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 IM (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 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).
Granite Hills (McCoy, Eaton, Cox and Puterbaugh) finished third in the Division I girls 200 medley relay in 1:51.09 while Granite Hills (Keane, junior Teagan Pennings, Braden Felio and senior Vaughan Clark) placed fifth in the Division I boys 200 medley relay in 1:37.96.
Granite Hills (junior Carly Seiter, Puterbaugh, McCoy and Cox) placed fifth in the Division I girls 200 freestyle relay in 1:40.86.
Granite Hills (Clark, Aidan Keane, Sean Keane and Braden Felio) finished fifth in 3:16.49 in the boys 400 freestyle relay.
backstroke at this year’s San Diego Section Division I
swimming championships.
