Youth Swimming: Newport Hills tops conference again

The Newport Hills Killer Whales swim team defeated the Green Valley Dolphins to win the South Coast Swim Conference regular-season championship on July 21.

The trophy will continue to reside at the Newport Hills pool. The Killer Whales have now won six consecutive SCSC titles.

This year became a bit more complicated, as Green Valley had defeated the Killer Whales in the first meet of the season at the Dolphins pool in Fountain Valley. As the season progressed, the Harbor View Dolphins defeated Green Valley, so the only way Newport Hills could repeat as champion was to defeat both Harbor View and Green Valley in the last two meets of the season. It was a tall obstacle with Harbor View being Newport Hills’ local rival and Green Valley, traditionally a difficult opponent, having a banner season.

The meet went back and forth. Newport Hills started by winning five of the first six medley relay events, and took a lead.

As the meet continued, it became clear that the freestyle relays would determine the winner. After the teams split 12 free relay events, the Killer Whales had held off the Dolphins, 685.5 to 659.5.

Newport Hills was led by their Under 6 Girls and their 9-10 Boys — both of which won all their individual stroke events, as well as the medley and freestyle relays.

The Killer Whales who won three individual events were: Sophie Wallace (9-10 girls’ division 50-yard free, the 25 butterfly and the 100 individual medley); Jake Bays (9-10 boys’ 50 free, 50 breaststroke and 25 fly): and Christian Garkani (15-18 boys’ 50 breaststroke, the 50 fly and the 50 backstroke).

Newport Hills swimmers who won two individual events included: Hadley Harbilas (Under-6 girls’ 25 free and 25 breaststroke); Alexandra Boserup (Under-6 girls’ 25 fly and 25 back); John Laster (Under-6 boys’ 25 freestyle and 25 breaststroke); Henry Wilde (11-12 boys’ 50 fly and the 50 back); Taylor Cortens (13-14 boys’ 50 backstroke and 100 IM); and Hollace Barden (15-18 girls’ 100 freestyle, in which she set another record, and the 50 fly).

Other individual event winners for the Killer Whales were: Bianca Bays (7-8 girls’ 25 breaststroke); Anna Wilde (9-10 girls’ 50 breaststroke); Speedy Laster (50 back); and Sean Dannelley (9-10 boys’ 100 IM); Lauren Openshaw (11-12 girls’ 50 breaststroke); Connor McManigal (11-12 boys’ 100 IM); Madeline Musselman (13-14 girls’ 100 freestyle); and Jonathan Polos (13-14 boys’ 100 free).

The 11-12 boys’ free relay quartet of Kaveh Moaddeli, Connor McManigal, Joe Rosensitto and Henry Wilde broke the team record it had set previously on July 14.

— Reader submission