FORT BRAGG >> With a record turnout of 26, including 19 girls, the combined Clear Lake/Kelseyville high school swimming squad made a splash of sorts during its season-opening meet on Thursday in Fort Bragg where team members combined for 10 individual first-place finishes and four relay victories.
“We have never had this many swimmers on the team,” head coach Agustin Merodio said. “We have a lot of high-end talent mixed with some new swimmers who are learning their strokes quickly.”
Girls
For the Clear Lake/Kelseyville girls, Lauren Rudnick of Kelseyville set personal-best times while winning both the 500-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke. Emma Larson, a freshman at Kelseyville, won the 200 individual medley
In relay competition, wins went to the 200 freestyle team of Mikayla Parrott, Rainey Vanoven, Shannon Fronsman and Catherine Braider, and to the 400 freestyle team of Rudnick, Braider, Kaylie Williams and Nikki Hanson.
Boys
Merodio calls his seven-strong boys’ team “small but mighty.” In its first effort of the 2016 season, the Clear Lake/Kelseyville swim team won every race but one. Double-event winners included new team members, freshmen Charlie Adams of Clear Lake and Nick Dobusch of Kelseyville.
“Both of these young men bring years of swim experience to the table and have added depth to our team,” Merodio said.
Adams won the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle while Dobusch’s firsts came in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke.
Another double-event winner was Kelseyville sophomore Max Madrzyk. He won the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle.
Winning the 100 breaststroke was Clear Lake’s Diego Tejeda.
In relay action, Dobusch, Adams, Tejeda and Madrzyk not only won the 200 medley but broke the team record set back in 2006. Dobusch, Madrzyk, Adams and Owen Lawler added another first in the 200 freestyle.
The team practices at Quail Run in Lakeport. A Family Bingo Night fundraiser for the swimmers takes place April 23 at the Lakeport Senior Center beginning at 5 p.m.
Clear Lake/Kelseyville returns to action Thursday in Willits at 4 p.m.
