Hamlet Nalbandyan
o7 GLENDALE -- It's hard to forget Pete Loporchio and the rest of the
Crescenta Valley High boys' swimming team taking the traditional
post-meet plunge into the pool at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach after
winning the CIF Southern Section Division II crown.
Or Hoover High's Anita Siraki running her way to Sacramento in the
State meet in track and field. How about the Glendale High boys' track
and field team beating Muir High and ending its consecutive winning
streak of 169 dual-meets? Or Bridget Pearson setting a CIF record in the
girls' pole vault.
And yes, Jordan Olson pitched his heart out, trying to lead CV to a
second consecutive CIF title in baseball.
f7 The 1999 spring athletic season had many highlights for our o7
local athletes and teams.
Here is a sport-by-sport review:f7
SWIMMING
The CV boys' team won its second consecutive CIF Southern Section
Division II title with 272.5 points at Belmont Plaza. The Falcons
defeated Hart High for the second straight year as the Indians finished
with 223 points.
Kenny Carpenter was the biggest name on the Falcon team but the guy
who made big waves at the CIF finals was Travis Taylor.
Taylor, who was a junior, broke a 19-year-old school record in the
500-yard freestyle by winning the event in 4 minutes 31.64 seconds, good
enough for an All-American automatic standard.
Taylor also made All-American consideration in the 200 freestyle by
placing second with 1:42.38. Carpenter placed first at 1:40.1.
However, Carpenter, who holds the CIF Division II record in the 100
butterfly at 49.47, was defeated by Tustin's Michael Calvic, who won in
49.61 as opposed to Carpenter's 49.77.
Another Falcon who made a name for himself was James Jenkins. The
then-sophomore came in second in the 50 freestyle with a personal-best
20.79. Jenkins also placed third in the 100 freestyle in 46.06.
But the CV boys' team, which also won its seventh consecutive Pacific
League title, wasn't the only local squad to have a memorable spring. The
Glendale High boys' team had two guys make it to the CIF Division II
consolations and finished in 19th place overall with 37 points.
Tad Nakatani gave a gutsy performance, participating in three of four
events the Nitros were enlisted in. The senior finished third in the
consolation 100 breaststroke in 1:02.02 and also swam in the 200 and 400
freestyle relays.
Mike Do was the other Nitro individual and he won the consolation 100
butterfly in 53.63.
In girls' swimming, the CV team led the way, finishing eighth the CIF
