Corona del Mar High girls’ swim team wins CIF Division 2 title

No spectators were allowed at Tuesday’s CIF Southern Section Division 2 swimming finals.

The Corona del Mar High girls made plenty of noise with every stroke they took at Santa Margarita High.

CdM used a deep roster to win the CIF Southern Section Division 2 title. The Sea Kings finished with 247 points, well ahead of second-place Studio City Harvard-Westlake with 180 points.

It’s the Sea Kings’ third CIF championship in program history and first since 2006.

Senior team captains Michelle Tekawy and Karsyn Cook, who are signed with UC Santa Barbara and Vanderbilt respectively, said it was definitely special to go out as CIF champions in their final high school meet.

Tekawy won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1 minute, 3.34 seconds. CdM sophomore Maggie Schalow won both of her individual events, the 200 freestyle (a personal-best 1:47.99) and the 100 butterfly (53.83 seconds).

“I added a little bit of time from league finals, but I was really happy with my races,� Tekawy said. “It was really cool getting to represent CdM for the last time, and just having a lot of fun at the meet, too. That was really special to me.�

CdM also placed top-two in all three relays. Sophomore Milan Bever, Tekawy, Schalow and Cook touched first in the 200 medley relay in 1:44.66. Tekawy, freshman Taylor Park, sophomore Jillian Schlom and Cook finished second in the 200 free relay (1:36.21), and the 400 free relay quartet of Schalow, Park, Bever and Schlom also placed second in 3:32.55.

CdM head coach Kareem Captan said that Schalow set the school record in the 100 freestyle leading off that last relay, clocking a 50.43 split. The sophomore definitely performed at her first CIF finals meet, after last spring’s season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“This season was so fun,� Schalow said. “It was like my first season, pretty much. We all just motivated each other so much ... The adrenaline was just there, and it made everyone swim fast.�

Tekawy, Cook, Schalow and Schlom had set the school record in the 200 free relay at the Sunset Conference finals, Captan said, with a 1:34.90.

Among other top-eight finishes for the CdM girls, Cook was fifth in both the 50 free in 23.98, and the 100 butterfly in 56.23. Bever placed seventh in the 200 free (1:54.34), followed by Park (1:55.15) in eighth.

“The girls knew what to do and how to execute,� Captan said. “They absolutely did phenomenal. These girls were just super-focused in on winning a title ... and to end a season like this is pretty special.�

Program alumna Stephanie Samudro and Lexie Kelly are assistant coaches for CdM.

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