BVHS swimmer double dips at CIF state swimming finals

Bonita Vista High School sophomore Julissa Arzave did not come home empty-handed from last weekend’s state swimming championship meet at Clovis West High School.

The reigning Mesa League Swimmer of the Year finished 13th in the girls 500-yard freestyle in 4:56.52 and 16th in the girls 200 freestyle in 1:53.13.

She owns the distinction as the only Metro Conference swimmer to qualify for the elite high school swim meet in each of the past two years.

She finished 16th in the 500 freestyle last year as a freshman.

The state finals took placed last Friday and Saturday, May 20-21.

“It was really fun but it was also really hot,” explained Arzave, who captured both the 200 and 500 freestyle events at this year’s league finals. “There was a lot of good competition; I was really happy with my times, which were personal bests.”

Arzave went faster in both events at last Friday’s prelims (1:52.49 in the 200 freestyle and 4:55.14 in the 500 freestyle). The 500 freestyle time in the finals met the All-American consideration standard.

West Hills sophomore Danielle Nowaski led the San Diego Section qualifying field at the state finals with a 10th-place time of 4:54.04. Nowaski’s time also met the All-American consideration standard.

Arzave said she was thrilled to represent her school in two events at the state finals.

“I felt very good about it,” she said. “It felt good to be among the top 16 swimmers in the whole state.”

Around the section
La Costa Canyon junior Dylan Delaney led San Diego Section participants with third place in the boys 50 freestyle while University City senior Brendan Santana placed third in the 100 boys butterfly and fourth in the 50 freestyle.

Del Norte senior Austin Nguyen was fourth in the boys 200 individual medley and sixth in the 100 breaststroke while La Jolla senior Dominick Wallace was sixth in both the boys 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke.

La Jolla senior Parker Seale, a former standout for the South Bay Aquatics swim club, placed sixth in the boys 200 IM and seventh in the 100 freestyle.

Cathedral Catholic senior Jessica Pentlarge was sixth in the girls 100 freestyle while La Costa Canyon junior Brandon Kulik was seventh in the boys 100 butterfly.

Bishop’s sophomore Michael Xu placed seventh in the boys 100 breaststroke while Torrey Pines sophomore Kira Crage finished eighth in the girls 50 freestyle.

Del Norte and La Costa Canyon finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the boys 200 freestyle relay.

Granite Hills senior Cody Dreesen placed eighth in the boys diving card with a score of 513.65 points for 11 dives; Christian sophomore Cole Owens placed 13th with a score of 450.