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MISSION VIEJO Dozens of swimmers gathered at the edge of the pool Thursday ready to cheer their team during the dramatic conclusion of a blistering South Coast League finals.
A duel between the Aliso Niguel and Tesoro boys would be determined by the A and B finals of the meet-ending, 400-yard freestyle relay at the Marguerite Aquatics Center.
San Clemente also was worth screaming for after contenting most of the afternoon.
As the crowd around the pool swelled and the anticipation built, Orange County’s preseason No. 1-ranked team was right where it wanted to be.
“When it comes down to the last race, dude, it’s so hype,” Aliso Niguel senior Sean Slusiewicz said. “That last race, it’s stressful but it brings the best out of us.”
Aliso Niguel indeed rose to the challenge, and with some help from San Clemente in the B final, edged rival Tesoro by three points to defend its title in stunning fashion.
Tesoro’s No. 2-ranked girls delivered a contrasting performance but was just as impressive. The Titans dominating by more than 200 points to claim a sixth straight title and stake its claim as the best team in school history.
Aliso Niguel, sparked by a lifetime-best split in the third leg of the 400 by sophomore Josh Cho, won the relay in 3 minutes, 7.52 seconds to cap its point tally at 445. Tesoro finished with 442.
San Clemente also played a major role in the final. In the consolation B final, the Tritons edged Tesoro by 11 one-hundredths of a second, a touch that cost the Titans four points that could have been all the difference.
“Squeaked it out,” Aliso Niguel coach Jon Puffer said with a chuckle. “These guys are selfless. It’s awesome.”
Cho split his leg of the 400 free in 45.58 to give Slusiewicz the lead for the anchor and the Stanford-bound sprinter took care of the rest with a 45.12 split. The duo combined with Tanner Smith and Touma Kondo to post Aliso Niguel’s season-best time.
“Josh went off,” Slusiewicz said. “Crazy.”
Slusiewicz showed his desire by entering the 200 free, an event he usually doesn’t race. He edged Tesoro rising sophomore Jake Davis by 12 one-hundredths of a second with a 1:41.02 for another key, three-point margin over the Titans.
Slusiewicz also won the 50 free (21.11) to join Cho (butterfly) and Laguna Hills freshman Tona Zinn (200 individual medley, breaststroke) as the double-champions in the boys meet.
Aliso Niguel’s most impressive race was the 200 medley relay. The team of Cho, Nico Trichery, Slusiewicz and Jake Michelsen blazed a meet-record 1:31.31, fourth-fastest in county history and just over a second off University’s 2014 county record of 1:30.10.
Tesoro’s girls set meet record in all three relays. The medley foursome of Lauren Stevens, Atisha Phetbenjakul, standout freshman Katie Crom and Malia Mills sizzled a 1:44.77, half-a-second off the school record.
Crom (200 free, fly) and Mills (50 free, breaststroke) were double champions for the Titans, who feature only one senior. Crom set a meet-record in the fly with a lifetime-best 55.03.
“I think this is the best squad we’ve had yet,” Tesoro coach Todd Conrad said. “Most of them weren’t shaved and tapered for this meet. … It’s pretty awesome to have this group of kids, especially that young, performing as well as they did.”
More coverage to come.
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