Gabert earns Masters

LONG BEACH ? Recapturing the Pacific Coast League title? Not a problem. Taking back the CIF Southern Section Division II crown? Done.

All that was left for members of the Corona del Mar High girls’ swim team was to muster up whatever energy they had left, swim the fastest times their tired bodies would allow and see how they compared with all of the best swimmers in every division the CIF Southern Section had to offer.

To that end, the Corona del Mar girls more than held their own at the inaugural CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Belmont Plaza.

Leading the charge was junior phenom Stephanie Gabert, who took home the only first-place finish for the Sea Kings. Gabert became the section master in the 100-yard breaststroke by taking first place with a time of 1 minute, 4.08 seconds, edging Corona Santiago senior Courtney Kilkuts, who finished second at 1:04.33.

More than 75 yards into the race, Gabert was in second place behind Kilkuts, but overtook her in the last 15 yards. Gabert swam a first-place time of 1:04.73 in the preliminaries Tuesday morning to advance to the finals.

The junior also took second place in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:04.34 to finish behind Kilkuts (2:02.76). Gabert was third in the prelims at 2:05.50.

“I’m just really proud of myself and honored to be in this meet with so many great swimmers,” Gabert said.

Gabert said she felt fatigued Tuesday after competing on Friday and Saturday, but it didn’t affect her times too much. She was less than a second faster in the 100 breaststroke Tuesday than she was in the Division II finals on Saturday, but almost a second slower in the 200 IM than she was Saturday.

“It’s exciting; I just wish it was a week later,” Gabert said. “A lot of girls were saying that. I had energy, but I did feel a little tired. It didn’t bother me during the races, though.”

“She’s a true champion,” Corona del Mar Coach Doug Volding said.

Other girls finishing their season with strong individual performances included Corona del Mar senior Lexie Shue, who had a fourth-place time in the 500 freestyle of 4:59.14 and a 14th-place time of 1:55.82 in the 200 freestyle; Sea Kings senior Ashley Chandler, who won the consolation heat of the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.57, good for ninth place overall; and Estancia sophomore Shea Kopp, who took 14th place in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:00.23, just missing the minute barrier she broke in the Division III finals.

Corona del Mar also had a strong showing in two relays. Tumua Anae, Shue, Chandler and Gabert took second in the 200 freestyle relay. Chandler, Shue, Gabert and Sarah Furgatch were third in the 400 freestyle relay.

“I will miss the seniors, this is a great group,” said Volding. “They don’t come along like this everyday.”

Corona del Mar sophomore Yutaro Yamashita was the only Newport-Mesa product to compete in the boys’ finals. Yamashita took third place in the consolation final of the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:44.14, good for 11th place overall.

Newport Harbor’s Daniel Furman qualified for the finals in the 50 freestyle with a seventh-place finish of 21.67 in the preliminaries, but didn’t show up for the evening session and was replaced by an alternate.