Girls swim: Geehr, Mackey double for Sailors

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Just to show its talent, Newport Harbor High’s

girls swim team broke a Sea View League record in the 400-yard free

relay, yet it wasn’t the Sailors’ best time of the season.

Newport Harbor Coach Ken Lamont, whose squad is considered one of the

best in Orange County, said there were no miracles Friday in the Sea View

League Finals at Newport Harbor and the results turned out as expected.

But, with eight girls already qualified for CIF Southern Section Division

I competition next week, and with six Sea View League championships (five

individual) captured in Friday’s meet, the Sailors have plenty to

celebrate.

“We had four girls qualify for CIF last year, and only one individual

(Amy Murphy),” said Lamont, whose team finished third behind Irvine and

Laguna Hills in the league finals.

Freshman sensation Nicole Mackey and sophomore standout Carly Geehr won

two league championships each for the Sailors, while freshman distance

star Hayley Peirsol won Newport Harbor’s fifth individual title in the

500 freestyle.

And, for good measure, the Sailors touched first in the 400 free relay

with Murphy, a senior, Peirsol, Geehr and anchor Mackey, whose 52.2 split

allowed Newport Harbor to clock a Sea View League-record time in 3:36.01.

It was not, however, the relay’s best time of the season, which was set a

month ago in 3:35.60. Lamont said the relay “probably is” one of the CIF

Division I favorites next week in the section preliminaries at Belmont

Plaza Olympic Pool in Long Beach.

Murphy went 55.5, Peirsol 55.8 and Geehr 52.4 as Newport Harbor built a

convincing lead over Irvine in the meet’s final event for girls.

Geehr, who broke the league record in the 200 freestyle at the prelims

Tuesday (1:52.20), shattered it again in the finals, going 1:50.76 in

automatic All-American time.

“It’s not my (personal record), but I’m still very pleased,” said Geehr,

who added a league title in the 100 backstroke (58.41), an off event.

“I was surprised,” Geehr said of her finish in the 100 back, a lifetime

best. “It’s a great race, but I was really nervous. I had a good first 50

yards, but I was barely able to hold on.”

Peirsol won the league title in the 500 free (5:02.68), an All-American

consideration clocking, and Mackey was first in the 200 individual medley

(2:05.20) and 100 butterfly (57.11), both All-American consideration

times.

“In the 200 IM, I felt pretty good. I got to swim all the strokes,,” said

Mackey, who is planning to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials in August

in several events, including the 100 and 200 fly -- her best stroke.

“We got really lucky this year, getting Carly as a transfer (from

Mayfield High in Pasadena) and Nicole (from Ensign),” Lamont said.

Also in the 200 IM, Peirsol was third in 2:11.59 and Newport Harbor

freshman Jenna Murphy was fifth in 2:16.87. Murphy was also seventh in

the 100 back (1:04.95).

Newport freshman Paige Lansing was eighth in the 100 fly (1:05.52) and

seventh in the 500 free (5:44.84), while Sailor freshman Peggy Beebe was

eighth in the 500 free (5:48.51).

Amy Murphy was third in the 100 free (54.57) and fourth in the 200 free

(1:57.83), and Newport’s Mia Tajima was sixth (2:05.42) in the 200 free.

Irvine’s Sarah Hamilton edged Newport junior Jennifer Arrow (1:08.10) in

the 100 breaststroke, but Arrow still swam an All-American consideration

time.

In the 200 medley relay, Newport was second behind Irvine with Geehr,

Arrow, Mackey and Amy Murphy (1:50.7), and the Sailors’ 200 free relay of

Annie Wight, Amy Murphy, Erin Ball and Peirsol was third in 1:46.62, a

CIF qualifying mark.