Swim teams come together to host successful City Meet
CONCORD, CA (August 15, 2024) — There was no question that the Otters ruled the pool at the 57th Concord City Swimming Championships which returned to its home at Concord Community Pool last month. Each nicknamed the Otters, perennial power Dana Hills won the A Division and newcomers Martinez Community finished ahead of runner-up Pleasant Hill Dolfins to become B Division champs.
“It was truly amazing to see what can happen when people come together for a common goal!” says meet coordinator Brienne Hertzfeldt.
Springwood Swim Team, which has hosted the city meet for nearly half a century, wasn’t able to field a team this year but a number of the other local summer recreation programs stepped up along with some Springwood parents such as Hertzfeldt and this edition of the meet came off beautifully, according to many reports.
The teams reached an agreement with the City of Concord to return to Concord Community Pool after the three post pandemic meets were held at Walnut Creek’s Northgate High School. Duties of running a meet for over 1000 swimmers were split up among local teams and most of the attending parents and swimmers wouldn’t have noticed anything different from past years other than long-time participants Springwood and Vista Diablo Dolphins unable to field teams this year.
Hertzfeldt pointed out Devynn Darner of Concord Rec for her assistance in making things run smoothly at the pool.
One thing that was very much business as usual was Dana Hills continuing its run as A Division champions with the Otters from Clayton Otters prevailing for the 31st time in the last 32 meets. DHST swimmers set six new meet records and had half a dozen A Division high-point award winners.
Eight-year-old Otter Charley Branich smashed three individual meet records (two of which were from 1979 and 1981) and was part of two record-setting Dana Hills 7-8 girls relays.
The Clayton 7-8 medley relay of Charley Branich, Meritt Pak, Cora White and Chooch Branich and the six and under Ygnacio Wood boys freestyle quartet of Kadon Johnson, Weston Carter, Deacon Malkovich and Noah Bright took home the meet’s top relay awards.
Both records in the newish 15-18 50-yard free event were toppled. Nico Bushnell of Dana Hills on the boys side and Kyla Joseph of Solar Sea Monsters posted new record times.
Forest Park secured the coveted sportsmanship award.
In B Division, high-point awards for girls went to Isla Agostino (6 & under) and Naia Olavides (13-14) of Solar, Holly Bartlett (7-8) Ygnacio Wood, Bella Valero (9-10) and Izzy Ragland (15-18) Forest Park, Avery Boughton (15-18) Gehringer Park and Martinez Community’s Aria Ardelean and Paige Russey (11-12) and Addie Purewal (15-18).
For B division boys high pointers included Chase Quizon (6 & under) of Dana Hills, Mateo Pacheco (7-8) Walnut Country, Matthew Zandonella (9-10) Gehringer Park, Pleasant Hill Dolfins Oliver Morford (11-12) and Orin Budgin (13-14), and Ygnacio Wood swimmers Bryce Galicz (6 & under), Will Boone (13-14) and Joseph Mucha (15-18).
Dana Hills dominated girl A high points with Isla Hollis (6 & under), Charley Branich (7-8), Sadie Junier (9-10) and Cole Branich (11-12). Forest Park’s Alexis Steffensen (13-14) and Solar’s Joseph (15-18) taking their age groups. Ygnacio Wood boys Noah Bright (6 & under), Andrew Kosich (7-8) and Caleb Christy (13-14) won high point in A Division along with Dana Hills’ Preston Forney (9-10) and Bushnell (15-18) and Oakhurst’s Rob Griffith (11-12) who also scored highest point totals in their age groups.
Team Scores
A Division: Dana Hills Otters 1134 points, Ygnacio Wood Seahorses 644, Martinez Community Otters 461, Forest Park Flyers 388.5, Gehringer Park Gators 332.5, Pleasant Hill Dolfins 330, Oakhurst Orcas 312, Walnut Country Stingrays 160, Solar Swim Sea Monsters 111.5, Bishop Estates Cudas 31.
B Division: Martinez Community 378, Pleasant Hill Dolfins 319.5, Gehringer Park 285, Ygnacio Wood 265, Forest Park 242, Dana Hills Otters 189 points, Bishop Estates Cudas 156.5 points, Oakhurst Orcas 143 points, Walnut Country 143, Solar Swim 89.
Corinne Jeandheur
Corinne Jeandheur is a senior at Clayton Valley Charter High School. She runs on the CVCHS cross country team in the fall as well as competing on the track and field team in the spring. She also plays the piano and bakes in her free time. Jeandheur is a member of the CVCHS Engineering and Design Academy and concluded her sophomore year with a 4.33 GPA. She is serving as co-president of the California Scholarship Federation at Clayton Valley Charter this school year and continuing her academic and community involvement in the National Honor Society. She is very pleased to be writing the monthly Athlete Spotlight for the Pioneer.