Santa Margarita’s Demers Has Record on His Mind

Most of the swimmers in the finals of the Southern Section Swimming Championships today and Saturday at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach are competing for first place. But a select few are after more than gold.

Santa Margarita junior Philippe Demers’ times have been getting closer to the Division I record in the 100-yard butterfly. It could be a matter of a turn or a start that determines whether a record falls.

Demers won the event in section finals last year in 49.90 seconds, shy of the record of 49.18 set by Santa Barbara’s Brian Alderman in 1986. However, Demers, who competed in the U.S. Olympic trials, has swam nearly as fast a time in non high school meets. Demers has posted the section’s fastest time this season with a 50.10.

Demers is top seeded after winning his heat in 49.84 Thursday.

“Of course I want to win the event,” Demers said. “But when I swim the fly, I’m going after that record.”

Although Irvine freshman Amanda Beard has not shaved or tapered for this meet and has been working hard with her swim club, she could set a record. Beard, who will be swimming the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke in the Division I finals, has her best chance for a record in the 100.

The section record is held by Santa Ana Valley senior Amber Wines, who set the 1:03.20 mark last year in the section finals. In the preliminaries on Thursday, Beard had the fastest time (1:03.22). Beard’s Olympic teammate, Kristine Quance, holds the national high school record of 1:01.79.

Bart Kizierowski of Mission Viejo will be swimming the 50 and the 100 freestyles and his best chance for a meet record is in the 100. Kizierowski will be going after former Woodbridge High standout Derya Buyukuncu’s time of 43.85. At last week’s South Coast League finals, Kizierowski, who will represent Poland in the Olympics, won the event in 45.11.

Steve Ronson of Irvine already broke former Olympian John Moffet’s Foothill Games record in the 100 breaststroke last month. But Moffet’s section record time of 55.24 is almost a second faster than Ronson’s preliminary time of 56.17. Nevertheless, the Irvine senior is shaved and tapered and he said he thinks he can do a low 55 and get the record.

“I feel really good now,” Ronson said. “My times have been pretty good and I believe I can swim that time.”

In team competition, it appears that the defending champion Mission Viejo boys will once again dominate. But in girls’ team competition, look for the powerful Irvine team to challenge defending champion Ventura Buena. In Division III, Laguna Hills will have a good chance to win the boys’ title.

Division I finals start at 7 tonight. On Saturday, Division III finals begin at noon and Division II starts at 7 p.m.