Swimming championships: Crespi captures CIF-SS Division 3 swimming crown; Canyon’s Ike Harms wins gold twice
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Crespi swimming coach Aaron Robinson waited 17 years for a day like Saturday as he watched his swimmers win the program’s first CIF Southern Section swimming championship as they secured the Division 3 crown at Santa Margarita High School.
For years, the Celts were mired in Division 1 with many of the top swimming programs in Southern California. Thanks to the new competitive equity model implemented by the section, which places teams in divisions by a two-year rating system, the Celts found a home in Division 3.
It also doesn’t hurt this was the first year the Celts could train on their home campus thanks to a new on-campus aquatics center that was completed last fall. With many programs unable to train due to COVID-19 restrictions placed by the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, having an on-campus aquatics center proved to be a valuable resource this season.
“This couldn’t have been a better year for this to happen,” said Robinson, whose family played a huge role in fundraising for the aquatics center. “COVID was a factor because we started with four kids on the team earlier in the season. Week by week, everyone was coming in and working hard. All the clubs were shut down. This was true Crespi swimming right here. No one was swimming with clubs at all.”
Crespi swimming coach Aaron Robinson waited 17 years for this moment on Saturday, congratulating his swimmers on winning the programs first CIFSS swimming title. I guess Competitive Equity is working these days. @Tarek_Fattal @latsondheimer pic.twitter.com/Qm3Ahwu80G
— James Escarcega (@James_Escarcega) May 30, 2021
For a team to win the sectional championships, they must consistently place in the top eight in most events. That was the case Saturday as the Celts did not have any swimmers win any individual sectional medals, but had several earn high placings.
Sophomore Thomas Hadji won the silver medal in the boys 100-yard butterfly with a final time of 50.54 seconds and placed fourth in the 50 freestyle (21.36). Sophomore Lenny Raybukh secured fourth place in the 100 freestyle (47.38) and checked in seventh in the 50 freestyle (21.46).
But it was in the relay races that proved to be the difference-maker for the Celts. In the day’s first event, the 200 individual medley, the team comprised of Hadji, Danya, and Baha Musabekov, and Sammy Negev easily took the event, stopping the clock in one minute, 35.66 seconds.
The Celts’ dominance in the relay races continued in the 200 freestyle relay as the same foursome easily secured the gold medal in 1:24.92. In the final event of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay, the Celts checked in third (3:15.51) and secured enough points (197) to hold off JSerra (158). It capped a great week for the Mission League, with Sherman Oaks Notre Dame winning the Division 2 crown Tuesday, its first sectional title in over 40 years.
Crespi 200 free relay team with D3 event in 1:24.92. @CrespiAthletics @Tarek_Fattal @latsondheimer pic.twitter.com/UfEcVBNL31
— James Escarcega (@James_Escarcega) May 30, 2021
“We had to drop down to Division 3 to do it,” Robinson said. “One of the other coaches said that we had to beat up on the Division 3 schools to do it. We are a small school, and we have small enrollment, and we belong in Division 3 anyway. I always like competing in Division 1 and I hope we can get a chance to do that.”
It was a solid day for the area at the Division 3 finals. Canyon’s Ike Harms, a junior, was a double gold medal winner, taking the boys 50 (20.56) and 100 (45.17) freestyle. Two weeks ago, Louisville’s Hayden Henderson won the Girls 1-meter Diving competition with 552.05 points.
Earlier in the day at the Division 4 finals, Calabasas had an exceptionally good performance with a four-place finish in the boys’ team standings. Sophomore Jaden Ficklen won two gold medals in the 100 (46.86) and 200 (1:40.75) freestyle (46.86). He was also part of the 200 freestyle relay Team that took top honors (1:32.79). Nick Pwee won the silver medal in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.17) with teammate Daniel Oroszlan taking the bronze (1:03.21).
Campbell Hall’s Jake Pollard secured first place in the 500 Freestyle (4:44.91) and checked in second in the 200 Freestyle (1:44.89).
Santa Clarita Valley gets a CIF D3 swimming champion as Canyon’s Ike Harms win in 21.46 seconds. @Tarek_Fattal @haleymsawyer pic.twitter.com/sJTzftP0fe
— James Escarcega (@James_Escarcega) May 29, 2021