By Pete Borello

CCS Swimming Championships

Powered by stellar efforts from Adam Peterson and Steve Lipinski, the St. Francis High boys finished third at last Saturday’s Central Coast Section swimming and diving championships.

St. Francis scored 217 points to finish behind league rival Bellarmine (298) and Palo Alto (262) at the Santa Clara International Swim Center.

“We had a fantastic CCS outing,” Lancers coach Terry O’Donnell said. “We had some absolutely great performances.”

It all started with Peterson, who competed in the diving portion of the meet three days earlier. He claimed a record-setting third straight title in the 1-meter event, scoring a 538.40 to beat the runner-up by 105 points.

Stanford University-bound Peterson has lost only one competition in his high school career: as a freshman he placed second at the CCS meet.

Lipinski won the 100-meter freestyle (46.28 seconds) and was second in the 50 free (21.15). The Lancers also got vital points from third-place finishers Michael Dellamono in the 100 butterfly (52.49) and Matt Bisordi in diving (416.85).

Other locals to place included Los Altos’ Geoff Patterson (21.65 in 50 free) and Mountain View’s Mike Tkalevic (1:02.75 in 100 breast stroke), who both finished eighth.

On the girls’ side, defending champ Homestead finished third (195), Mountain View fifth (135) and St. Francis sixth (118).

Homestead won three events, two by Heidi Schmidt. The senior prevailed in the 200 individual medley (2:03.67) and 100 breast (1:02.85). Teammate Lindsay Loeffler claimed the 200 free (1:52.17).

Mountain View got a pair of wins from freshman phenom Brook Bishop, who was first in the 100 fly (56.17) and 100 backstroke (56.50). Teammate Kelly Blakemore was fourth in the 100 back (58.98) and seventh in the 100 fly (59.91).

Kelly Sanders was fifth in the 100 back (59.48) for St. Francis.