Sunset League quartet earn top CIF swim seeds

They are fresh off fast swimming performances at the Sunset League finals on Friday. And these were top performances not just in Orange County, but in all of CIF Southern Section Division 1.

Newport Harbor High sophomore Ayla Spitz, Marina senior Jacqueline Harris, Fountain Valley senior Justin Nguyen and Huntington Beach senior Ethan Wojciechowski have all earned top seeds in an event heading into the Division 1 meet next week at Riverside City College.

Spitz actually earned two top seeds. She is seeded first in the 100-yard freestyle (49.64) seconds and the 100 backstroke (54.16). Last year, Spitz finished second in CIF in the 100 free and fourth in the backstroke.

Harris, bound for UC Santa Barbara, is seeded first in Division 1 in the girls’ 100 butterfly (54.57), followed by Marina teammate Sage Matsushima, who is seeded second. Matsushima was second in the event last year at CIF finals, with Harris in fifth.

The USC-bound Nguyen is the defending CIF champion in both the boys’ 100 freestyle and the backstroke. This year, he is seeded first in the backstroke (49.09) and 10th in the freestyle.

Wojciechowski, who will play water polo at Cal, takes the top seed in the 100 free in 44.84 seconds. He also is the No. 2 seed in the 50 free. “Wojo” tied for fifth in the 50 free last year at CIF finals and was sixth in the 100 free.

The Division 1 meet has preliminaries Thursday at 9 a.m., with finals Saturday at 5 p.m. at Riverside City College. The top nine swimmers from prelims advance to the championship final.

Here are other relays and individuals seeded top nine headed into prelims:

Girls’ 200 medley relay: 5. Newport Harbor; 6. Fountain Valley; 8. Marina; 9. Edison

Boys’ 200 medley relay: 6. Corona del Mar; 9. Edison

Girls’ 200 freestyle: 5. Shayla Erickson, Fountain Valley; 7. Samantha Le, Edison.

Boys’ 200 freestyle: 9. Nick Halphide, Newport Harbor

Girls’ 200 IM: 5. Hannah Farrow, Fountain Valley; 6. Nora Deleske, Edison

Boys’ 200 IM: 9. Tanner Pulice, Corona del Mar

Girls’ 50 free: 7. Jacqueline Harris, Marina; 9. Natalie Crocker, Huntington Beach

Boys’ 50 free: 6. Jacob Cavano, Huntington Beach; 7. Max Sandberg, Newport Harbor; 8. Grant Brehm, Huntington Beach

Girls’ 100 butterfly: 8. Zoe Spitz, Newport Harbor

Girls’ 100 freestyle: 5. Terra Matsushima, Marina; 6. Samantha Le, Edison

Boys’ 100 freestyle: 6. Nick Halphide, Newport Harbor

Girls’ 500 freestyle: 6. Shayla Erickson, Fountain Valley; 8. Natalie Crocker, Huntington Beach; 9. Dinny Stevens, Newport Harbor

Boys’ 500 freestyle: 5. Jonny Bramm, Edison

Girls’ 200 freestyle relay: 3. Newport Harbor; 5. Fountain Valley

Boys’ 200 freestyle relay: 1. Huntington Beach, 1:23.34; 2. Newport Harbor, 1:23.65

Girls’ 100 backstroke: 6. Sage Matsushima, Marina

Boys’ 100 backstroke: 3. Ethan Archer, Corona del Mar; 9. Taylor Whitmore, Edison

Girls’ 100 breaststroke: 7. Nora Deleske, Edison

Boys’ 100 breaststroke: 4. Ryan Schildwachter, Corona del Mar

Girls’ 400 freestyle relay: 2. Marina; 3. Newport Harbor

Boys’ 400 freestyle relay: 3. Newport Harbor

DIVISION 2

Laguna Beach junior Kasey Karkoska highlights local swimmers, as she is seeded sixth in the girls’ 100 butterfly (55.23), as well as sixth in the 100 backstroke.

The Division 2 prelims are Friday at 9 a.m. at Riverside City College, with finals Saturday at 11 a.m.

DIVISION 4

Ocean View sophomore Dominic Falcon is seeded first in the boys’ 200 freestyle (1:42.50) and 500 freestyle (4:37.71), highlighting locals.

Seahawks sophomore Leyna Tran is seeded fifth in the girls’ 100 free, and Ocean View sophomore Emma Fisher is seeded third in the girls’ 500 free.

The Ocean View boys’ 200 medley relay is seeded second.

The Division 4 prelims are Wednesday at 9 a.m., with finals Friday at 5 p.m.

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