Boys swim wins eight races in loss to Sultans
By Joe Naiman
Ramona High School’s boys swim team won eight of 11 events, March 7, in the Bulldogs’ season opener at Santana High School while the Sultans took the 86-82 victory.
In a high school swim meet a school can enter up to three swimmers in each of the eight individual events and up to two squads in each of the relay events. In an individual event a school receives 6 points for first place, 4 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth, and 1 for fifth. The first-place relay team earns 8 points for the school with 4 points being awarded for second place and 2 points for third.
All three of Santana’s swimmers finished ahead of the first Bulldog across the finish line in the 50-yard freestyle while both of Santana’s 200-yard freestyle relay teams had faster times than Ramona’s top quartet.
Because an individual swimmer is limited to two individual events and two relay events in a meet, at least 12 swimmers are needed to maximize opportunities for points. Coach Jolyn Yanez has 17 boys in her program, but she only considers nine of them to be true varsity swimmers. She opted not to contest a junior varsity meet against Santana.
“I just moved them all up to varsity,” she said. “That was asking a pretty tall order this time of the season.”
Despite the showing in the 200-yard freestyle, Ramona won the other two relay races. Backstroke swimmer Garrett Glaudini, breaststroker Cory Davison, butterfly representative Brandon Powell, and freestyle anchor Isaac Gross had a time of 1:49.54 in the 200-yard medley relay. The 400-yard freestyle team of Powell, Gross, Davison, and Glaudini posted a time of 3:39.52.
Powell, Glaudini, and Davison also won two individual races apiece. Powell had times of 1:56.42 in the 200-yard freestyle and 56.58 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly. Glaudini’s winning times were 2:06.32 in the 200-yard individual medley and 4:50.75 in the 500-yard freestyle. Davison posted winning times of 54.26 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle and 1:11.97 in the 100-yard breaststroke.
“I was particularly proud of the varsity boys,” Yanez said.
The Bulldogs have a tri-meet Thursday, March 14, against Grossmont and Scripps Ranch at Grossmont’s pool. Ramona’s first home meet will be March 19 against Mission Hills.