a score of 176.60 points.
El Toro junior Sananna Stocker won the girls state title with a score of 507.55 points while Aliso Niguel freshman Brooke Earley placed runner up with a score of 494.55 points.
State team swim and dive champions included Santa Margarita (girls) and Northwood (boys).
Top marks set at state swim championship meet
The fourth annual California state swim and dive championship meet May 18-19 in Clovis produced its share of memorable moments.
Here are a few:
The Santa Margarita girls team claimed its first state championship with a record 266.5 points while Northwood’s boys team claimed its first state championship with 157 points.
In girls relay events, Davis set a new meet record in the 200 medley with a final time of 1:41.31, while Santa Margarita set a new meet record and won its second consecutive state title in the 200 freestyle with a final time of 1:32.44.
Santa Margarita also set a new meet record in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a final time of 3:19.56.
Among individuals, Granada’s Miranda Heckman won her second consecutive state crown in the 200 freestyle and third consecutive state title in the 500 freestyle.
Country Day’s Amalie Fackenthal won her second consecutive state titles in both the 50 freestyle, tying her state record of 22.45, and 100 freestyle, setting a new state record of 48.43.
Monte Vista’s Zoie Hartman set a new state record in the girls 100 breaststroke with a final time of 59.66, while also winning the girls 200 individual medley title.
In boys relay events, Oak Ridge won its third consecutive state title in the 200 medley. Bellarmine set a new meet record in the 200 freestyle with a final time of 1:22.34 and also won the 400 freestyle.
Among individuals, Northgate’s Alexei Sancov won his second consecutive state crown in the 200 freestyle with a new meet record of 1:34.13.
Clavary Chapel’s Andrew Koustik set a new state record in the boys 500 freestyle with a final time of 4:19.14.
Foothill’s Jonah Cooper won his second consecutive state title in the 100 backstroke and Oak Ridge’s Ben Dillard set a new state record in the boys 100 breaststroke with a final time of 53.96.
