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2008 Varsity Swimming News
Conference Meet Recap [May 11]
Written by Chelsea (soph)
Coming into this season your girl’s swim team had only lost once in the last four years (a dual meet vs. Marin Academy in 2006) and had been BAC champions for four consecutive seasons. After going undefeated for the entire 2008 regular season, our team hoped to clinch the Championship title for the fifth straight year.
The boys’ team was hoping to finish ahead of several teams that they lost to during the regular season. Their small size and relative inexperience (only one returning swimmer) has made it hard for them to beat much larger teams. However, the Championship format presented a fresh opportunity for the boys to show their strength (speed).
The festivities began on Friday May 9th. Your swimmers rose early to prepare for tacky prom (a swim team tradition). They dawned sparkling corsages, ruffled shirts, revolting dresses, and even maternity pants. The team partied its way through the school day and then boarded two buses headed for After Prom, or should I say swim practice. After completing their final workout of the regular season your College Prep swim team streamed into the locker room for a long awaited shave down. After an hour filled with shaving cream and disposable razors the swimmers filed out with smooth appendages which they hoped would slip through the water with unrivaled ease.
Saturday, May 10th. 6:45 AM:
The College Prep swim team began its journey from the CPS parking lot to the Mills College Pool, not only the site of the 2008 BAC Championships, but also the very pool in which our team trains five days a week. Your swimmers itched with anticipation and gathered round for our final team cheer of the season.
At 9:00 AM sharp the meet began with the girls 200 Medley relay. The A team (Julie, Jenny, Sara, Sterling) won fourth place overall (2:02.42) for 22 points. The next event for the girls was the 200 yd Free. Sophie took 6th place (2:14.54) for 9 points and Micaela won 5th with a season best time (2:14.35). Both accomplished this even with nagging shoulder injuries. Alice took this race out hard, swimming her 1st 100 in just 59.3 seconds. She was neck in neck with the leader throughout the race and only finished 7/10ths of a second after her. Alice hit the wall with a final time of 2:02.92, winning second place for 13 points and shattering the old school record! Congratulations Alice! After that came the 200 Yd IM. College prep took 4th, 5th and 6th (Sterling, Julie, Sara) for a total of 30 points and a few personal bests! Jenny and Emily took 7th and 8th in the 50 yd Free for 12 points total. Emily swam a personal best of 27.87 and Carol swam a lifetime best of 41.97! After that came the 100 Fly in which Alice won 2nd overall, Michelle tied for 4th and Sara captured 8th for a total of 28.5 points. The girls continued their fast races with the 100 yd freestyle, capturing 5th, 6th, and 9th (Callie, Chelsea, Emily) for 23 points. Carol, Chelsea and Emily swam lifetime bests and Emily was able to shave 2 seconds off of her previous time. Michelle and Callie won 2nd and 4th in the 500 free for 24 points! The girls 200 Free relay (Jenny, Emily, Callie, Alice) won 2nd for 26 points and the B relay (Micaela, Cat, Chelsea, Sophie) won 8th, beating 6 A teams! Next Micaela and Julie took 3rd and 4th in the 100 Back for 24 points. Cat swam a personal best in the 100 Breast (1:32.63), Sterling captured 5th after coming off a serious knee injury and Jenny captured the entire event with persisting shoulder problems! Finally the meet came to a close for the girls with the A and B 400 Free relays capturing 3rd and 4th (Michelle, Sterling, Callie, Alice; Sara, Sophie, Micaela, Julie). The A relay swam a season best of 3:57.77.
On the boy’s side the 200 Medley relay won 7th (Ryan, Jon, Brett, Grant). Jon (personal best of 2:05.86) and Grant took 4th and 7th in the 200 Free for 18 points. Brett won 6th in the 200 IM with a personal best of 2:31.48. Adarsha swam a personal best in the 50 yd free style (32.19). Ryan took 7th in the 100 free with a personal best of 55.74. Jon took 8th in the 500 Free with a personal best of 5:40.9. To finish the meet the 400 free relay (Grant, Jon, Brett, Ryan) took 4th with the entire team cheering them on.
Finally the results were ready to be announced. The team was in the water taking pictures with underwater cameras and waiting in anticipation as the results were read. The boys team won 6th place finishing ahead of 2 teams which they lost to during the regular season. As Tran announced the girls results the team grabbed each other’s hands and held their breath. The winner of the BAC Championships for the fifth year in a row is College Prep by a margin of 87.5 points! This puts their record over the last five years at 51-1 and was truly a team effort.
I am so proud to be a member of this team. Thank you CPS swimmers for such a wonderful season.
Marin Academy Dual Meet [March 27]
Written by Chelsea (soph)
Just miles from Telegraph
Avenue, 17 hippies strolled onto the College Prep Campus. Armed only
with their John Lennon spectacles, warm hearts, and a limited knowledge
of Joan Bayez songs, these groovy swimmers appeared to be harmless.
However, the team knew that at 4:00 the love would have to stop. When
the hour struck, the hippies had seamlessly transformed into focused
swimmers, who used all of their love to fuel their races.
Marin Academy was the opponent. They won second in league last year and
always promise an exciting meet. Because the team knew how important
this meet would be, Emily and Alice put out a call for fans at
assembly. As College Prep battled through their races, it became clear
that the call had been answered. Thank you to the Soccer team and all
of the students and faculty who came out. There must have been at least
20 fans showing their support and it made a huge difference to have you
all cheering at the ends of our lanes.
The Girls had a
fantastic meet, which started off with the 200 Medley relays taking 2nd
and 3rd (Michelle, Sterling, Sara, Alice; Micaela, Sophie, Julie,
Emily). Emily went a 27.8 second split in this relay (earning her
zealous praise from Alice's mom) and Sara returned to her Roseville
split of 29.5! Next came the 200 Free, where Alice took 1st and Micaela
won 2nd place because she refused to let her shoulder injuries stop her
from racing hard. Julie swam a lifetime best in the 200 IM (2:30.2).
The 50 free took 2nd,3rd, and 4th (Sterling, Emily, Chelsea). In the
100 fly Michelle and Sara took 2nd and 3rd. Next, the girls won 2nd,
3rd, and 4th in the 100 Free (Chelsea, Sara, Sophie). Callie swam the
500 free for the first time and cackled with glee during every breath,
not a normal response to this 20 lap race. After this race the score
was CPS: 49 , Marin: 44. Much too close for comfort.
The 200
Free relays knew that they had to continue fighting, so they took 1st
and 2nd (Callie, Julie, Emily, Sterling; Chelsea, Sara, Micaela,
Sophie). Julie decided it was time for another incredible race and she
swam another Lifetime Best in the 100 Back (1:09.2). Sterling followed
Julie's example and swam a Lifetime Best 100 Breaststroke (1:12.77)!
The meet finished for the girls with the 400 Free relay winning 2nd
with a season best of 4:03.11. During this relay Michelle swam a
fantastic relay split and Callie broke a minute! All of these hard
swims gave the College Prep Girls a 96 to 72 victory, our closest meet
of the season.
The CPS boys came into this meet without
numbers, but with just enough swimmers for a speedy relay. Grant swam a
new Personal Best in the 200 free (2:14.56). Jonathon also swam a
lifetime best in the event (2:06.9) as well as a best time in the 500
free (5:46.2). Brett swam a personal best in the 200 Individual Medley
(2:35.7). All four of the boys swam a fantastic 400 Freestyle relay to
end the meet. Their splits were amazing and earned them a season best
time of 3:56.99! The boys ended up losing to a much larger Marin team
115 to 39, but the score does not reflect the amazing swims that went
on in the CPS boys' races.
If you have any doubt that swim
meets are an exciting endeavor, ask one of the amazing people who came
out today and they will set you straight. Thanks again. Peace and Love.
Bentley/Head-Royce Double Dual Meet [March 20]
Written by Chelsea (soph)
As the sun rose above the horizon, the College Prep Swim Team prepared to trek through the day. For six hours they hiked through the CPS campus, until their journey finally led them to the Mills College Pool. There they were met by Jack Latham, Matt Katz, Godwin, and several students, all eager to show their support. After abruptly changing into their swimming attire and leaving the hiking boots on the sidelines, it became clear that College Prep was ready to face both Head Royce and Bentley.
The boys’ team was looking at two chances for victory. Brett was back for his first meet in several weeks, but his times made us wonder if he was ever really gone. He swam a great 100 Breast (1:15.5) and a killer split in the 200 Medley relay. Jon had a fantastic meet. He won both the 500 (5:57.9) and the 200 Free (2:11.8). Adarsha swam a solid 100 Free and a speedy 50 Free. Grant swam a wonderful 100 Free (57.4) and an amazing 50 free split in the 200 medley (25.1). Ryan won the 100 back (1:05.5) and swam wonderfully in both relays. The boys 200 medley took 2nd overall and their 400 Free Relay took 1st, finishing the meet on a great note. The final scores on the boys’ side: 68-10 vs Head Royce and 52-60 vs Bentley.
The girls came into the meet looking for two victories. Coach Tran decided to make this an even greater challenge by placing many of the swimmers in “off” events. Alice won the 200 Free (2:08.29) and Sterling won the 200 IM in the next event (2:28.51). Carol swam one of her best 50 freestyles of the season, and was neck-in-neck with her opponents. Alice and Sara took 1st and 3rd in the 100 fly. This was a very close race, which provoked wild cheers from the crowd. Michelle won 1st for the girls in the 500 Free (5:48.2). The Girls’ 200 Free relays took both 1st and 2nd over all (Micaela, Sara, Michelle, Sophie; Sterling, Emily, Julie, Jenny). This earned the team crucial points and was quite a sight to see. Julie had little time to warm down from her relay before winning the 100 Back (1:11.9).
Finally the Girls 400 Free Relay stepped behind the blocks. The B team won third with commanding speed (Sara, Emily, Cat, Sophie). Our other relay team swam the hardest fought relay I have ever seen at CPS. Michelle kicked it off with a solid split, but Bentley was in the lead after the first leg. Callie dove in and narrowed the gap, putting Julie in position to snatch the lead. Julie entered the water with graceful elegance and passed the Bentley team. As Alice dove in to finish our lead was narrow. The crowd was on their feet, and the CPS girls took first by less than a second in the most nerve-racking race of the meet.
Girls Results: 126-36 vs. Head Royce and 93-68 vs. Bentley. Each girl earned crucial points to acomplish these victories.
Next time you see a swimmer congratulate them. Be they a girl, they were able to extend their winning streak. Be they a boy, they won their first victory of the season.
Berean Christian Dual Meet [March 11]
written by Chelsea (soph)
Berean Christian rolled up to the pool with impressive numbers and undeniable talent. They were obviously formidable opponents, but our girls were ready for the challenge.
The meet started off with a bang. The girls took first in the 200 Medley Relay (Callie, Jenny, Sara, Alice). Alice's relay split during this race put her in position to smash a school record for 50 free. Alice went on to take first in the 200 Free (2:07.92). The Girls finished the 200 Individual Medley with 2nd and 3rd place in the bag (Michelle, Julie). Jenny, Emily, and Chelsea captured 1st, 2nd,and 3rd in the 50 yd free. Carol swam a wonderful 50 freestyle in the next heat. Next Michelle and Sara won 1st and 3rd for their team in the 100 fly. Alice and Sophie won 1st and 2nd in the 500 free, a twenty-lap race that they both finished in less than six and a half minutes. The girls 200 Freestyle relay took 1st and 4th (Julie, Emily, Sterling, Jenny; Micaela, Cat, Chelsea, Sophie). The girls 100 back swept, taking 1st,2nd,3rd (Micaela, Julie, Callie). Jenny and Sterling took 1st and 2nd in the 100 breast. To finish off the meet the girls took first in the 400 freestyle relay.
On the boys side:
- Jonathon: Won the 200 freestyle and swam great times in both his relays.
-Grant: Broke a minute in the 100 freestyle again and swam a wonderful
leg of the 200 free relay.
- Ryan: Won the 100 yard back (1:07.95) and swam a 24 second 50 free split.
- Adarsha: Was obviously there to race. His solid splits in both relays showed that he gave everything he had for his teammates.
-Brett: Still sick, feel better!
- The boys’ team won 40 points against a much larger and older Berean team. (They only had 4 swimmers)
The Girls won the meet 107-63, a decisive victory. It’s clear by glancing at the results that we needed every girl today. Each swimmer contributed to our impressive victory against Berean. The College Prep girls successfully defended their name in the league once again.
Roseville Invitational [March 7-8]:
Written by Chelsea (soph)
7:45 AM: The CPS Swim team gathers below the gym deck, anticipating two days of fast swimming and the type of team bonding that can only by attained during a trip to Roseville, CA.
The team’s trip to Roseville is an annual tradition, and while neither the pool nor the abundance of trashy magazines in our tent had changed, the swimmers in it were going faster than ever. The CPS girl’s team was in contention for 3rd place among many Division I teams, quite an amazing feat (Our team had 12 girls swimming and most of the others have close to 60). The three CPS boys who were able to come held their own against the enormous teams they faced.
On the boys side:
-Grant had amazing swims including a 57 second 100 yd Free.
- Jonathon swam a fantastic 35 second 50 breast and contributed solid relay splits.
-Ryan swam incredible backstroke races especially his 28 second 50.
- Every time our boy’s relay stepped behind the blocks, a murmur of confusion and awe swept through the crowd because Alice Wong, Sarah Broski, and Michelle Call each swam in at least one of their relays.
On the Girls side:
-Our 100 Medley Relay (Alice, Callie, Michelle, Jenny) took 2nd overall for 40 points.
-The 200 Free relay (Emily, Sterling, Jenny, Julie) swam an NCS consideration time in our second meet of the season!
-Sterling received second place in the 100 breast
-Sara swam all three of her 50 fly races in under 30 seconds!
-Each girl on the team swam amazingly. Alice, Emily, Jenny, Micaela, Chelsea, Sterling, Callie, Sara, Sophie, Julie, Michelle, and Cat all played crucial roles in giving our team a chance at third place.
On Behalf of the team:
-We all missed Brett, Carol, and Adarsha who weren’t able to make it.
- Thank you to the man who sold us pizza for being so friendly and telling us that he “dived until [his] cannonball made people fly out of the pool.”
The Girls’ Team is going for our Fifth League Championship in a row and our biggest meet of the season is this Tuesday against Berean Christian. It is at Mills College at 4:00, so please come and support the team. It will be a tough meet and we would all appreciate a bunch of screaming supporters!
