HomeBlocksFront-GridSpartans, Wolves, Golden Knights Shine in CIF Finals

Spartans, Wolves, Golden Knights Shine in CIF Finals

First published in the May 12 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.

The city of La Cañada Flintridge was well represented at the CIF Southern Section swimming and diving championships at Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo last weekend with individual athletes from La Cañada High School, Flintridge Prep and St. Francis capturing titles in their respective divisions.
Competing at the highest level, the La Cañada boys placed third in the Division 1 team standings with 543 points behind first-place Santa Margarita (355 points) and Los Angeles Loyola (270).
Maksymilian Sawoniewicz claimed the boys’ 1-meter diving championship with a score of 543, and Pierce O’Grady was also essential in contributing points for his team by finishing as runner-up in the 500-yard freestyle race with a time of 4 minutes, 29.29 seconds and fifth in the 200 free (1:39.73).
O’Grady was also part of the 400 free relay team — which included Braden Beagle, Ryan Makouar and Igor Benderskii — that placed fourth with a time of 3:05.73.
Benderskii also contributed a fourth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke (55.95) and placed eighth in the 200 free (1:41.96). He teamed up with Ryan Silva, Makouar and Beagle to compete in the 200 medley relay and the quartet posted a time of 1:33.05, which was good for fifth place.
Beagle closed out his LCHS career with an eight-place finish in the 100 backstroke (50.46) and 13th-place finish in the 200 individual medley (1:53.08). Makouar competed in the 100 butterfly and placed 10th with a time of 49.90.
Emi Machida and Chelsea Brack represented the Spartan girls in the diving competition and placed 10th (410.70) and 20th (252.35), respectively.

Wolves Win Division 3 Girls’ Title

The Flintridge Prep girls’ swim team shone in the Division 3 competition, winning four events to garner 190 points, which was enough to edge Cerritos for the team championship.
Freshmen Addie Gish and Natalie Walklett led the Wolves with individual and relay victories. Gish won the 100 back with a time of 55.89 and was runner-up in the 200 IM (2:03.48), and Walklett claimed the 200 free championship with a winning time of 1:50.01 and was third in 100 fly (56.81).
The two young stars teamed up with fellow freshmen Sarah Iturbe and Megan Lee to win the 200 free relay (1:38.27), as well as the 400 free relay (3:33.73) races.
Lee contributed a fourth-place finish in the 200 IM (2:12.44) and ninth-place finish in the 500 free (5:14.10). Iturbe also competed in two individual events, placing 10th in the 100 free (54.80) and 100 back (1:01.86).
The Flintridge Prep boys’ squad competed in four events but was disqualified from 200 free relay because of an early take-off.
Athan Boutakidis represented the Wolves in two races, placing eighth in the 100 free (48.04) and ninth in the 50 free (20.93). He was also a member of the 200 medley relay team — which included Ethan Kim, Diego Barraclough and Colin Ng — that placed 13th in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:43.46.

Golden Knights Finish As Division 3 Runners-Up

<sub><span style=text decoration underline>Photo courtesy St Francis High School<span><br>The St Francis boys swim team that brought home a Division 3 runner up plaque includes Jaren Sin Nicholas Lee Owen Bollert Kevin Olmedo Jack Murphy Nathan Kim Jason Alietti and coach Brady Lowdermilk<sub>

In only its eighth year as a program, the St. Francis High School swim team posted six top-five finishes in the Division 3 finals, garnering 173 points and placing second behind Cerritos (193).
Kevin Olmedo, Nicholas Lee, Jack Murphy and Nathan Kim brought home two CIF titles by winning the 200 free relay in 1:26.27 and placing first in the 400 free relay with a time of 3:11.42.
Kim was also stellar in individual events, finishing as runner-up in the 200 free (1:40.50) and 100 free (45.55).
Murphy contributed two fifth-place finishes after posting a time of 21.59 in the 50 free and 47.59 in the 100 free.
Lee was sixth in the 100 back (53.25) and ninth in the 200 medley relay — along with teammates Jaren Sin, Owen Bollert and Jason Alietti — with a time of 1:41.28.

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