2016 CIF-SS D3 Girls Finals: Okada Dominates; Poly/P Repeats Team Win

2016 California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Swimming & Diving Championships

• Diving: Monday, May 9, 2016
• Swimming: Prelims – Wednesday, May 11; Finals – Thursday, May 12, 2015
• Location: Riverside City College
• Defending Champions: Poly Pasadena girls, Rio Mesa boys (2015 D3 Results)
• Psych Sheet: Division III
• Final Results: Available │ Team Scores
• Championship Central

There were few surprises in the Southern Section Division III (smaller schools) girls’ meet but the boys contest was a thriller from start to finish.

Walnut, based on their psych sheet seedings, should have been up by about 45 points after the prelims session. However, a couple of misses here and there put them about 46 points behind Gabrielino, in second place. But because the CIF championships consist of prelims AND finals, there was still an opportunity to make up for the prelims mishaps. Admittedly, Walnut was assisted by Gabrielino who DQd on the very first relay, but they still had to execute in order to come out on top.

Girls’ Meet

Poly Pasadena got off to an early lead in the team race with the one-meter diving event that took place earlier in the week. Sophomore Daria Lenz repeated her 2015 title with 535.85 points. Alhambra junior Briana Thai finished second (518.15), while Immaculate Heart senior Anora Denison took third (485.40). Poly then claimed victory in the 200 medley relay with Susannah Laster (26.87), Gabriela Maarse (30.51), Kate Fogassa (26.06) and Rachel Min (24.52), who combined for 1:47.96 over Camarillo (1:50.65) and Marlborough (1:50.98). Laster added to the Poly medal haul with wins in the 200 free (1:50.72) and 100 back (56.76).

Beverly Hills senior Amy Okada won her career fifth and sixth individual CIF titles, swimming virtually alone in both the 50 free and 100 fly. Okada clocked a 23.49 in the 50 free, nearly a second faster than Grace Carey of Poly Pasadena (24.31) and Katelyn Thomas of Heritage (24.33). Okada was even further ahead of the field in the 100 fly, where she went 53.96, missing the division record by 3/100.

Walnut junior Emily Honng and Sierra Canyon junior Deanne Umbay traded leads back and forth in the 200 IM before Honng shut it down over the final 50 and won 2:06.61 to 2:08.21. Honng was runner-up in the 100 breast (1:04.35) and Umbay added a silver in the 100 back (57.69) to her medal haul. Camarillo junior Cailey Renken won the 100 breast in 1:02.75.

Meghan Go of Immaculate Heart led from start to finish in the 100 free, touching in 52.06 to win by half a body length over Katelyn O’Connor of South Torrance (52.47) and Royal’s Alisa Cooke (53.17).

Poly Pasadena won their second consecutive CIF-SS Division III title. Photo Anne Lepesant

We predicted a good race for the 500 free final but we couldn’t have scripted a better finish. Nipomo senior Alayna Gocke built up an early lead, and was already up by 1 second at the 200 and 1.5 at the 300. Saddleback Valley senior Casey Cunningham began her descent by about the 350 and started to move up on Gocke. As the crowd began to anticipate the finish, Cunningham erased the 1.5-second deficit over the last 100. She closed in 29.0 to Gocke’s 29.5, and the two hit the wall at exactly the same time: 5:01.21.

Poly Pasadena closed the meet as they had begun, winning the 400 free relay in 3:35.74 over Walnut (3:36.55). The Poly girls won their second consecutive team title with 361 total points. Marlborough School moved past Camarillo and Walnut to claim the runner-up trophy with 173.5 points.