What can be closer than a one-point victory? How about when the difference of that one point is only 0.14 of a second. And what can make that sporting competition be more significant? When it comes in the last event of the California State swimming meet, which is exactly how the Campolindo girls swim team won the state meet for their first time edging out Archbishop Mitty 149 to 148.

    Unlike most high school sports, there are no divisions in the state competitions. “The swimmers are very fast through California and it’s very competitive so if you win, you’re a true state champion,” said Ronnie Heidary, Campolindo’s head swim coach.

    Campolindo entered the tournament with confidence and momentum having finished first in both the Diablo Athletic League and North Coast Sectional Tournaments. “We have a great group of girls and we’ve had strong teams for the last four years, so we knew we were competitive," Heidary said. “They compete for each other whether it’s a relay or an individual event, they know they’re swimming for the team because they know that each race could decide the state championship so they swim with that kind of expectation to perform."

    Coming into the meet, Campolindo was highly seeded but did not show their best in the preliminary rounds. “Some of our kids did not swim well on Friday but then moved up, some quite a bit on Saturday and in the end, every point mattered,” Heidary said. “That's what we talk about with the kids and that's why I love swimming; it's simultaneously an individual sport and a team sport so every race is critical and it came down to that.”

    Coming into the meet with a core of seven talented swimmers, strategy became a key factor in the team’s ultimate success in the three relays. Campolindo would finish seventh in the 200-yard medley (28 pts.), fifth in the 200-yard freestyle (32 pts.) and second in the 400-yard free style (38 pts.), accounting for 98 of the team’s 149 points. Archbishop Mitty, who would finish second to Campolindo would have a first and seventh place in the relays and scored no points in their third relay, only totaling 68 points in the relays.

    “There is a strategy,” Heidary said. “You look at the whole meet and your roster and how you can maximize the kids’ talents and strengths in all three relays and that’s why we had that depth, that strength in numbers. In the end, you make the best decision and tell the kids that you’ve got to go fast.”

    Utilizing that depth, Heidary did not have anyone swim more than two of the relays – Stella Canoles and Charlotte Smith (200 and 400 free), Emma Sloan and Elise Gratton (200 medley and 400 free), Lucy Kao (200 free and medley). Chloe Cooper (200 medley) and Ruth Andrews (200 free).

    So where did the 0.14 seconds become so crucial? It all came down to the last race of the meet, the 400 free relay. Campolindo was down by eight points to Archbishop Mitty, knowing that they had to finish no worse than second and Mitty could not finish any better than seventh. As required, Campolindo finished in second and Mitty finished in seventh, missing sixth place by that 0.14 seconds.

    “We were on the side of the pool, just screaming and watching this, all the teams come in from third through seventh, all within 0.2 seconds of each other and when we realized how the points ended up, everyone was jumping up and down. The girls were mentally tough, and they earned it.” 

    Heidary shared how much this championship meant. “We've had a lot of great meets but this is probably the most important meet we've swam in my 32 years here. Winning the state championship is huge for the program, the community and for Northern California.” 

    Heidary has always stressed character and leadership and on this team, it was no different, calling the seniors on the roster “impeccable leaders.” 
 
    At the team banquet, Heidary singled out Elise Gratton and Lucy Kao, the two seniors at the meet. “I awarded them the inspirational award for the women’s team. We’ve seen this for 30 years when somebody lives the moral life and does everything right, it just carries over to the team and the younger kids see that and aspire to be like that.”

    The Campolindo boys team finished a very respectable seventh place with 99 points, though missing their top swimmer Ellis Culleton who was competing in a water polo match. With the relays accounting for 72 points and Gavin Cameto being on two of those relays, he also accounted for 23 points in individual events. “If we have everybody back, I think we have a shot to win with the guys next year,” Heidary said.