Los Altos Town Crier » Eagles haven’t been as successful as coach Dye expected them to be

By Pete Borello

$Image from article Eagles haven\'t been as successful as coach Dye expected them to be$

This was supposed to be the year the Los Altos High swimming and diving teams made some serious waves in the SCVAL De Anza Division, with the boys challenging for the league title.

But the season has not gone nearly as well as Eagles head coach Dan Dye had anticipated. After losing at Gunn last week, the Los Altos boys sunk to 2-2 in the division and the girls fell to 1-3.

“This year is the most frustrating,” the seventh-year coach said, “because this could have been our best year.”

So, what went wrong?

Prior to the season, the boys lost two key swimmers who each chose to concentrate on other endeavors.

“It’s frustrating as a coach to see kids let you down — and the team down — by not going out,” Dye said. “With those two, we could have contended for the league.”

Then there’s the problem of getting his swimmers — both boys and girls — to fully commit to the sport.

“We have good kids who are hard workers and do their workouts, but we run into the same problem: we have water polo players trying to be swimmers,” Dye said. “Their hearts are in water polo, not swimming, and their dedication is not always in swimming. That gets frustrating on my part.”

Dye was quick to point out, however, that he does have some “very dedicated” swimmers on board, such as Chris Kelsch and brothers Kent and Kyle Healy.

All three boys have attained Central Coast Section-qualifying times in multiple individual events: junior Kent in the 100-meter butterfly, 100 freestyle and 50 free; senior Kyle in the 100 backstroke, 100 free and 50 free; and senior Kelsch in the 100 free and 200 free.

Together, they make up three-fourths of Los Altos’ CCS-qualifying 200 free and 400 free relay teams. They are joined by freshman phenom Jonathan Taylor and senior Howard Shin in the 200 and 400, respectively.

“I think they should score a lot of points (at the CCS meet),” Dye said of his relays. “I think they could possibly finish in the top three.”

Shin is also going to the CCS meet in the 200 individual medley; Taylor has additionally qualified in the 50 free. Brian Whitlock, recently back from an injury, has already reached the qualifying time in the 200 free.

Divers Doug Hansen and Jonathan Fishpaw round out the group of CCS-bound Los Altos boys, with Dye expecting both seniors to score points for the team.

The girls team doesn’t have as much depth as the boys squad, Dye conceded, but they certainly have some talented competitors.

Senior Meghan Sandlin and sophomore Courtney Beyer have each qualified for CCS in two individual events: Sandlin in the 200 free and 100 back; Beyer in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly. Both swimmers are capable of top eight finishes, according to Dye.

Tina Tkalcevic has qualified in the 500 free, and the coach expects her to also make CCS in the 100 breaststroke. Fellow senior Rita Lonhart, coming off an injury, should qualify in at least one individual event as well.

These four also combine forces in the 200 medley and 400 free relays, events in which Dye said they could finish top five at CCS.

The coach also anticipates diver Tayler Cox, a junior, to make a splash at CCS.

Before next month’s CCS final, though, Los Altos will compete in the league meet at Saratoga, starting April 30 at Saratoga High.

“On the guys’ side, it should be between us, Gunn and Palo Alto — and we’d like to at least finish second,” Dye said. “For the girls, Palo Alto is head and shoulders above everyone, then Gunn and Monta Vista. That leaves us and Homestead scraping for fourth.”

Los Altos hosts Homestead and Los Gatos at 3 p.m., Friday.

Spartans sweep Trojans

Many of the names were different but the results were the same for the host Mountain View High girls swimming and diving team, which routed Milpitas last Friday.

The Spartans, swimming without several standouts who were either ill or at the Nationals, prevailed 142-53 to improve to 4-0 in the El Camino Division.

The absences forced Mountain View to put a number of swimmers in events they were unfamiliar with, according to coach Ben Murray, but they responded with strong efforts.

The Spartans finished 1-2-3 in seven events. Winners included: Laurie Gregg in the 50 free (25.89) and 100 breast (1:13.35); Erica Lau in the 200 IM (2:24.53); Christina Contento in the 200 free (2.15.70); Ginny Tice in the 100 fly (1:03.58), Jordyn Sims in the 100 free (1:00.99); Kristine Lesyna in the 500 free (5:53.54) and Sonya Menchaves in diving (154.84).

The Mountain View boys, also shorthanded (4-0), won 121-62 by finishing first in every event but the 100 backstroke.

Double-winners included: Mike Kasper in the 100 free (50.41) and 100 breast (1:05.89); Fred Tran in the 50 free (23.14) and 100 fly (59.33) and Steven Quistad in the 200 IM (2:13.48) and 500 free (5:10.51).