Young local athletes swim to success
Beginning with a high tide and choppy surf conditions, runners begin the Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier swim south of the Hermosa Beach Pier. Photo
Given a choice, former Redondo Union High School swimming standout Jonathan Diaz prefers the choppy ocean surf to the smooth water of a pool any day of the week.
“It’s colder but feels better on the body,” Diaz said. “Plus it’s a lot more challenging.”
A longtime member of the competitive Swim Torrance team and a 2011 CIF Southern Section Masters qualifier in the 500-yard freestyle as a senior at Redondo, Diaz has turned his focus to Open Water swimming, a competition that was added to the Olympic event list for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In June, Diaz competed against the nation’s top prospects at the 2011 USA Swimming 5K Open Water National Championship in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.The 18-year-old finished in the top half of the field of 116 competitors, placing 47th.
The experience paid off Sunday when Diaz finished second in the Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier race at the International Surf Festival.
Former Redondo Union High School swimming standout Jonathan Diaz placed second in the Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier swim at the International Surf Festival. Photo
“The event in Florida was different,” Diaz explained. “The water is warmer and saltier but it was great competing against the best. I learned a lot about drafting and going ahead at the proper time. In comparison, Open Water swimming is more like a cross country race while swimming in the pool is similar to a track meet.”
Diaz was more than pleased with his performance and time of 41 minutes, 04 seconds in this year’s Dwight Crum event. Although he couldn’t overtake perennial champion Alex Kostich, whose time of 39:12 won the 41-year-old swimmer from Los Angeleshis 11th title since 1995, Diaz was able to edge out Micah Carlson.
Carlson finished with a mark of 41:28. The 29-year-oldHawthorneresident has won the event three times, placing in the top four every year since 2002.
One of the first to congratulate Diaz was friend and former adversary Kevin Silberman, who swam for Mira Costa during his prep career.
“I was so stoked to get second,” Diaz said. “Kevin tried for years to beat Micah and said, ‘You did something I never could.’”
Diaz said he was a little nervous at the beginning of the race. He had gone toHermosa Beachthe night before to watch the Taplin Bell competition and went for a swim only to get tossed around in the choppy surf.
“When we rounded the pier at the beginning of the race, I got in between some guys that were much bigger than me,” Diaz recalled. “I was afraid to get knocked around but managed to avoid any serious contact.”
In 2008, Diaz finished 44th in the Dwight Crum race but has drastically improved each year. After placing 23rd in 2009, Diaz finished 5th last year.
Diaz will attend El Camino College in the fall, hoping to transfer to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He is undecided whether he will go out for the Warrior’s swim team but plans to compete for Swim Torrance as he attempts to reach his goal of becoming a lifeguard.
Diaz was named the 2010 Cadet of the Year in Junior Lifeguards.
“It’s my dream to become a lifeguard, but with budget cuts there aren’t as many positions available, so they don’t test every year. But I’ll be ready when they offer the next test.”
The weekend proved to be just as successful for Manhattan Beach’s Taylor Spivey. The 20-year-old former Mira Costa scholar-athlete won the Dwight Crum women’s title with a time of 41:34, shaving 1:21 off her second-place time in 2010.
Taylor Spivey placing fourth in the Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier competition. Photo
A distance freestyle swimmer at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Spivey finished fourth overall. She edged 22-year-oldBerkeleyresident Luane Rowe, who finished a close second at 41:41. Amy Dantzler, 47, ofLos Angelesplaced third at 43:37.
On Friday, Spivey was one of four swimmers on the Manhattan Beach team that finished third in the Bud Stevenson Intracrew Medley Relay.