Boys swimming: Depth key element to Terra Linda’s three-peat

The Terra Linda High boys swimming staff has proven that there’s multiple solution to win an MCAL championship.

After offering a breakthrough efficiency for the primary title in 2024 and a dominant exhibiting final yr for the second, the Trojans leaned on their depth to make it a three-peat on Saturday on the Miwok Aquatic and Fitness Center in Novato.

TL received all however one occasion whereas steamrolling to the title in 2025. On Saturday, the Trojans made it to occasion No. 20 out of 24 earlier than securing their first particular person race win of the day and but had been nonetheless cruising to the staff title.

“The key for our win was definitely our depth,” TL coach Tim Baker mentioned. “We have a lot of top-level swimmers so we had a ton of kids that could get into the top eight A finals which ultimately — if you can get two, three, four guys in the A finals — it makes it really hard for any other team to overcome that amount of points. I mean San Marin swam out of their minds this meet and so did our kids and it just showed that we had the depth this year to withstand another team having an outstanding performance.”

TL completed with 453 factors with San Marin second at 372 factors and Archie Williams in third on 305. TL received the 200 medley relay to start out the day however didn’t choose up one other win till sweeping the ultimate three races. Through 18 occasions, TL held a 94-point lead over the Mustangs earlier than getting particular person wins from Rhys Garroway Myers within the 100 again (53.22 seconds) and Cillian McBride within the 100 breast (56.42). The Trojans didn’t want to attain a single level within the 400 free relay however picked up that win as nicely, courtesy of Cam Hellar, Nick Butler, Jackson Wright, and Garroway Myers.

“It’s really nice having a deep team where everyone you feel like can put in a good race,” Garroway Myers mentioned. “It makes everything a lot more fun, especially relays because then you have everyone hammering fast splits.”

Garroway Myers and McBride – who set the meet document for the 100 breast with a 55.93 in Friday’s prelims – offered the flourish on the finish because the Trojans received it in fashion.

“A lot of Saturday mornings, places I didn’t wanna be there, but you’ve gotta show up for yourself,” McBride mentioned of the work that went into his record-setting efficiency. “You get times throughout the season that you don’t like and you kind of just keep it in the back of your head. I just think that if you obsess over something enough, you can get it.”

Garroway Myers and McBride – together with Hiro Chance and Jack Mathewson – had been additionally concerned as TL acquired off to a powerful begin by profitable Saturday’s first occasion, the 200 medley relay.

Although TL didn’t win one other race for about 3 hours, the Trojans stored piling up silvers and bronzes. Butler and Hellar completed second and third within the 200 free; McBride was third within the 200 particular person medley; Wright was second within the 50 free and the 100 fly.

“The medley relay was a big one because that kind of set the tone for the meet,” Garroway Myers mentioned. “Everyone was excited from there. The (200 free) was great – got a lot of points in that – had guys second and third. Those were some big ones because they’re also early on and got us excited for the rest of the meet.”

Garroway Myers and Butler had been second and third within the 100 free, then Hellar grabbed second within the 500 free to make sure the Trojans had no less than one top-three finisher in each particular person race.

Baker was happy with the performances up and down his roster, however went out of his solution to point out the sacrifices made by Hellar and Mathewson.

“They kind of do the dirty work of the team and do events that a lot of the other kids don’t want to do,” Baker mentioned. “I had to spend some time this year coercing them to swim some of the events that they didn’t want to do and let me put them in the 500 to help spread all of our swimmers’ talent throughout all of the events to help make it possible for us to have this three-peat.”

Baker believes the very best is but to return for his top-level athletes, who can have the prospect to showcase themselves once more subsequent week when Miwok Aquatic and Fitness Center hosts the North Coast Section Championships for the primary time.

“Literally since I swam in high school it has been in the East Bay so I know that everybody is thrilled,” Baker mentioned. “This is the pool our high school is training out of because our pool is down so I know that our team feels like it’s almost a homefield advantage. You get to swim in your home pool right now so very excited for that opportunity.”

The important motive TL swimmers had been prevented from profitable as many gold medals as they did a yr in the past had been the performances from Archie Williams standouts Nolan Anderson and Zane Schuman.

Anderson was victorious in each of the sprints, profitable the 50 free in 21.18 and the 100 free in 46.30. Schuman received the 200 free in 1:40.68 and the five hundred free in 4:35.64. Both swimmers additionally competed with Nate Greenberg and Schuyler Hill on the victorious 200 free relay – aided by a DQ towards Terra Linda – to turn into the one triple winners on the boys facet.

“They’re both polo kids,” McBride mentioned of Anderson and Schuman. “They’re freak athletes, incredibly talented. That obviously doesn’t come without hard work, of course. I used to be a teammate with Zane actually. He’s crazy good at the distance, shows up day in day out. Nolan, man, he’s a freak athlete, crazy good at sprinting.”

Despite all the person brilliance from Anderson and Schuman, the Peregrine Falcons had been caught in third place due to a standout efficiency from San Marin.

“San Marin is definitely an up-and-coming team,” Baker mentioned. “I think next year they will be near impossible to beat. They definitely have some young talent and some juniors and seniors that are just outstanding swimmers. The future for that team is very bright.”

The Mustangs acquired wins from Payton Egide within the 200 IM (1:56.81, simply forward of teammate Milon Gridin in second), and Andrew Larson within the 100 fly (51.60). Gridin additionally positioned second within the 100 breast and Larson took third within the 500 free.

Redwood took fourth on 268 factors with second-place finishes by Cian Kelly (100 again) and the 200 free relay staff.

Marin Catholic took fifth with 182 factors with third-place finishes from Vanya Zykovich (100 breast) and the 200 free relay staff. Novato took sixth with 165 factors, led by Leo Hernandez who defended his diving title with a rating of 390.30.

Tam took seventh with 157 factors, highlighted by third-place finishes from Max Kolesnikov (100 fly) and the 200 medley relay staff. San Rafael completed eighth with 62 factors.