CCS swimming: Familiar faces atop podium as records fall
SANTA CLARA — Records are rarely safe at the Central Coast Section swimming and diving championships. Such was the case Saturday afternoon at the George F. Haines International Swim Center.
Harker junior Ethan Hu not only set new marks in the boys 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly, he teamed up with a trio of sophomores to break a 2014 record in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:30.93 to open the meet.
“I think that one was actually the most fun,” Hu said of the relay, which featured Matthew Chung (backstroke), Jason Kwok (breaststroke), himself (fly) and Rhys Edwards (freestyle). “We weren’t in a position last year to get that record, but the other team members have matured so much and gotten so much faster.”
Meanwhile, Gunn closed it out in style by breaking its own girls 400 free relay record set in 2012 with a time of 3:22.90 to claim back-to-back CCS team titles.
Does it get any better?
“No, it really doesn’t,” said Gunn senior Sarah Snyder, who swam anchor on the relay. “This is our last year and this was our last race. I don’t think any of us were really expecting the record at all — and it just happened. This whole time it’s been a team effort, just like that relay.”
It was third CCS trophy for the Titans.
On the boys’ side, Bellarmine took the plunge after a three-peat that now gives the Bells’ dynasty at 36th championship over the past 38 years — including 31 in a row from 1985 to 2015.
Bellarmine senior Max Saunders not only anchored the winning 400 free relay, he also took his spot atop the podium as an individual after touching the wall ahead of his competition in boys 200 and 100 free — breaking a 10-year-old record in the latter with a time of 43.52 that previously belonged to Shayne Fleming (Valley Christian/Cal).
“I was still a little fatigued from the 200,” said the USC-bound Saunders, who also won the 100 free as a junior. “And the last 12 yards or so, I was gassed. I knew I went fast, I knew I was ahead of the field, I just wasn’t entirely sure how far ahead and how fast I went. There was like a half second of silence and then I started hearing cheering. I’ve been on cloud nine since.”
Next up is the fifth-annual CIF state swimming and diving championships at the Clovis Olympic Swim Complex held May 10-11.
Check back for updates.
Complete results from the CCS finals can be found here.
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