Fresh off a pair of titles at last weekend
’s Tri-County Athletic League finals, the Live Oak High swimming
and diving team took a full roster to the Central Coast Section
Swimming and Diving Championships at Stanford University. A total
of 11 boys and six girls from Live Oak qualified for the CCS
finals, which began with the preliminary r
ounds on Friday and continue with the consolation and
championship rounds today. Diving finals begin at 9:30am, with swim
finals to begin at 1pm.
Fresh off a pair of titles at last weekend’s Tri-County Athletic League finals, the Live Oak High swimming and diving team took a full roster to the Central Coast Section Swimming and Diving Championships at Stanford University.
A total of 11 boys and six girls from Live Oak qualified for the CCS finals, which began with the preliminary rounds on Friday and continue with the consolation and championship rounds today. Diving finals begin at 9:30am, with swim finals to begin at 1pm.
Sobrato’s Katelyn Smith will also compete for her first-year program, qualifying for the 500 free.
On the boys side, Live Oak qualified swimmers in every event, including the three relays, as well as three divers.
Last year, the LO boys finished third overall, led by All-American David Dunn, but Coach Mack Haines said that may not be possible this season.
“We have many more qualifiers, which is good, yet our ability to place as high as last year may never come again,” Haines said.
Individual LO boys swimmers include Ryan Gautschi (50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke), Justin Short (200 free, 100 free), Kyle Fast (200 individual medley, 500 free), Shea Coleman (50 free, 100 butterfly), Mike Wu (200 free, 500 free), Cameron Peachey (200 free, 100 backstroke) and Dennis Lowe (100 fly). Sam Cretcher is also listed on the 200 medley and 400 free rosters. Wu has LO’s highest individual ranking in any event – 10th in the 500 free. Gautschi and Short are also expected to do well, as are the relays.
Individual LO girls swimmers include Laura Melroy (200 free), Laura Shope (50 free, 100 breast) and Alisa Pinarbasi (100 fly), while Melissa Poon, Jessica Poon and Amy Marshall are listed on the relay rosters for LO, which will compete in all three relays.
Shope is ranked sixth in the 100 breast.
LO is hurt by the loss of junior standout Ronni Gautschi, who won the TCAL title in the 100 free and helped the Acorn girls relay teams to victories despite a torn meniscus but was recently diagnosed with mononucleosis and can’t compete.
“It’s a huge blow,” Haines said. “Realistically, it’ll be hard to make it into (the finals) without Ronni.”
Gautschi also was recently chosen to play on the Pacific Zone select water polo team as a two-meter, and is scheduled to compete in a Memorial Day tournament in Utah over Memorial Day weekend.
