Costa Mesa ladies, Calvary Chapel’s Bianca Nwaizu tempo OC swimmers at CIF-SS finals – Orange County Register

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WALNUT — Costa Mesa’s swimming workforce arrived on the CIF-SS Division 3 championships Friday stocked with its college flag, the title plaques received by its boys in 2023-24 and a highly-motivated ladies squad.

The Mustangs’ ladies left Mt. SAC with their first part title, and the recollections of a colourful celebration.

Costa Mesa outdistanced Westlake by 53 factors to assert its first part crown and spotlight a record-setting second day of the part championships.

In the Division 2 championships, Calvary Chapel’s Bianca Nwaizu smashed the Orange County document within the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 59.44 seconds. Foothill’s boys used their relays to position second within the workforce competitors. And Villa Park senior Jay Hickman prolonged his household’s legacy on the CIF finals.

Costa Mesa celebrated with its assortment of CIF plaques and its green-colored college flag.

“Let’s go Mesa Nation!” one supporter shouted.

Costa Mesa’s ladies received the 200 medley (1:51.38) and 200 free (1:39.75) relays at school data and topped the breaststroke champion in Melanie Pang (1:06.38).

Pang, a junior, stated her workforce intently watched the success of the Costa Mesa boys, who captured Division 3 in 2023 and Division 2 in ’24.

“(The boys) inspired me to do better,” stated Pang, who helped the Mustangs captured their first relay titles at CIF. “We all just went really fast and had fun together.”

Costa Mesa featured eight ladies racing in finals. Most of the group additionally competes in membership for Costa Mesa-based CMAC.

Mustangs co-coach Keith Ryan stated the membership has helped his highschool program. He additionally credited his ladies’ improvement. They positioned third in Division 3 in 2024.

“They really have come together more, learned and grown,” stated Ryan, who flipped into the pool through the Mustangs’ celebration.

Costa Mesa’s want was seen in freshman Emma Freeland. Coming off ankle surgical procedure, she touched third within the 100 butterfly in a school-record 58.37.

The Mustangs’ 200 free relay of Chloe Wool-Smith, Pang, Karolina Sangasy and Mia Walker clocked a consideration time for the CIF State meet subsequent week.

Sonora sophomore Cassie Espinoza and Mission Viejo freshman Halle Dawson emerged in Division 3 as younger swimmers to look at.

Espinoza swept the 200 (1:50.46) and 500 (4:52.10) freestyles in lifetime-best instances and led off Sonora’s profitable 400 free relay (3:42.42) with a lifetime-best 52.58.

Espinoza, who trains membership with the La Mirada Armada, received her first part titles however took extra delight within the relay. She mixed with Katherine Czarnecka, Aubrey Diebolt and Elyse Kreimeyer to ship the Raiders’ first part relay title.

“It’s more exciting (winning) with your team because it’s with people you care about and enjoy swimming with,” Espinoza stated.

Dawson dropped simply over 4 seconds from prelims to the touch first within the 200 particular person medley in a lifetime-best 2:05.14.

“I was fast off my walls and did a lot of underwaters (well),” stated Dawson, who claimed Mission Viejo’s first particular person ladies title at CIF since Nicolette Teo in 2003.

Dawson, who swims membership for the Mission Viejo Nadadores, completed second to Espinoza within the 500 free in a lifetime-best 4:57.68. “She’s a racer,” Mission Viejo coach Tim Sutton stated of Dawson.

In Division 2, Nwaizu sliced nearly three tenths of a second off Teagan O’Dell’s county document of 59.73 for Santa Margarita in 2023.

Nwaizu cut up the 50 in a scorching 27.90 and went on to interrupt her Division 2 document from prelims (59.89) and the pool document of Olympian Gabrielle Rose.

“It was pretty good. I kind of wanted to see at 58 because I’m wearing a new technical (suit),” stated Nwaizu, a junior whose lifetime greatest is 59.05. “Definitely just seeing best times (motivates me).”

Nwaizu positioned second within the butterfly with a lifetime-best 54.35.

Foothill’s boys scored 149 factors to edge Buena by six factors for second place behind Cerritos (198).

The Knights’ highlighted their meet by rallying to assert the 200 free relay in 1:25.94, their first part relay title since 2018.

Ezra Nelson cut up a 20.39 anchor to deliver his workforce of Blake Chen, Gavin Fisher and Jared Wang to wall simply forward of Newbury Park, which was disqualified.

“I like hawking my guy down,” Nelson stated of being an anchor.

Foothill, the runner-up to Troy within the Crestview League, positioned second within the 400 free relay with a 3:10.23.

“The guys got fired up and we had incredible drops,” Foothill coach Dean Crow stated.

Hickman captured the five hundred free in a lifetime-best and faculty document 4:24.54 to hitch his father Todd Hickman as a CIF-SS particular person champion. Todd Hickman received the 200 IM for Mission Viejo in Division 4A in 1984.

On Friday, Todd Hickman helped with timing behind the blocks and exchanged a thumbs up along with his son after his victory.

On the ultimate lap, the youthful Hickman held off Riverside Poly’s Dash DeAnda, who beat Hickman by about one second within the 200 free.

“It’s a great feeling. It’s like 40 years later, here comes the son,” Jay Hickman stated of the father-duo duo. “Ever since I was probably in the seventh or eighth grade, I had dreams of winning at CIF.”

Hickman’s runner-up end within the 200 freed from 1:38.87 broke Villa Park’s 1988 college document held by Greg Larson (1:39.04).