While those handful of swimmers who qualified to CCS were
looking for a little more in the pool on Friday
— most notably, a bid to Saturday’s CCS Finals — San Benito head
coach Christine Schafer was pleased how her youthful squad
performed in a meet that was a first for many of them.
SANTA CLARA
Both Graham Spurzem and Quinn Six held seed times in the 100-yard backstroke event that were better than the San Benito school record, but neither had clocked the record-breaking time while swimming for the Balers this past season.
Perhaps an extra push was needed, like the one received while competing at the Central Coast Section Swimming and Diving Championships in Santa Clara last weekend.
“I told him I wanted to break it first,” said Six, a sophomore transfer from Santa Teresa, referring to David Smith’s 56.22 in the 100 back set in 2006. “But Graham came out of nowhere.”
In what was the highlight of Friday’s preliminary round for the Balers, the freshman Spurzem clocked a record-setting 55.85 in the 100 back to take 18th in the event, and earned an alternate spot toward Saturday’s consolation round.
“He got the school record, too,” Spurzem said of Six, who recorded a 56.16 in Friday’s event. “But I got it just by three-tenths of a second. He’ll be gunning for it next season, though.”
Friday’s CCS preliminary round was the climax to San Benito’s strong 2010 campaign, which saw both the boys and girls swim teams go undefeated and properly defend their respective Tri-County Athletic League titles.
But while those handful of swimmers who qualified to CCS were looking for a little more in the pool on Friday — most notably, a bid to Saturday’s CCS Finals — San Benito head coach Christine Schafer was pleased how her youthful squad performed in a meet that was a first for many of them.
“I thought they did very well — the freshmen not having been to CCS,” Schafer said. “For Graham (Spurzem), Quinn (Six) and Czsarina (Isleta), I fully expect them to reach finals next year.
“They know exactly what they’ll be up against and they’ll be able to prepare for it.”
Isleta, who managed to qualify in every single event for CCS, competed in both the 200-yard intermediate medley and the 100-yard breaststroke, but fell short of extending her season in both events on Friday.
Isleta was 30th in the IM in 2:17.88 and 19th in the breast in 1:09.48, missing the cut in the latter event by less than a second.
However, Schafer noted that several of her swimmers, including Spurzem, Isleta and relay swimmer Rachel Estep, had come down with an illness following last week’s TCAL Championships, leading to congestion and a low-grade fever.
“I know it’s an excuse and excuses don’t count,” Isleta said. “But it’s kind of hard because you don’t feel like swimming, but you have to because it’s a race.”
Said Spurzem, after recording a 1:53.74 in the 200-yard freestyle, one of his slowest times in the event, “It felt like I just ran a race. I think my body is just shot.”
Meanwhile, junior Jessie Drogemuller used the TCAL Championships to qualify toward the CCS Prelims in the 500-yard freestyle, and she clocked a 5:42.87 on Friday to finish in 47th.
“I was trying to go fast, but I guess it just didn’t happen,” said Drogemuller, who qualified in both the 200 and 500 free events during her freshman year. “It was a mental problem.
“I’m always kind of nervous with whatever I swim … But going into it, I was just trying to have fun.”
Senior teammate Demi Gatrell made sure that would happen when she stood above Drogemuller’s lane on Friday and implored the freestyle swimmer to — what else — swim faster.
“I was smiling the whole time,” Drogemuller said. “It put me in a good mood. Without Demi there, it would have been way worse. I would have gone slower.”
Meanwhile, Gatrell herself competed in a pair of races on Friday — the 200-yard IM (2:20.12) and the 100-yard butterfly (1:02.71) — and she finished in 36th and 31st place, respectively.
While not setting any personal records, Gatrell did clock her fastest time this season in the IM.
“And in the 200 fly, that was the closest to my fastest time I’ve been all season,” Gatrell said. “But I’m just getting old.”
Gatrell, a senior, also competed in the 400-yard freestyle relay with Drogemuller, Caitlin Schafer and Isleta, which took 27th in 3:54.91, as well as the 200-yard medley relay with Estep, Isleta and Schafer, which finished 26th in 2:00.11.
Competing in her final meet as a senior hadn’t hit Gatrell on Friday, though.
“But seeing all the kids I swam with for four years, I just told them it was an awesome experience,” Gatrell said. “Tonight, I’m probably gonna cry.”
San Benito will return plenty to next year’s team, though, including Six, who recorded a 2:04.28 in the 200-yard IM to take 29th.
The sophomore’s time in the 100 back on Friday was perhaps the only thing on his mind, though.
“If it weren’t for Graham, I would have had it,” Six said with a smile. “But there’s always next year. It just means I’m gonna have to work harder if I want it.”
Central Coast Section Swimming and Diving Championships
Santa Clara International Swim Center
Boys
200 Free — Graham Spurzem, 1:53.74, 51st
200 IM — Quinn Six, 2:04.28, 29th
100 Back — Graham Spurzem, 55.85, 18th
100 Back — Quinn Six, 56.16, 21st
200 Medley Relay — Graham Spurzem, Quinn Six, Nick Angulo, Josh Schafer, 1:47.42, 31st
200 Free Relay — Clayton Slater, Isaac Beltran, Sebastian Forbush, Nick Angulo, 1:36.80, 38th
400 Free Relay — Graham Spurzem, Sebastian Forbush, Nick Angulo, Quinn Six, 3:31.91, 37th
Girls
200 IM — Czsarina Isleta, 2:17.88, 30th
200 IM — Demi Gatrell, 2:20.12, 36th
100 Fly — Demi Gatrell, 1:02.71, 31st
500 Free — Jessie Drogemuller, 5:42.87, 47th
100 Breast — Czsarina Isleta, 1:09.48, 19th
200 Medley Relay — Rachel Estep, Demi Gatrell, Czsarina Isleta, Caitlin Schafer, 2:00.11, 26th
200 Free Relay — Caitlin Schafer, Jessie Drogemuller, Chelsea Bucaloy, Marisa Casillas, 1:51.84, 33rd
400 Free Relay — Demi Gatrell, Jessie Drogemuller, Caitlin Schafer, Czsarina Isleta, 3:54.91, 27th
