Two Corona Del Mar Stars to Opt Out of First California State Championship Meet

Rumors and whispers have filtered through the state of California ever since the announcement of a newly-organized CIF State Championship meet about a temperate level of enthusiasm in certain parts of the state.

On Saturday, those whispers have been confirmed publicly as two of the stars from Corona del Mar High School told the Daily Pilot that they wouldn’t be attending the meet.

Historically, the state of California’s high school system has topped out at geographically-based Sectional meets, which despite not encompassing an entire state like most high school associations do, represented some of the best and deepest meets in the country.

In 2015, however, the CIF announced that it would organize a state championship meet on May 22nd and 23rd, a week after the completion of the Section championships, at Clovis West High School.

Freshman Eva Merrell and Harvard-bound senior Meagan Popp told the Daily Pilot that they would instead focus their attentions on the Irvine NovAquatics Grand Challenge meet that overlaps the CIF State Championship meet. The reasons given for the decision was primarily upon the fact that the Grand Challenge meet is held in a long course, 50 meter pool, as compared to the high school based 25-yard course.

That will allow the swimmers to chase Olympic Trials cuts early in the summer and have a full year to progress before the 2016 Olympic Trials. Olympic Trials time standards cannot be met in a short course pool.

This has been the conflict echoed by many swimmers around the state of California; while there is a desire for swimmers to prove themselves among the best in the state, with the state’s championship season already running so late, swimmers are eager to begin their long course quests.

The two swimmers were named co-swimmers of the Pacific Coast League Finals on Friday after each won their two individual events.

Popp is the 4th seed in the 200 IM and the 3rd seed in the 100 breaststroke at the upcoming CIF-Southern Section Championships, while Merrell is the top seed in the 100 fly and the 100 backstroke. The Corona del Mar girls were 5th at last year’s meet, but graduated only Stephanie Samudro from last year’s team. With the addition of Merrell, who should more-than-replace the lost scoring and relay swims, Corona del Mar should compete for a top three finish in the section.

 

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morrow3
9 years ago

Another issue is who is paying for the kids to travel? Most schools did not budget this and the kids are being told they have to pay some or all of the costs to go to this meet.

Observation
9 years ago

Regardless this will be a very fun meet!

morrow3
9 years ago

Many of the CCS swimmers are planning to opt out and not because of “strong arm” tactics of their club coaches, but because of graduation and finals.

And I agree with TXSWIMDAD.

Observation
Reply to  morrow3
9 years ago

Pure speculation, until a public announcement is made by those kids and/or their HS coach.

morrow3
Reply to  Observation
9 years ago

true – what people say and what people do could change when push comes to shove.

Hulk Swim
9 years ago

Way too much logic

liquidassets
9 years ago

I tend to agree with the opinions so far that it’s fine for different swimmers to have different priorities, as long as coaches don’t strong arm either way, in fact, the two coaches should meet to discuss each swimmer. But IF it turns out that a majority of the top swimmers and some other swimmers end up skipping the state high school meet in favor or LCM meets to get cuts: I know this would be odd, but instead of having a state HS meet that’s too watered down, how about having a dually sanctioned state high school/USS meet in LCM, so the swimmers chasing cuts could get them while swimming for their HS? Or would that be a logistical… Read more »

TXSWIMDAD
9 years ago

Maybe is California did not hold back their HS swimmers by not allowing them to compete in USA-S meets during HS season, it would not be a issue

CT Swim Fan
9 years ago

I agree about letting them compete if they wish, but I think a reason they might want to go to a long course meet is they are already tapered and maybe feel like they can get their cuts right away. Just a guess on my part though.

CoachGB
9 years ago

Could.it Be Svengalism that shows sometime in the sport. Let people compete what has one week to do with the next. There are a lot more long course meets on the calendar.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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