Costa Mesa women’ swimming wins first CIF championship

WALNUT — The Costa Mesa High women’ swim crew had loads of quick people this season.

But the Mustangs used the relays as an opportunity to construct crew camaraderie. That’s at all times been a part of the plan for coach Keith Ryan.

“Our methodology is that you can kind of build an entire season around relays,” Ryan mentioned. “We knew we could probably break all of the school records, so there was stuff to look forward to by really sticking together. The relays really just solidify that the start of the meet is that good, and the end, it’s just going to keep rolling.”

Each of the Costa Mesa relays — the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle — set college information Friday on the CIF Southern Section Division 3 finals.

The report that meant probably the most was incomes the crew {hardware} at Mt. San Antonio College.

Costa Mesa received the Division 3 championship, its first CIF title in women’ swimming. Ryan beforehand helped information the Mustangs boys to the Division 3 title in 2023 and the Division 2 title the next yr.

Yes, if you happen to’re counting, that’s three CIF championships in 4 years for mighty Mesa, which has established a robust pipeline between the CMAC membership and highschool swim program.

“I definitely think it’s a family of swimmers,” Costa Mesa junior Chloe Wool-Smith mentioned. “We’ve all grown up together since we were like 9, 10 [years old]. As a group, we all work so well together because of that. It’s just really benefitted us … Our team is pretty small, but we’re mighty.”

Costa Mesa junior Karolina Sangasy, junior Melanie Pang, freshman Emma Freeland and Wool-Smith touched first within the 200 medley relay in 1 minute, 51.38 seconds. Later within the meet, Wool-Smith, Pang, Sangasy and sophomore Mia Walker blazed to a 1:39.75 within the 200 free relay, dropping almost three seconds to win that occasion as effectively.

Pang was the Mustangs’ particular person champion, touching in 1:06.38 to win the women’ 100 breaststroke. She was additionally the Division 3 breaststroke champion as a freshman two years earlier.

Sangasy positioned sixth in each the 50 free (24.83) and the 100 free (53.66).

Freeland, who had ankle surgical procedure in January, positioned third within the butterfly in 58.37. She mentioned she was additionally contemplating attending Newport Harbor, however she believes in what Mesa is constructing.

The Mustangs introduced their two CIF championship plaques in boys’ swimming to the meet as effectively.

“It’s fun to watch and see everyone improve, and we make a lot of friends because we’re always here at the pool,” Freeland mentioned. “That’s kind of what encouraged me to go here, because a lot of my friends who would swim at CMAC would go to Costa Mesa.”

The Mustangs’ 400 free relay crew of junior Chloe Hills, Wool-Smith, freshman Dani Pang and junior Tessa Tougas completed fifth in one other college report time of three:48.00.

Ryan, who helped lead Edison’s women to the Division 1 title in 2009, now has 4 CIF championships as a highschool swim coach. He famous that 5 members of the Mustangs’ present standout junior class completed third in Division 3 as freshmen two years in the past, swimming fairly tight within the championship meet and making some errors.

This time, Costa Mesa;s women completed with 222 factors, simply outpacing second-place Westlake (169) and third-place Sonora (163).

“They’re more mature, they understand the significance of it a little bit more,” Ryan mentioned. “It’s kind of like unfinished business. The program is getting better and better. We’ll get moved up to Division 2 at least [next year], and we’ll be competitive there, too.”

Division 2

The Laguna Beach women and Costa Mesa boys completed in fourth and sixth place, respectively, within the crew rankings Friday afternoon at Mt. San Antonio College.

Freshman Taitlyn Tonkovich was fourth within the women’ 50 free (24.44) and sixth within the backstroke (57.86) for the Breakers. Junior Elsie Huston additionally made a pair of championship finals, inserting fifth within the 100 free in 52.61 and ninth within the 200 free in 1:54.67.

Freshman Resi Leverty was eighth within the 500 free (5:07.46) for Laguna Beach, which positioned eighth within the women’ 200 free relay and ninth within the 400 free relay.

Senior Avrum Xagorarakis completed seventh within the boys’ 200 free (1:43.71) and sixth within the 100 free (47.13) for Costa Mesa. AJ Pang, a junior, was fifth within the 50 free (21.02) and eighth within the butterfly in 51.34.

The Mustang boys additionally positioned fifth within the 200 free relay, touching in 1:27.45.