Once again down early, 1-0, the Tologs once again showed their ability to shift momentum in their favor and keep it there, as they prevailed in a physical standoff to become only the second area team to win a regional title after St. Francis accomplished the feat in 2009.
"Our biggest accomplishment was both the team and personal growth over the course of the season," said Pace, whose team received nine all-league nods and had three ESPN all-state selections. "Each and every kid on that field put personal agendas aside toward the betterment of the team.
"It takes a while, but toward the end of the year we were clearly 18 hearts beating as one and that was the difference."
2 Crescenta Valley boys' swimming — Even as they finished a respectable seventh in the Division II finals to close the 2009 season, the Falcons were still a few key pieces away from being able to seriously contend for a CIF title.
This season, highly-touted freshmen Young Tae Seo and Harrison Thai joined a strong returning core that included standouts Chris Veselich, Josh Chi and Andrew De Jong and the result was a dominant run to the squad's 18th straight Pacific League title and a remarkable runner-up finish in Division II at the CIF finals at Belmont Plaza pool on May 15.
"This is an almost perfect ending," Veselich said after the Falcons had totaled 191 points a the CIF finals to come in second to Oaks Christian.
Between Seo's eye-popping individual successes, including a CIF title in the 200-yard individual medley, big points from Thai (second in 100 breaststroke), and three top-five relay finishes, including second in the 200-medley relay for Seo, Thai, Veselich and Jason Kim, it was an all-around team effort for Crescenta Valley at the CIF finals.
