Boys swimming: Peirsol, Belden, Lean sparkle

Joseph Boo

NEWPORT BEACH - It takes a mighty effort to beat Irvine High’s

powerhouse swim program, and Newport Harbor’s boys swim team certainly

threw its best at the Vaqueros.

For the first time this year, the Sailors had the services of sophomores

Aaron Peirsol and Ryan Lean, both club swimmers. Those two helped Newport

to get within 26 points of visiting Irvine Wednesday in its Sea View

League opener, falling, 98-72 in a fast dual meet.

“We did really well,” Newport Coach Brian Kreutzkamp said. “I don’t think

anyone can get that close to them like we did today.”

Newport (1-1, 0-1 in league) had six automatic CIF Southern Section

Division I qualifying times, with two from Peirsol and Peter Belden.

Peirsol, a 2000 Summer Olympic hopeful, took the 200-yard individual

medley race in 1:55.33. His winning time in the 100 backstroke was a

breathtaking 50.91, one second off his school record of 49.87 that was

set in the CIF championships last year.

“This is the reason I came here,” Peirsol, who has trained with his club

team Irvine Novaquatics, said. “I knew this was going to be a fast meet.”

Belden, a junior, won the 50 freestyle sprint in 22.25. He was second in

the 200 free with a qualifying time of 49.49.

“Belden was very impressive today,” Kreutzkamp said.

Lean was victorious in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:47.15, which

was good enough for CIF consideration. He qualified in the 500 freestyle

by winning in 4:44.71.

Newport had two relay teams qualify for CIF. The 400 freestyle relay

squad of Lean, Belden, Peirsol and Ryan Gough easily beat Irvine with a

time of 3:26.36.

The Sailors’ 200 freestyle relay team of Belden, Peirsol, Joey Snelgrove

and Ryan Cook lost to the Vaqueros (1-0, 1-0) by 0.18 second, but they

qualified with a time of 1:31.39. In the anchor position, Peirsol made a

furious comeback with Newport behind by roughly five yards, but he was

short by a fingertip.

“This was a really good swim for this early in the year,” Kreutzkamp

said. “Our team sees Irvine and they know it’s a big meet, but they were

just too deep. We just have two club swimmers and the rest are just on

the high school team. But with those two in the meet, we always have a

chance.”

Lean is expected to stay with the Sailors for the rest of the season, but

Peirsol is leaving to train in Seattle. He will return for one more dual

meet later in the year to be eligible for the CIF meets. Despite his

brief time with Newport, Peirsol relishes the moment.

“It’s so much fun,” he said. “They’re not just my teammates, they’re my

school friends. It feels good to be around them.”

SEA VIEW LEAGUE

Irvine 98, Newport Harbor 72

200 medley relay - 1. Irvine 1, 1:42.27; 2. Irvine 2, 1:44.59; 3. Newport

Harbor 1, 1:49.72; 4. Newport Harbor 2, 1:52.08.

200 free - 1. Lean (NH), 1:47.15; 2. P. Kim (I), 1:49.64; 3. Peck (I),

1:56.47; 4. Cook (NH), 1:56.09; 5. Herzog (I), 1:59.36; 6. Pence (NH),

2:06.40.

200 IM - 1. Peirsol (NH), 1:55.33; 2. Natalizio (I), 1:56.26; 3. Schafer

(I), 2:08.45; 4. G. Kim (I), 2:08.53; 5. Kepner (NH), 2:12.61; 6.

Littrell (NH), 2:18.13.

50 free - 1. Belden (NH), 22.25; 2. Turi (I), 22.86; 3. Beamer (I),

23.30; 4. Snelgrove (NH), 23.34; 5. Shapiro (I), 23.73; 6. Cook (NH),

23.39.

100 fly - 1. Peck (I), 57.05; 2. Weiner (NH), 58.87; 3. Swanson (I),

59.92; 4. Bean (NH), 1:01.18; 5. Kepner (NH), 1:04.42; 6. McCoy (I),

1:04.51.

100 free - 1. Shimura (I), 48.17; 2. Belden (NH), 49.49; 3. Turi (I),

51.92; 4. Beamer (I), 52.22; 5. Thayer (NH), 52.40; 6. Hansen (NH),

52.89.

500 free - 1. Lean (NH), 4:44.71; 2. P. Kim (I), 5:07.82; 3. Patanasinth

(I), 5:13.05; 4. Gough (NH), 5:19.26; 5. Lansing (NH), 5:39.54; 6. Herzog

(I), DNF.

200 free relay - 1. Irvine, 1:31.21; 2. Newport Harbor, 1:31.39; 3.

Irvine, 1:34.17; 4. Newport Harbor, 1:35.19; 5. Irvine, 1:35.52; 6.

Newport Harbor, 1:41.01.

100 back - 1. Peirsol (NH), 50.91; 2. Shimura (I), 53.13; 3. Natalizio (I), 55.95; 4. Gough (NH), 1:03.85; 5. Stocker (I), 1:03.85; 6. Johnson

(NH), 1:07.53.

100 breast - 1. Yu (I), 1:02.06; 2. Schafer (I), 1:03.79; 3. Littrell

(NH), 1:10.00; 4. Munden (I), 1:12.17; 5. Johnson (NH), 1:13.40; 6.

McClain (NH), 1:15.03.

400 free relay - 1. Newport Harbor (Lean, Gough, Belden, Peirsol),

3:26.36; 2. Irvine, (3:32.82; 3. Newport Harbor, 3:34.61; 4. Irvine,

3:36.37; 5. Irvine, 3:40.51; 6. Newport Harbor, 3:44.72.