Spartans still streaking
Rio Mesa swim teams maintain dominance in Pacific View League
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT- Rio Mesa High junior Laura King works on her breast stroke Wednesday afternoon.

Once again, the Rio Mesa High swimming program was simply perfect.

This season both the boys' and girls' swim teams at RMHS won Pacific View League titles while going undefeated during league play. The girls' winning streak in league is now 13 straight meets, while the boys increased their winning streak to 49 straight.

Head coach Keith McKnett said he expected the girls' team to dominate this season, but the boys' success was a shock.

"The boys' team winning this year came as a total surprise," McKnett said. "We lost seven seniors from last year and our MVP, J.P. Delossantos. But the kids stepped up. There were no superstars, but the whole team was very good and they're very relentless."

Junior Danny White, the only individual league winner on the boys' squad, led the Spartans.

Last season, White swam in the 50- and 100-freestyle events, but to help the team this year, McKnett decided to move White to the 100 breast stroke. The move paid off, as White became a league champion in the event with a time of 1:03.85.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers ONE OF THE BEST- Spartan junior Danny White was the Pacific View League champion in the 200 breast stroke this season.

Assisting White on the boys' squad was senior Lloyd Kirk, last season's 100 breast stroke league champion. This year, Kirk placed third in the event, but he also helped his team by competing in the 200 IM.

Kirk said trying a new event was no big deal, and that he would do anything to help the squad.

"This year we had to drop a couple people in certain events and have them try new ones," Kirk said. "Where that could have hurt some other teams, I believe it helped us in the long-run. People on the team learned to love their new events, and we sort of came together as a team that way."

Other swimmers contributing on the boys' side included juniors Kevin Doria, (100 backstroke, 100 fly), Cody Womack (50, 100 freestyle) and Gabriel Ford (100 fly, 200 IM), along with sophomores Nick Tomasello (50, 100 free) and Matt Kromka (200, 500 free).

Although the boys' PVL winning streak has lasted for years, it's something Kirk doesn't like to think about.

"For the longest time I used to think a lot about the streak, but I started to feel too much pressure from it," Kirk said. "If you focus on it too much, it could kind of drive you crazy. I decided to stop doing that and just do my best each race."

On the girls' side, the squad was led by what McKnett called the "Big Three."

The standout trio is senior Alicia Began and juniors Morgan McCardell and Kayleigh Jeffrey.

Began, who will attend UC Davis in the fall to play water polo, excelled in the 50 and 100freestyle events, winning a league title in the latter.

McCardell won a league championship in the 200 IM and 100 fly, and owns the school record in the 100 breast stroke with a time of 1:11.79.

Making the biggest sacrifice for the team was Jeffrey. The junior, who had a problem with asthma entering the season, fought through her ailments and was able to race in several distance events, including the 200 and 500 freestyle. Jeffrey overcame her asthma and took a league title in the 200. Jeffrey's top time in the event was 2:03.89.

"I was a little worried when I started the season in the distance events, but I love my team so much and I knew I could help them by racing in them," Jeffrey said.

"I still have some difficulty with my asthma, but it's mostly just the few moments after I finish a race."

Another swimmer that chipped in big-time on the girls' squad was sophomore Holly Smith.

"Holly just came out of nowhere," McKnett said. "She was a JV swimmer for us last year, and to tell you the truth, that's where I thought she would be this year.

"Instead, she qualified for CIF in the 100 breast stroke and took second in league in the event. By far, she was our biggest surprise."

With the boys' and girls' JV teams going undefeated in league as well, Rio Mesa's future looks brighter than the Las Vegas skyline.

"The streaks are motivating factors for us," McKnett said.

"Every time a swimmer here looks on the record board" (pointing to a sign hanging on the wall inside the RMHS pool complex) "they feel it. Before I leave, I want every category up there to be from players I coached."

The CIF-Southern Section Swimming Championships will take place Saturday at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, with qualifying Rio Mesa athletes competing in Division III beginning at 10 a.m.