RHS mermen dominate Knights

Ramona High School’s boys swim team traveled to Palomar College for an April 24 dual meet with San Marcos and returned with a 120-52 victory over the Knights.

“I was very happy with the meet,” said Coach Frank Yturralde.

Ramona won 10 of the 11 events with San Marcos prevailing only in the 100-yard freestyle. In two of the individual events the Bulldogs swept the top three places.

Stephen Donellan won both the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle races. Donellan’s time of 5:30.7 in the 500-yard race bettered his previous personal record by nine seconds, and he had a time of 2:01.53 in the 200-yard event.

James Oneto also won two individual races, posting a time of 2:16.11 in the 200-yard individual medley and 1:10.49 in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Ramona took the top three positions in the 200-yard individual medley and also had the top three finishes in the 100-yard backstroke won by Alan Williams with a time of 1:01.35. Collin Torsak set a personal record by winning the 50-yard freestyle in 23.23 seconds, and Albert Valentin had a time of 58.98 seconds to take first in the 100-yard butterfly.

Williams, Oneto, Valentin, and Torsak won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:52.91. Williams, Mike Jones, Valentin, and Torsak took first in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:39.56. The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Jones, Daniel Thorngren, Valentin, and Kari Gonter had a winning time of 3:40.89.

The win gives Ramona an overall record of 4-2-1 in dual meets, including a 3-1 Valley League record.

The Bulldogs returned to Palomar College the next day for the Ironman Relays.

“It was my first Ironman Relay, so it was an experience,” said Yturralde. “For the most part I thought it went well.”

Ramona placed third among the 16 schools in the two-man relay class.

“I was very proud, very pleased,” Yturralde said.

Ramona was also fifth in the co-ed division.

“It was just a really good meet,” Yturralde said.

The Bulldogs host Westview tomorrow and Valley Center on Tuesday.