The San Benito High swimming team had three individual winners—Shannon Stephens, Zander Bonnet and Ryan Okubo—in last Saturday’s Monterey Bay League Championships at Hartnell College. Stephens won the 50 freestyle in 26.71 seconds, Bonnet won the 100 backstroke in a season-best time of 1:00.45 and Okubo won the 500 free in 5:26.40.
For Bonnet and Stephens, their victories came in thrilling fashion. Bonnet won by 3/100ths of a second, while Stephens won by 6/100ths of a second. Both athletes also star on their respective San Benito High water polo teams. Although neither swimmer hit a Central Coast Section Meet qualifying mark, Bonnet and Stephens had a storybook finish to their seasons.
“It was super exciting,” said Stephens, who also finished in fifth place in the 100 back in 1:10.46. “I didn’t expect that kind of result.”
Stephens had no idea if she had won when she touched the wall. Stephens rose out of the water, rife with anticipation as she stared at the scoreboard. Stephens, who was in Lane 6, was on the opposite end of the pool from second-place finisher Rachel Carnell of Gilroy High.
“I looked up and made sure I was the one in Lane 6 with the first-place time,” she said. “I thought to myself, ‘That doesn’t seem to be right. It was right.’ It happened so fast and seemed like such a blur. The races that are close are always more fun because you never know what’s going to happen. I just wanted to leave it all out there.”
Stephens has been one of the school’s best swimmers for the last couple of years, a reliable talent who could always be counted upon to score points in dual meets. Remarkably consistent, Stephens couldn’t have asked for a better ending to her high school career.
“It really hit me after it was over,” she said. “This was the biggest meet for me this year, and now it’s all done. It’s hard to believe, kind of surreal. There is a great internal satisfaction that you can’t really put into words.”
Bonnet was equally pleased with his performance. A year after finishing as the runner-up in the 100 back—by a razor-thin margin—the standout sophomore broke through for a monumental victory. Bonnet has big goals for the future, and qualifying for the CCS Championships next year is at the top of the list.
“I would need to do the 100 back in 57 seconds, which is feasible for next year,” said Bonnet, who also finished in second place in the 200 individual medley in 2:11.05. “Winning the 100 back this year was very rewarding.”
Bonnet was swimming next to second-place finisher Thomas Padilla of Palma. The two were neck-and-neck for the final 40 to 45 meters, and Bonnet had no idea who had won when he touched the wall. Bonnet actually had concerns early and late in the race.
“My first lap was pretty rough,” he said. “I hit both lane lines, and couldn’t swim in a straight line. It happens. I also had a really bad finish. When I approached the wall, I stopped my arm stroke too early. So instead of swimming into it, I glided to the wall. I was lucky enough to have long arms and still get in there first.”
Indeed, at 6-foot-4, Bonnet will have a reach advantage against most of his competitors. When Bonnet looked at the scoreboard, he looked at the wrong lane number initially. Once Bonnet spotted his lane with the one placed beside his lane number, he knew he had achieved something special.
“I pumped my fist and looked at coach (Fred Latimore), and said ‘Yes,’” Bonnet said. “He shook his head and said, ‘Wow.’ It felt great because my mom, dad and brother were there to share in the moment.”
Two days after the competition, Bonnet was back in the pool at Rovella’s practicing with San Benito Aquatics. There is no let-up for Bonnet, who is determined to meet his goals. The same goes for fellow sophomore Okubo, who pulled away from the field in the 500 free. Josh Corrigan finished third in the 200 free in 1:59.26.
