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Published August 20, 2008
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OCC Wins OMPA for 8th Consecutive Year
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| By Tim Fong |
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| Photo Doug Kohen |
Thousands of fans gathered at the Soda Aquatic Center at Campolindo High School to watch local swimmers take part in the 52nd annual OMPA Championship Meet. Those fans witnessed a thrilling meet featuring 5,001 events, 1,746 swimmers, and six new meet records.
For the eighth consecutive year, the Orinda Country Club (OCC) won the meet, boasting six high point winners and breaking two meet records. Led by its coach of ten years, Steve Haufler, OCC combined to win first place thirty eight times.
The two meet records were set by Maddie Murphy. Murphy swam a 31.82 in the 50 yard backstroke to shatter the twelve year old record of 32.90 previously set in 1996 by Renee Rodriguez of Miramonte.
Brooke Presten, a 10 year old OCC swimmer, also eclipsed the previous record with a 32.61 and earned a silver medal with her performance. The other record set by Murphy was in the 50 yard butterfly. Murphy smashed the previous record by swimming a 29.23 in the preliminary round and a 29.33 in the final.
The previous record was set in 1994 by Artemis Daphnis of Sleepy Hollow at 30.03 seconds.
Including Murphy, OCC had 6 high point winners. Six year old Lauren McAninch earned gold in the 25 yard breaststroke and silver in the 25 yard backstroke. Nine year old Stephen Schmidt was the high point winner for 9 and 10 year old boys, winning the 100 yard IM and 50 yard freestyle, and getting third in the 50 yard butterfly.
Annie Larsen was the high point winner for the 11 and 12 girls, winning the 100 yard IM and 50 yard breaststroke, while placing second in the 50 yard butterfly. In the 13 and 14 year old boys, Charlie Wiser was the high point winner. He claimed gold in the 100 yard IM, 50 yard freestyle, and 50 yard breaststroke.
Kimi Klein won gold in the 100 yard freestyle and 100 yard IM and silver in the 50 yard butterfly to claim the high point trophy for the 13 and 14 year old girls.
Coming in second place was Sleepy Hollow. The legends had two high point winners, 8 year old Christian Meckfessel, and 13 year old Natalie Redig. Meckfessel won the 100 yard IM, 25 yard freestyle, 25 yard breaststroke, 100 yard medley relay, and 100 yard freestyle relay. Redig finished first in the 50 yard breaststroke, 50 yard fly, and placed second in the 100 IM.
Sleepy Hollow also set four meet records as well. In the 50 yard backstroke, Katie Bilotti, 17, finished in 27.72 seconds to beat the previous meet record of 27.81. Bilotti also set a record in the 50 yard butterfly by finishing in 26.28 seconds. Meredith White set a meet record by finishing the 50 yard freestyle in 24.63 seconds. The girls 15-18 year old freestyle team set a record with a time of 1.40.82 seconds. The members of the team were Meredith White, Katie Bilotti, Erica White, and Christina Vidal.
For Campolindo Cabana Club, Dana Foster and Hannah Grubbs set records. Foster, 18, swam a 20.75 in the boys 50 yard freestyle while Grubbs, 12, swam a 29.30 in the girls 50 yard backstroke.
Two swimmers from Meadow also set records, 18 year old Claire Ivry swam a 31.33 in the 50 yard breaststroke, eclipsing a mark set in 1998, and Nicholas Deaver swam a 23.38 in the 50 yard butterfly to break a record that stood for 24 years.
The OMPA Championship Meet is the culmination of the swimming season for most swimmers. A select few swimmers are able to qualify for the final meet of the season, the Contra Costa County meet, by beating certain time standards. |
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| Reach Tim at: info@lamorindaweekly.com |
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA