SH Prep Rules the Water in Dual Meet Victory Over Knights

By Rick Eymer/Palo Alto Online Sports
SHP Girls 116, Menlo 47 - SHP Boys 110, Menlo 57
See Full Story


Sacred Heart Prep sophomore Kyle Ballack won a pair of individual events and led off two winning relays. The Gators parlayed that into an impressive 110-57 decision over visiting Menlo in the final West Bay Athletic League boys swimming meet of the regular season Wednesday.

Six different swimmers won events on the girls side as Sacred Heart Prep prevailed over the Knights by a 116-47 margin. Gaby Ma, Corinne Charlton and Megan Ross each won an event and participated on two winning relays.

Several swimmers from both teams competed in different events than usual as a way to get ready for the WBAL trials and finals next week. The trials will be held Friday, May 5 at 4 p.m. and the finals are the next day at 2 p.m., all at Sacred Heart Prep.

Ballack won the 100 free in a CCS qualifying time of 49.86 and the 100 back in 58.70. He was joined by Walker Seymour, Will Connolly and Alex Tsotadze in winning the medley relay with a CCS time of 1:45.78.

Andrew Churukian, Larsen Weigle and Luke Rohlen followed Ballack in the 400 free relay, winning in 3:31.31. The second Gators 400 relay team placed second. The interesting thing about that is none of the top eight swimmers were seniors.

The SHP 200 free relay team of Churukian, Weigle, Alex Nemeth and Rohlen won in a CCS time of 1:32.02.

Rohlen won the 200 free, followed by teammates Chris Rowland and CJ Box. Seymour, Jackson Enright and Weigle finished 1-2-3 in the 200 individual medley.

Matthew Kim gave Menlo a victory in the 50 free with his mark of 23.16. He followed that with a second-place showing in the 100 fly, .04 seconds behind Knights teammate Jason Li, 56.82-56.86.

Sacred Heart Prep's Michael Sonsini had a nice competition with Menlo's Scott Little in the 500 free. Sonsini won in 5:03.51, about a second ahead of Little.

Menlo's Alec Vercruysse won the 100 breast in 1:05.31.

On the girls' side, Ross, Ma and Charlton were helped by Matte Snow in winning the 200 medley relay in a CCS time of 1:56.28.

Claire Kerrigan and Emily Howard joined Ma and Charlton on the winning 400 free relay team. Of the 12 Gators who swam in the event on three separate teams, only Howard is a senior.

Ma won the 200 free, with Menlo's Natalie Hilderbrand placing second. Charlton edged Snow to win the 200 IM by .07 seconds, 2:19.70 to 2:19.77.

Kelly Frimel, who also swam on the 200 free relay, Addi Duvall and Howard placed 1-2-3 in the 50 free. Menlo's Neha Tarakad took the 100 fly title by a second over Charlton.

Ross won the 100 free in 56.36, followed by Tarakad and Menlo's Sophie Golub. Annabel Facey went 5:32.90 to win the 500 free, about a second ahead of Menlo's Meg Reinstra.

Howard (1:03.92) and Ma (1:04.75) went 1-2 in the 100 back and Reinstra won the 100 breast with SHP's Maddy Johnson placing second.
Back

Sacred Heart Schools Atherton

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton

150 Valparaiso Ave
Atherton, CA 94027
650 322 1866
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12