Eagles going distance with Kunert

Rick Devereux

He’s going the distance.

He’s going for speed.

While the lyrics to the Cake song were originally about a race car

driver, they can be applied to Chad Kunert of the Estancia High boys

swim team.

Kunert was a demon in distance swimming, finishing first in the

Golden West League in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races.

“No one has even touched Kunert in the distance races in [the

Golden West] League,” Coach John Carpenter said.

Kunert, a junior, should contend for first place in both events in

every meet for the Eagles this year and will be looking to improve

upon his showing at the CIF Southern Section Division III

championships at Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool when he finished 11th in

the 500 with a personal best of five minutes, 04.18 seconds.

While Kunert is known in league pools, Andrew Fassari will become

known quickly.

The junior transfer from Newport Harbor High is flirting with

automatic CIF qualifying times already in the sprints and the 100

back.

“Andrew is very strong in the freestyle sprint races,” Carpenter

said. “And we have Kunert and [junior Devon] Mellin in the distance

races.”

Mellin, like Kunert, will swim the 200 and 500 free events as well

as see time as the anchor in the relay events. Mellin is also similar

to Kunert in that both have the versatility to swim the individual

medley.

Junior John Kao will try to hold down the butterfly events but

will have to hold off freshman Jeff Crosson, who has shown promise.

Kunert could also be used in the fly on the medley team.

Kao will also swim some breaststroke events. Sophomore J.C. Kurzen

and junior Juan Rodriguez will battle Kao in the breaststroke

competitions.

Crosson is not the only freshman making waves for the Eagles.

“We have a young team,” Carpenter said. “Crosson, Scott Essen,

Chris Whiteside and Josh Young are all freshmen. That’s a lot of

freshmen swimming on varsity.”

But that translates into valuable experience down the road when

the foursome become upperclassmen.

Carpenter wants the youngsters to learn more than one stroke.

Essen is getting a look at all the strokes while Young is working on

the breast and back strokes. Whiteside is developing into a freestyle

specialist.

“Swimming is unique in that it doesn’t matter what the guy next to

you swims,” Carpenter said. “You go into every race and try to beat

your own time. That’s what makes it fulfilling.”