Coyote swimmers all about teamwork

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers THEY'VE GOT TALENT—Calabasas High swimmers, from left, Sareen Hagopian, Ryan Stern, Leia Marasovich and Brian Chaskes have been top performers in the pool for the Coyotes this spring. They're scheduled to compete at today's Marmonte League finals. As senior ASB president and co-captain of the Calabasas High swim team, Brian Chaskes is a natural leader.

For most of this season, he said he's felt like a couch potato.

Chaskes has endured a slew of injuries his senior year. He missed the first four weeks of the season with a shoulder injury.

On April 7, Chaskes broke the fibula and severely sprained his left ankle playing a game of pickup basketball.

"It's one thing to be a professional signed to a contract. There's nothing wrong playing basketball with my friends," Chaskes said.

"Some call it irresponsible. Some call it having fun. I call it bad luck."

Sidelined for all but three meets, Chaskes was scheduled to remove his cast on Wednesday.

Today, he's expected to compete with fellow captains Leia Marasovich, Sareen Hagopian and Ryan Stern at the Marmonte League Swimming Championships at Rancho Simi Community Pool in Simi Valley at 3 p.m.

The Coyotes have enjoyed success in and out of the pool.

The girls' squad is 92 overall. The boys' team won its first Marmonte meet since 2003 after drubbing Moorpark 102-69 last Thursday at home. The girls finished 42 in league after defeating the Musketeers, 100-70.

Calabasas also boasts three Academic All-Americans who have maintained a 3.75 or higher gradepoint average for every semester: Chaskes, Samantha Flack and Alex Krasnoff, the unofficial team comedian.

Freshman diver Natalie Stahl qualified for the CIF-Southern Section Division II diving championships Wed., May 13 at Cuesta College.

"It's been a good year," said 32-year head coach David Hershman.

"It's been a lot of fun. . . . We have a good, young team, so there's hope (for the future.)"

The Coyotes are striving for a strong showing at today's Marmonte finals.

Chaskes, 18, won't find out until Saturday if his consideration time of 22.79 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle is good enough for the CIFSS Division II preliminaries in Long Beach on Fri., May 15 at 10 a.m.

He will try to cement a trip to Long Beach by swimming the first leg of the 200 free relay today. He could also help the Coyotes in the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay. His personal best in the 100 freestyle is 52 seconds.

Chaskes, who will attend UC Berkeley in the fall, said he would swim in the CIF preliminaries even if he wasn't completely healthy.

For someone who has attended practices and meets from the sidelines most of this year, he never thought about leaving his teammates behind.

"It might sound cheesy, but my motivation is sticking with something I've done for four years," said Chaskes, a first-team Marmonte League goalie for the water polo team.

"I haven't come down with senioritis."

Marasovich broke a 12yearold school record in the 100 backstroke against Moorpark, touching the wall in 1:03.3. The junior also qualified for the CIF preliminaries in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:29.13.

"I still think I can improve," the 17-year-old said of her time in the 100 backstroke. "I waited three years, and I finally got the record. I'm really happy."

Marasovich, who's been swimming for 10 years, placed second in the 100 backstroke at the Marmonte championships in 2008. She hopes to nab a firstplace result today.

The junior has also competed in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle races this season.

"She's determined; she's a competitor," Hershman said of Marasovich. "She'll go to practice after swim meets."

Marasovich and Hagopian share a school record in the 200 medley relay from last season. Deanna Pickman and Hagopian's younger sister Lara were part of the historic quartet.

Hagopian, an 18yearold senior, swam the 100 breaststroke for years until switching to the 500 freestyle this season.

"The breaststroke requires a lot of technique," said Hagopian, who wants to attend a community college before studying biology at UCLA. She also competes in the 200 individual medley.

"The 500 free is a lot of endurance," she said. "There's more room for error."

The senior has achieved a qualifying CIF time in the 200 IM with 2:15.16. Her personal record in the 500 free is 5:20.78.

Hagopian is focused on a strong showing today but hopes next season's squad can build on the success.

"I've been training all year for this," she said. "I have a lot of great hopes for the rest of the swimmers once I'm out of here.

"I'm proud of what we've achieved, and I'm sure they'll shine next year."

Stern, 18, competes in the 50 and 100 freestyle races, and the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. The senior's best time in the 50 freestyle is 23.9 seconds. He's completed the 100 freestyle in 53.3 seconds.

Stern competed in the 100 butterfly for three years—a race he called "grueling"—but switched to 50 freestyle as a senior.

Hershman wanted to motivate Stern by naming him captain before the season.

"He's a little on the quiet side," the coach said. "I thought this would allow him to communicate better with his peers. It's helped him come out of his shell."

The senior said his coach's demeanor set the tone for success.

"Hershman's attitude is really good," Stern said. "We have fun in workouts, but he still pushes us. Hershman is laid back, but he still has a strict side. If you miss a practice, he'll get on you."

Stern, who will study business at Indiana University, thinks Calabasas' boys have a good chance of qualifying for CIF in the relay events.

"I'm going to swim my best," said Stern, who was a 2-meter for the water polo squad. "It's not a must, but it would be a great experience."