For a season-opening meet, Gilroy High’s varsity swim teams
showed more speed than expected. That could mean trouble for
Tri-County Athletic League challengers this season.
For a season-opening meet, Gilroy High’s varsity swim teams showed more speed than expected. That could mean trouble for Tri-County Athletic League challengers this season.
But as good as the Mustangs looked in the water Friday, as both the boys and girls teams had little trouble taking care of the Alvarez Eagles in a dual meet in Gilroy, expectations must be tempered by the fact that Gilroy’s roster is more about quality than quantity. The Mustangs still don’t have any divers, which puts both the boys and girls squads at an immediate disadvantage in terms of points when they face teams that do.
“This year I think we’re a little stronger overall,” Gilroy coach Tom Clark said. “We still lack the depth, but most of my [swimmers] will probably place in the top six to eight at league championships.”
After that, the bar gets raised to a whole different level.
“You go to [Central Coast Sections] in swimming, it’s very difficult to make the finals because you’re facing swimmers with Olympic trial qualifying times,” Clark said. “Just getting there is so hard.”
Of those Clark expects to do well this year on the boys’ side are Eddie Malick, David Pribyl, Daniel Shields and Zack Kendrick. On Friday, a foursome of Malick, Pribyl, Shields and Brandon Creswell were fast enough (1 minute, 48.76 seconds) to qualify Gilroy for the 200 medley by beating the CCS sanctioned mark to qualify.
Certainly a positive achievement considering Clark feels it isn’t even his fastest group of four.
“That relay will go a lot faster,” he said. “Not all the faster swimmers were on that relay.”
Jacob Abruzzini is one swimmer who would help that time, but he is currently out after injuring his knee.
According to Clark, the same relay team as above needs to shave off two more seconds in the 400 free relay to qualify for CCS. Individually, Malick qualified for CCS in the 100 Breaststroke and just missed qualifying in the 500 free by 2 seconds.
On the girls’ side, Isabella Comin, Christina Raby and Alana Osaki were all impressive. Comin is still coming back from a shoulder injury and her finishes, while strong, “were nowhere near her best times,” according to Clark. The coach expects there to be obvious progress in Comin’s times over the course of the season. Raby and Osaki dominated a variety of events individually, as well as together in relays, against the Eagles.
The final score for the boys was a 105-62 win while the girls took the victory by a score of 76-48.
Both teams will be back in the water Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in a dual meet at North Salinas.
Full Results:
Division: Boys Varsity
200 Medley Relay
GHS – 1:48.76 – CCS qualified – Shields, Malick, Pribyl, Creswell
ALV – 1:58.19
200 Free
GHS Brandon Creswell, Junior – 2:04.57
ALV ? Foster – 2:08.81
200 IM
GHS Corey Nettleblad, Senior – 2:25.45
ALV ? Gracia
50 Free
GHS Daniel Shields, Senior – 24.05
ALV ? Ehlers
100 Fly
GHS David Pribyl, Junior – 58.44
GHS Zack Kendrick,Sophmore – 1:00.37
ALV ? Gracia – 1:04.78
100 Free
GHS Daniel Shields,Senior – 54.54
ALV ? Gracia – 57.23
500 Free
GHS Eddie Malick, Sophomore – 5:12.48
GHS Brandon Creswell, Junior – 5:43.73
ALV – ? Foster, 6:00.56
200 Free Relay
ALV – 1:45.51
GHS – 1:48.65 –
100 Back
ALV – ? Gracia – 1:06.13
GHS Zack Kendrick, Sophomore – 1:10.67
100 Breast
GHS Eddie Malick, Sophmore – 1:04.54 – CCS qualified
GHS David Pribyl, Junior – 1:07.35
GHS Corey Nettleblad, Senior – 1:15.69
400 Free Relay – Malick, Shields, Pribyl, Creswell
GHS – 3:40.85
GHS – 4:10.13
ALV – 4:53.93
Division: Girls Varsity
Team Names/Score: 200 Medley Relay – Osaki, Comin, Raby, Rothenburg
GHS – 2:08.10
ALV – 3:28.26
200 IM
GHS Isabella Comin, Sophomore – 2:31.30
ALV 2:45.96
50 Free
GHS Christina Raby, Freshman – 23.27
GHS Alana Osaki, Freshman – 27.60
ALV 32.18
100 Fly
GHS Isabella Comin, Junior – 1:09.05
(No competition)
100 Free
ALV – 1:06.59
GHS Anna Colinns-Taylor- 1:13.09
500 Free
GHS Alyssa Rothenburg – 6:36.65
ALV 9:08.30
200 Free Relay
GHS 2:10.31 – Osaki, Comin, Raby, Colinns-Taylor
GHS 2:12.17
100 Back
GHS Alana Osaki, Freshman – 1:11.63
ALV 1:20.09
100 Breast
GHS Christina Raby, Freshman
ALV 1:33.14
