ST. HELENA >> Allowed to compete as a single team for the Coastal Mountain Conference Swimming Championships on Saturday at St. Helena, the Clear Lake/Kelseyville squad made its presence felt and then some.
Not only did 11 members of the team earn All-Conference recognition, but the girls finished second in the team standings and the boys fourth. Top-six finishers in each event are accorded All-CMC status while the top three receive medals.
“I told my swimmers to shoot for top 12 with the ultimate goal being to make top six,” Clear Lake/Kelseyville coach Agustin Merodio said. “The top six swimmers in each event earn the right to claim All-League distinction. The top three will receive medals. In this sport, the All-League athletes earn the title, it is not based on the coach’s opinion.” Merodio said. “I am so proud of this team. They earned a total of 26 medals. We have never done this well at the championship level. They practiced hard and it paid off. This is a young team, so I am excited to see what will happen next year.”
Earning All-Conference status were Kaylie Williams, Liz Fricker, Lauren Rudnick, Nikki Hanson, Amelia Tejeda, Paige LaVrar, Shannon Fronsman among the Clear Lake/Kelseyville girls and Tim Peterson, Max Madrzyk, Diego Tejeda and Owen Lawler among the boys.
Rudnick topped the field with two first-place medals, winning the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 butterfly. A pair of second-place medals went to Nikki Hanson in the 200 and 500 freestyle events. Other individual medal winners were Diego Tejeda, second in the 200 freestyle, and Liz Fricker, third in the 100 freestyle
The remainder of the team’s medals came in the relay events.
“These relay teams have been working hard all season so that they can get to this one meet where they get one shot at a medal. They exceeded expectations, beating relay teams from schools that are bigger and more experienced,” Merodio said.
Earning second-place medals in the 200 girls’ freestyle relay were Williams, Rudnick, Hanson and Fricker. Another group of second-place medals went to the 400 girls’ freestyle relay team of LaVrar, Fricker, Rudnick and Hallie Holmes.
Taking home third-place medals in the 200 girls’ individual medley relay were Hanson, Fronsman, Tejeda and Williams.
The boys’ 200 freestyle relay team of Peterson, Madrzyk, Lawler and Tejeda won third-place medals while the boys’ 400 freestyle relay team of Madrzyk, Lawler, Tejeda and Alberto Sturr also earned third-place medals.
The Clear Lake/Kelseyville team is holding a Mother’s Day pancake breakfast fundraiser on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Kelseyville Lions Club. Every mother will receive a carnation.
