Sailor swim record is matter of timing

Rick Devereux

Timing is everything for Newport Harbor High junior Dan Furman.

The 16-year old has a packed school schedule with three AP classes

(physics, calculus and U.S. History), but is getting straight A’s.

He is training to be a Newport Beach lifeguard, spending eight

hours a day on Saturdays and Sundays in California Lifeguard Training

Officer classes.

He is a member of the Sailor’s varsity water polo team.

Oh yeah, he also broke the school record in the 50-yard freestyle

Friday at the Sea View League finals at Irvine High.

“I’m still in disbelief,” Newport Harbor Coach Jason Lynch said of

Furman’s time of 20.90 to win the league title. “That was one of the

best swims I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen a lot of incredible swims,

including [2004 gold-medal winner, world record holder and former

Sailor] Aaron Peirsol. Dan’s swim is not a CIF [Southern Section

Division I] record, but it was special.”

Furman also came in second in the 100 free (47.03) and swam the

anchor on the second-place 200 free relay (1:27.70) as well as the

400 free relay (3:14.47).

While his performance Friday earned him Daily Pilot Athlete of the

Week honors, Furman thought he found his place in the school record

books earlier in the week.

The school record is posted as 21.5 and he swam 21.42 Tuesday in

the league preliminaries. Coach Bill Barnett was informed by a former

swimmer that a Sailor in 1981 swam the 50 free in 21.3.

“He thought he had the record in the prelims, but his time in the

finals made everything moot,” Lynch said.

Furman’s 20.90 time earned him the top qualifying time for

Wednesday’s CIF Southern Section Division I preliminaries at Belmont

Plaza Olympic Pool. In fact, it was the top time of any swimmer in

any division. Of the 128 swimmers who qualified in the boys 50 free,

Furman and William Wollam (20.97) of Division IV Rubidoux qualified

under 21 seconds.

“[Before the race] I was just trying to get prepared to swim,”

Furman said. “Last year at the finals I swam [the 50 free] with no

warm ups because I arrived at the race right after an AP test. [This

year] I wanted to make sure I was able to warm up.”

Because the 50 free is an all-out sprinter -- it’s just up and

back the pool length -- a good start and a good flip turn are

essential to a good race.

“His start was good, but his turn was incredible,” Lynch said. “He

came flying off the wall. He was in first place whole time, but that

turn really propelled him. I didn’t time his race, but I think he was

faster in the second [25-yards] than he was in the first. That is

really unique and it was because of his turn.”

Furman thought he swam well, but even he was amazed at the time.

But he couldn’t dwell on the 50 too long because he had to prepare

for his next three events.

“It’s kind of hard to refocus after such a good race,” Furman

said. “But I knew the 100 was coming up. I’m happy with my time, but

I really wanted to win and get points for my team.”

Even though he said shoulders started to get sore about half-way

through the race because of the 50 free, Furman swam a personal best

in 100. But he still wanted first place.

“He means a lot to our team because he is a good leader and he

sets a good example for others,” Lynch said. “He is by far the

fastest sprinter on the team. He is a drop-dead sprinter. He is one

big twitching muscle fiber.”

With such a busy schedule, it’s no wonder Furman’s body is

constantly moving.

“I have learned a lot about time management,” he said.

That is obvious by his accomplishments in and out of the pool.