Mira Costa swim team makes history at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championships

by Mark McDermott

The Mira Costa High School co-ed swim team, after an undefeated season in which the Mustangs claimed their fourth straight Bay League crown, secured a place in school history on Saturday.

Competing at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championships at San Antonio College, the girls team finished second and the boys placed fourth.  It was the second straight year the girls finished second, while the boys finish was the highest ever in Costa boys swimming history. 

“All swimmers gave 100% today and it really was a whole team effort,” said Heidi Nelson, varsity head coach. “This was the best placing at CIF in Costa Swimming history.”

Santa Margarita, a private school that has become the state’s swim powerhouse, won both the boys and girls titles. It was the fifth straight title for the boys, and 11th straight for the girls. Only eight swimmers were on the Mira Costa girls team, compared to Santa Margarita’s 24 swimmers. 

The girls team was led by senior standouts Delaney Herr and Bella Brito. Herr, a two-year varsity captain, won the 50 Free and placed 2nd in the 100 Back. Brito won the 100 breast and placed 2nd in the 200 free. Sophomore Andi Taylor took 4th in the 50 free and 10th in the 100 free. These three were joined by senior Maya Manasfi to take 1st in the 200 Medley Relay, and joined by senior Heather O’Brien for a close 2nd place finish in the 400 Free Relay. Maddie Fu and Samantha Allen joined O’Brien and Manasfi to take 14th in the 200 free relay. Between Herr, Brito and the relays, four girls’ Mira Costa school records fell at the championship meet. Herr has committed to swimming at Princeton next year, while Brito will join the USC Trojans.

 “Herr has been a team leader since she walked onto the deck freshman year,” Nelso said. “She is always smiling and a great teammate, but when she gets behind the blocks she clicks into a total machine. Brito works similarly; she is sweet and reserved, until she gets up for her race. Then it’s game on.”

The Costa boys 4th place finish was a full team effort. The 200 Medley Relay team of Logan Kwon, Jack Krikorian, Peyton Kuo and Fred Brown took 3rd and broke a school record with a time of 1:31.83, setting the early tone for the meet. Brown and Kuo placed 4th and 6th, respectively, in the 50 free, with Brown breaking the school record with a 20.57. In the 100 Free, Kuo placed 5th and Brown 7th. Both were joined by Christian Pherson and Logan Kwon to tie for 4th in the 200 Free Relay, breaking another school record with a time of 1:23.11. Anderson Bennett also lowered his own school record in the 100 breast, taking 2nd place with a time of 54.56. Kwon took 11th in the 100 back and Krikorian took 12th in the 100 breast, both with best times. Marwan Alasil rounded out the boys team with a 12th in the 200 free.

“This was an incredible finish to an undefeated regular season, with a phenomenal group of graduating seniors leading the way,” Nelson said. “This will be hard to beat.” ER