It’s a split in Back Bay meet

NEWPORT BEACH — In the last race of the day on Wednesday, Clinton Jorth raced as hard as if it was the first race.

His Newport Harbor High Sailors, racing at home, had already clinched a boys’ team win over Back Bay rival Corona del Mar. That didn’t matter to Jorth, who was intent on catching CdM’s Yutaro Yamashita down the stretch in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

“I’m super-competitive, so I tried my hardest,” Jorth said. “Everyone wanted to beat CdM in that final race.”

Despite a fast split of 49.2 seconds, Jorth couldn’t catch up. But the Tars junior helped in other ways, winning both the 100 free and 200 free in CIF consideration times in Newport Harbor’s 94-76 boys’ win.

CdM came out on top on the girls’ side, winning all but two races for a 93.5-76.5 final advantage in the first dual meet of the season for both schools.

Newport Harbor’s boys, traditionally strong in the freestyle events, beat CdM in every other freestyle event. They swept the top three spots in the 200 free (Jorth, Zach Osadche’ and Colin McKibbin) and the 500 free (Brandon Parole, Max Joseph and McKibbin).

The Sea Kings countered with victories by Yamashita in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly and Chris Cottrell in the 100 backstroke, and R.J. Baldoni swam a fast 22.97 seconds to win the 50 free.

But in the end, Newport Harbor, despite coming off the CIF Relays preliminaries on Tuesday, had the points for the win.

“We swam better today [against CdM],” Sailors Coach Jason Lynch said. “Overall, I think our conditioning paid off in a lot of races. The second half of the race we were coming through, in many instances. And we did a little bit better in the strokes than I thought [we would].”

On the girls’ side, defending CIF Southern Section Division II champion Corona del Mar is now in Division I, meaning CIF qualifying times are tougher to achieve.

But Coach Doug Volding said he was happy with how Wednesday’s meet turned out, even racing without standout senior Stephanie Gabert (knee). CdM senior Chelsea Pike, a transfer from Texas, won the 200 free with a CIF consideration time of 1 minute, 59.18 seconds. Pike also won the 100 fly, just edging Newport Harbor’s Kayley Oka at the end.

Sophomore Heather Van Hiel won both the 50 and 100 free for the Sea Kings, and the 50 freestyle time of 25.14 seconds is a CIF automatic time.

“It’s always nice to beat Newport,” Volding said.

Earning race wins for the Newport Harbor girls were Oka in the 200 IM, in 2:17.36, a CIF consideration time, and Rosie Hope in the 100 backstroke.

Just how close was the early-season meet? The total varsity points tally for boys and girls combined was 170.5-169.5, Newport.

“I don’t think it matters when we play them,” Lynch said. “It’s always a rivalry. It’s a good rivalry to have.”

Nonleague200 medley relay -- 1. Corona del Mar (Cottrell, Mycorn, Yamashita, Berry), 1:43.73.

BOYS

Newport Harbor 94,

Corona del Mar 76

200 free -- 1. Jorth (NH), 1:47.81; 2. Osadche (NH), 1:52.35; 3. McKibbin (NH), 1:53.47.

200 IM -- 1. Yamashita (CdM), 2:01.43; 2. Joseph (NH), 2:09.83; 3. Fults (NH), 2:12.46.

50 free -- 1. Baldoni (CdM), 22.97; 2. Linden (NH), 23.04; 3. Berry (CdM), 23.09.

100 fly -- 1. Yamashita (CdM), 53.10; 2. Linden (NH), 56.08; 3. Liao (CdM), 57.46.

100 free -- 1. Jorth (NH), 49.45; 2. Berry (CdM), 50.25; 3. Baldoni (CdM), 50.55.

500 free -- 1. Parole (NH), 4:58.24; 2. Joseph (NH), 5:01.19; 3. McKibbin (NH), 5:07.27.

200 free relay -- 1. Newport Harbor (Linden, McGhie, Yeager, Jorth), 1:31.28.

100 back -- 1. Cottrell (CdM), 59.31; 2. Osadche (NH), 59.61; 3. Hockenbury (NH), 1:04.92.

100 breast -- 1. Liao (CdM), 1:03.54; 2. Mycorn (CdM), 1:06.88; 3. Owen (NH), 1:07.43.

400 free relay -- 1. Corona del Mar (Cottrell, Baldoni, Berry, Yamashita), 3:21.87.

GIRLS200 medley relay -- 1. Corona del Mar (Hutchison, Molnar, Indvik, Berry), 1:59.40.

Corona del Mar 93.5,

Newport Harbor 76.5

200 free -- 1. Pike (CdM), 1:59.18; 2. Wigley (CdM), 2:02.80; 3. Roberts (NH), 2:04.61.

200 IM -- 1. Oka (NH), 2:17.36; 2. Jackson (NH), 2:21.80; 3. Indvik (CdM), 2:27.94.

50 free -- 1. Van Hiel (CdM), 25.14; 2. Chiapuzio (NH), 25.81; 3. Lincoln (NH), 27.06.

100 fly -- 1. Pike (CdM), 1:01.33; 2. Oka (NH), 1:01.43; 3. Indvik (CdM), 1:04.91.

100 free -- 1. Van Hiel (CdM), 55.72; 2. Chiapuzio (NH), 56.65; 3. O’Brien (CdM), 57.26.

500 free -- 1. Wigley (CdM), 5:23.49; 2. Roberts (NH), 5:30.90; 3. Robinson (NH), 5:33.75.

200 free relay -- 1. Corona del Mar (Van Hiel, O’Brien, Berry, Pike), 1:45.08.

100 back -- 1. Hope (NH), 1:10.79; 2. Stinman (NH), 1:11.59; 3. McAdams (CdM), 1:12.44.

100 breast -- 1. Molnar (CdM), 1:15.83; 2. Vickers (NH), 1:20.78; 3. Thomson (NH), 1:24.04.

400 free relay -- 1. Corona del Mar (Van Hiel, O’Brien, Berry, Pike), 3:49.12.