Breaststroke

The way Christian Lawrence saw it, there weren't going to be any errors. A year after the La Cañada High boys' swim team had its CIF Southern Section Division II championship stripped for using an ineligible swimmer, Lawrence made sure the Spartans would take care of business in 2006. The Spartans did so in fine form, culminating with the program's first CIF crown on May 13 at Long Beach's Belmont Plaza pool. Lawrence played a large role in helping La Cañada reach its apex with a division-record 329 points.

CRESCENTA VALLEY COACH: Jan Sakonju, fourth year. LEAGUE: Pacific. LAST SEASON: 14-0, 10-0 league champion. Tied for 28th out of 42 teams at CIF Southern Section Division I final. SWIMMERS TO WATCH: Gaku Ito, junior, breaststroke/ freestyle; Jin Jung, freshman, butterfly/individual medley; Chris Kang, sophomore, distance freestyle; Peter Lee, senior, breaststroke/butterfly; James Martin, sophomore, breaststroke; Seong-Jin Moon, backstroke/sprint freestyle; Scott Ruygrok, senior, sprint freestyle; Chris Sherman, junior, sprint freestyle.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan After Thursday's opening day of the 12th annual Janet Evans Invitational at USC's McDonald's Swim Stadium, no area swimmer had qualified for an individual championship heat. With a field that consisted of Olympic medalists, CIF titlists and plenty of other awesome athletes, most of the area swimmers had a difficult time cracking the top-24 cut needed to qualify for a championship heat in the evening. But on Friday, Crescenta Valley High senior James Martin, representing California Aquatics, finished 15th in the 200-meter backstroke in 2 minutes 9.85 seconds to become the first local to qualify for a final.

The CCY Dragon Swim Team delivered another stellar performance at the 2004 Southern California Junior Olympic Long Course Swimming Championships, held Aug. 4 through 8 at the Janet Evans Swim Complex in Fullerton. Competing against 967 of Southern California's best young swimmers from 47 swim clubs, Coach Sean Kang's boys and girls came away with many honors as well as great portends for the future. Twenty-three members of the Dragon Swim Team had times fast enough to qualify for individual or relay events during the five-day meet, including Ashley Min, Ashley Kang, Tricia Dobson, Christine Ku, Rachel Ku, Minah Kim, Yumi So, Emily Thai, Nam Hee Kim, Chungah Rhee, Leah Park, Patti Navarro, Alex Park, Chris Park, Jason Kim, Jin Kim, Willie Han, Seth Biagini, Harrison Thai, Chris Kang, Bryan Tsai, Timothy Chong and Ho Jean Yoon.

The CCY Dragon boys and girls lived up to expectations at the 20th annual Dragon Invitational Meet, held Nov. 3/4 at the Commerce Aquatorium. Jason Kim swam for two YMCA National qualifying times in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, setting new meet records along the way and going for gold in the 50 and 200 freestyles, 100 and 200 backstrokes, and 200 individual medleys. Nam Hee Kim, won all of her events in the girls' 15 and older division (100 and 500 freestyles, 100 backstroke, 200 individual medley )

The CCY Dragon Swim Team began the 2005 Long Course season with an excellent showing at the Pacific Section ABC "Spring Fling" Long Course Meet held at the AAF Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena on April 16-17. Competing against 29 area club teams, the Dragons went home with sixth place overall and many medals and ribbons for individual swimmers. Fifteen-year-old Nam Hee Kim had an outstanding meet, winning all of her events with many personal best times. Yumi So, 14, and Jason Kim, 12, also took home all gold and one silver each in their events.

Charles Rich Unlike most teenagers, don't expect to find Katie Kime making a beeline to a fast-food restaurant. Hamburgers, hot dogs and onion rings are out, and have been replaced by chicken and rice. Now there's a high degree of will power for a 13-year-old. "No junk food," Kime said. "I have to eat high-protein foods. I have to watch what I eat." That's a valid explanation offered by Kime, who will compete Wednesday and Thursday in the 2003 ConocoPhillips Spring National Championship in Indianapolis.

GLENDALE — The 2010 Speedo Junior National Swimming Championships are in the books, and so are some highlight performances from Young Tae Seo and Andrea Kropp. And, while the recent Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy graduate Kropp faded a bit in the final days of the meet from her monumental start, Seo, who is coming off a stellar freshman season at Crescenta Valley High, seemed to peak on Friday. Seo, representing Swim Pasadena, capped off the five-day meet at William Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine with his best finish of the week, placing fourth in the championship-final heat of the 200-meter individual medley in 2 minutes 06.04 seconds.

Erik Boal Maryann Boosalis has already won two CIF Southern Section Division II titles in the 100-yard breaststroke, in addition to owning the division record of 1 minute 4 seconds. And in the past eight months, the La Canada High junior has worked out at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, in addition to competing in national-level meets in Florida, Maryland, Texas and Washington. But when the 17-year-old says the next few months are "the biggest period of my swimming career," you can bet she's more motivated than ever to succeed.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan Two CIF Southern Section Division II 100-yard breaststroke titles, 14 Rio Hondo Leagues championships and one unforgettable career. La Canada High girls' swimmer Maryann Boosalis capped a decorated career Saturday at the division final at the Belmont Plaza Pool with a third-place finish in the breaststroke, a seventh-place showing in the 400 freestyle relay and a 10th-place effort in the 200 medley relay. "I'm going to miss this," said Boosalis, who will swim this fall for the University of Washington.