Oaks Christian brings home another swimming title

Lookout football-it looks as if boys' swim team has the makings of the next sports dynasty at Oaks Christian.

Registering a Southern Section-record 437 points, the Lions cruised to their secondstraight Division IV swimming championship last week. They became the first team in Southern Section history to score more than 400 points in the championship meet, besting Mission Viejo's long-standing record of 396.5

According to head coach Dave Moore, the boys were convinced they could break the record after the Lions' dive team of Chase Swatosh, Denver Coleman and Logan Carroll scored 43 points on the first day of the competition.

"When the boys found out at practice Wednesday afternoon how many points the divers scored, they got so excited," Moore said. "They said right then, 'We can do this.'"

The rapidly-improving girls' team also had a strong showing at the meet, taking third place behind La Reina and Los Cerritos. Despite only qualifying six swimmers, it was the girls' highest finish in school history.

"This was our best girls' CIF team ever," Moore said. "I was so excited for them."

Leading the way for the Oaks Christian boys was buddingstar, sophomore Kevin Nielsen, who set records in the 100 butterfly (50.58 seconds) and 100 backstroke (52.25). He also played a role in two record-setting relay teams.

The 200 medley relay finished in 1:36.78 and the 400 freestyle won its race in 3:13.14. Those relay teams were made up of Nielsen, Michael Blanchard, Michael Craft, Jonnie Pare, Collin Baratte and Nolan Koon.

Also scoring big for the Lions were Pare, who finished second in the 200 freestyle, and Koon, who won the 200 IM.

On the girls' side, it was Allison Hall who set the tone. Hall, a junior, won the 200 IM in 2:09.37 and the 100 butterfly in 58.26.

"Talk about somebody who did everything that was asked of her," Moore said of Hall. "She's a little kid . . . but boy, she's got the heart of a champion."

The girls' 200 freestyle relay team also registered a first-place finish, winning the race in a time of 1:42.31. That team was comprised of Kelsey Farrar, Erin Rosas, Alex Kaplan and Lauren Rollins.

The Lions sent 11 swimmers to this week's CIF Master's meet, six boys and five girls.

The highest finishers were Nielsen, who took fourth in the 100 fly, and the boys 200 medley relay, which took second just behind Mission Viejo.

The girls' 200 freestyle relay also had an impressive showing in a meet that featured some of the toughest swim competition in the state, said Moore.

Next year Oaks Christian will move up to Division III in boys' and girls' swimming. Good thing, because the boys' team returns every swimmer who scored points at the championship meet and the girls return all but two.

"It's a blessing," Moore said. "That's the only way I can describe it."

Both teams will compete in a new swim league, the Tri-Valley League, which will include Oaks Christian, La Reina, Malibu, Nordhoff and Santa Paula.