CIF-SS D3 Boys Final – JW North Edges Out Laguna Beach to Get Second Win in a Row

It didn’t come easily. JW North had to work for their repeat win at the 2014 CIF-SS Division 3 championships. Last year they put a 65-point wedge between themselves and second-place Viewpoint; this year they battled to the end to keep Laguna Beach out of the winner’s circle.

200 medley relay champions from Laguna Beach. Photo: Jenna Haufler/Hugh Berrmyan

Laguna Beach got things off to a good start, taking the 200 medley in1:36.30 with Erik Juliusson (23.70) and Cameron Karkoska (27.00) Max Morgan (23.95) Cade Baldridge (21.65). Juliusson and Karkoska put them so far in front that even a 22.90 and 20.70 from second-place Flintridge Prep’s Marco Flores and Carlo Sivilotti, respectively, couldn’t catch them. JW North moved up a place from prelims and finished third.

Garret Shimko of Poly/Riverside won the first of his two events with a 1:39.74 in the 200 free. He followed that up with a 46.43 in the 100 free for the double. JW North had two “A” finalists in the 200 free which allowed them to take over the lead from Laguna Beach.

Laguna Beach narrowed North’s lead after the 200 IM, where Juliusson (1:50.52) picked up the first of his two titles. Juliusson was less than a second off the D3 record of 1:49.71. Kevin Fink of Mary Star of the Sea was second, while North scored at third with Javier Bernal.

Donny Hadden of Calvary Chapel in Santa Ana was the winner of the 50 free, while Harrison Strange of Oaks Christian beat out Adrian Hui of Webb Schools by .01 to take second.

Crean Lutheran diver, freshman Colten Young, broke the CIF-SS Division 3 record with 584.75 points. Maranatha’s Kendall Hollimon and Victor Ginelli finished second and third, respectively.

Flintridge Prep’s 200 free relay. Photo: Jenna Haufler/Hugh Berrmyan

Flintridge Prep’s Flores won a close 100 fly (51.37) over Mary Star’s Fink and Santa Fe’s Seth Villeda, and then came the 100 free, when Laguna Beach took over the lead thanks to its three “A” finalists. But it was to be short-lived as North shot ahead with 40 points in the 500: Sedtavut (Justin) Nilaad won in 4:38.86 and Cristian Moncayo took third. Second place went to Rio Mesa’s Austin Hammond.

North took fourth in the 200 free relay to increase its lead over Laguna Beach, who placed seventh. Flintridge Prep won the event in 1:27.69 with Flores (22.98), Gary Lee (21.56), Ethan Vanderveter (21.95), and Sivilotti (21.20).

Laguna Beach narrowed the gap when Juliusson won the 100 back (50.28). Nathan Ketcheside of Poly/Riverside and Michael Nunn of Camarillo rounded off the podium. The final individual event saw Austin Wilson of Buckley pick up a CIF title with a 58.69 in the 100 breast, a half-second ahead of Laguna Beach’s Cameron Karkoska.

Laguna Beach got the final say but it wasn’t enough to claim the team trophy. Their 400 free relay finished in 3:09.05, 1.5 seconds shy of the D3 record. Morgan (48.42), Baldridge (48.37), Karkoska (46.69), and Juliusson (45.57) won by a few seconds over North and Poly Riverside, whose relays finished second and third, respectively.

Final Standings