Foothill’s swim team had a “blast” at the CIF Swim Championships in Riverside last Wednesday and Friday, where “meet records [and] close swims,” were trending. Overall, the girls team of five placed fourth with 197 points, and the boys team of six placed 15th with 69 points.
The girls team consisted of juniors Lezly Plahn and Meagan McKillican, sophomores Josie Thorp, Lily Armstrong, and freshman Caitlin Potter, who participated in the 200 Individual Medley, 500 and 50 Freestyle, 200 Free Relay, 100 Backstroke and 400 Relay respectively.
Plahn finished the 50 Freestyle with a time of 24.35, which was a State Meet consideration time and also placed second in the 100 Freestyle with a time of 53.44. Armstrong also swam well in the 100 Freestyle, placing sixth with a time of 56.21.
Thorp and Potter both gained two championship finals spots. Potter swam the 100 Backstroke, with a time of 1:03.39 and placing eighth. The girls’ 400 Freestyle Relay team with Thorp, Armstrong, and Plahn, achieved third place in the Championship Final with a time of 3:45.04.
Thorp also got a spot in the girls 400 Relay along with the 500 Freestyle where she placed seventh with a time of 5:39.12.
The boys team consisted of senior Mitch Caldwell, juniors Kevin Waechter, Evan Somma, Parker Harris, Josh Modglin, and sophomore Alex Abele. Respectively, they participated in the 200 medley relay, 200 individual medley, 50 Freestyle, and the 100 Backstroke.
Waechter placed 18th in the consolation final of the 50 Freestyle, along with Modglin who placed third in the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 2:01.37. Modglin also placed second in the championship final of the 100 Backstroke with a time of 53.58.
And last but not least, Modglin, Somma, Caldwell and Waechter finished eighth in the championship final of the boys 200 Medley Relay.
Coach Jason York felt the team did well, which was what he expected of them.
“Making a Championship Final is a big deal and requires very fast swimming,” he said. “The team did exactly that, they squeezed into the Championship Final with a [ninth] place finish, and in finals they improved nearly two seconds and moved up to [eighth] place!”
