SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Swimming

Hilltop High's Davidson Trio: Nick, Rob and Richard

Davidsons make it a family affair at Hilltop

By Phillip Brents

CHULA VISTA, March 27, 2002 -- The Davidson Trio: Nick, Rob and Richard. They may not be the hottest new boy band but they do comprise the talent core of this year’s Hilltop High School boys swim team.

The three standout swimmers put their reputation to good use in the Lancers’ 128-8 non-league dual meet victory against Southwest March 21 at the Parkway pool in Chula Vista. Nick and Rob, who are brothers, both won two individuals events in the meet while also participating on two winning relay teams. Richard, their cousin, did not compete in the meet but provided important moral support on the deck.

New boys swim coach John Salts did not hesitate when he rightly called the Davidsons “the core of the team.”

That core should help carry the Lancers to new heights this season. The Lancers finished eighth at last year’s 10-team conference finals ahead of only Castle Park and Southwest. The lopsided win against a severely undermanned Raiders squad evened Hilltop’s dual meet record at 2-2 following a nine-point victory the previous week against Sweetwater. The Red Devils were fourth at last year’s conference finals.

Both Nick, a sophomore, and Rob, a junior, began swimming in elementary school with the former Chula Vista Aquatic Association (which merged with other local swim clubs last year to form the megapower South Bay Aquatics team). Richard, a senior, began swimming in high school.

Nick finished fifth in the 200-yard individual medley at last year’s conference finals meet as a freshman; Rob was fifth in the 100 butterfly event as a sophomore.

In the dual meet against Southwest, Nick won the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke events while Rob captured the 200 and 500 freestyle events. Both also swam legs on the Lancers’ winning 200 medley and 200 free relay teams.

Nick’s best events are the 500 freestyle and butterfly whereas Rob considers his best events to be the 200 and 500 freestyle.

Any way one adds it up, the inter-family relationship adds a little extra spice to usual competition in swim meets.

“It kind of puts a little bit of competition between us,” said Nick. “We try to beat each other when we swim the same events.”

Nick is focusing on snaring a CIF qualifying time in the butterfly. He entered the season just two-tenths of a percentage point off the consideration standard. The goal for the trio is to all make CIF times in their specialty events.

“That would be cool to send the Davidson Trio to CIF,” Nick smiled.

“It’s all in fun,” Rob said. “It’s kind of cool that we get to race each other since we’ve all known each other since we were little. But it’s not just competition between me and my brother or me and my cousin or any other combination. We’re all swimming together. It’s all for the team.”

Though Richard got into the sport only in high school, natural ability has carried him far. “I had surfed. I liked the water,” he said. “I did well my freshman year. It gave me the encouragement to keep with it.”

He also appreciates the friendly competition he receives from his cousins. “It makes it more fun. It kind of gives you some pride when you know your family is carrying the team,” Richard said.

Improvement defines the Lancer team all around, according to Salts, who served as a co-coach of the boys water polo team during the fall sports campaign and is looking to do much of the same with the Lancers during the spring sports season: Build up from a solid foundation. There are 15 swimmers on this year’s boys squad, giving Salts some depth to work with in pursuing that goal.

“My overall goal is to build up the Lancer men’s program, to bring up our numbers so we can compete with (league champion) Bonita. This year, I want them to especially fare well in league and be more consistent,” Salts said.

Supporting the Davidson Trio are sophomore Kyle Kovar, the league’s reigning Metro Diver of the Year, and collection of promising newcomers: junior sprinter Will Crumly, sophomore Marcus Argier (backstroke and breaststroke) and freshmen Cory Fix (breaststroke) and Hesam Jovah (butterfly).

Crumly has been the most pleasant surprise. He won both the 50 and 100 freestyle events in the Southwest meet, timing 27.74 and 1:10.11, respectively. Few in the conference can match his height (approaching six feet, six inches) nor his armspan.

Kovar, who also swims individual and relay events when not concentrating on diving, captured the butterfly and backstroke events in the meet against the Raiders while also putting in service on two relays along with Crumly. Ryan Raymetz finished second in the 200 freestyle.

Hilltop girls take aim on league title

The Hilltop girls team has definite aspirations of challenging for this season’s South Bay League dual title. The Lancers will get their opportunity to see if they have the right stuff on Thursday when defending league champion Mar Vista invades the Parkway Pool for a high-profile matchup between the teams. Hilltop finished runner-up to the Mariners last season in the league dual meet standings and finished third in the conference finals meet behind both Mesa League champion Bonita Vista and South Bay League champion Mar Vista.

Mar Vista won both boys and girls South Bay League swim titles last year.

Top returners for the Hilltop girls include seniors Corie Koch and Misato Hosada, junior Rosi Lopez and sophomores Ashley Sandoval and Rachel Norton. Sandoval finished fourth in the butterfly and seventh in the IM at last year’s conference finals while Koch notched a fifth-place finish in the backstroke at the Metro finals. Lopez placed in two individuals events: seventh in the 50 freestyle and eighth in the 100 freestyle. Hosada was second in the consolation breaststroke finals.

The Lancers are buttressed by freshman sprinter Julia Relph this season while junior sprinter Christine Nicolas ranks among the team’s most improved swimmers.

In the meet against Southwest, Sandoval doubled in the IM and butterfly while Relph (200 freestyle), Norton (50 freestyle), Lopez (100 freestyle), Koch (backstroke) and Hosada (breaststroke) spread around their talent in each winning an individual event. Hilltop captured all three relay events in the meet.

The lineup has potential, according to girls head coach Jennifer Street, a former CVAA standout and a member of another famous swimming brood.

“I’d like to take three relay teams to CIF and get more individual swimmers into CIF and, of course, get the South Bay League title,” she said.

Upcoming meets for Hilltop include Mar Vista (April 4 at Parkway), Marian Catholic (April 11 at Vista Terrace), Eastlake (April 18 at Parkway), Castle Park (April 25 at Parkway) and Chula Vista (May 2 at Parkway). The conference prelims are scheduled May 8 (girls) and May 9 (boys), followed by the conference diving finals May 10 and the championship swim meet May 11. Sites are to be announced, pending completion of renovation of the Loma Verde pool.

The San Diego Section post-season schedule starts off with Division I boys and girls diving finals on May 14 at Mesa College (3:30 p.m.); Division I boys and girls swim prelims on May 15 at Mt. Carmel High School (4:30 p.m.); Division II boys and girls swim prelims on May 16 at Mt. Carmel High (4:30 p.m.); Division II boys and girls diving finals on May 17 at Mesa College (3:30 p.m.), and both divisional boys and girls swim finals on May 18 at Mt. Carmel High. The Division I finals are scheduled to start at 9 a.m., followed by he Division II meet at 3 p.m.

***

Southwest was paced in the March 21 meet against Hilltop by senior Tina Rangel, who captured the 500 freestyle in 7:41.93. Rangel is coming off an all-league girls water polo season in which she earned Honorable Mention All-Metro honors.

The Raiders are also counting on another all-league water polo player, junior Jennifer Sim (Second Team), to provide leadership in the water. She will likely focus on the IM this season.

Southwest’s boys team is currently led by breaststroker Dominick Figueroa.

Metro Conference Scoreboard

Boys Swimming

Hilltop 128, Southwest 8

March 21 at Parkway Pool

Event winners

200 medley relay: Hilltop 2:10.72. 200 freestyle: Rob Davidson (H) 2:17.97. 200 IM: Nick Davidson (H) 2:18.80. 50 freestyle: Will Crumly (H) 27.74. 100 butterfly: Kyle Kovar (H) 1:19.08. 100 freestyle: Will Crumly (H) 1:10.11. 500 freestyle: Rob Davidson (H) 6:10. 200 freestyle relay: Hilltop (Rob Davidson, Kyle Kovar, Will Crumly, Nick Davidson) 1:53.0. 100 backstroke: Kyle Kovar (H) 1:16.64. 100 breaststroke: Nick Davidson (H) 1:13.01. 400 freestyle relay: Hilltop 5:17.04.

Girls Swimming

Hilltop 140, Southwest 25

March 21 at Parkway Pool

Event winners

200 medley relay: Hilltop 2:17.89. 200 freestyle: Julia Relph (H) 2:40.77. 200 IM: Ashley Sandoval (H). 50 freestyle: Rachel Norton (H) 30.40. 100 butterfly: Ashley Sandoval (1:10.27). 100 freestyle: Rosi Lopez (H) 1:05.63. 500 freestyle: Tina Rangel (Sow) 7:41.93. 200 freestyle relay: Hilltop (Christine Nicolas, Rosi Lopez, Rachel Norton, Ashley Sandoval) 2:03.62. 100 backstroke: Corie Koch (H) 1:15.58. 100 breaststroke: Misato Hosada (H) 1:23.09. 400 freestyle relay: Hilltop 4:30.91.

San Diego Section

Swim Standards

Division I Girls Standards

200 medley relay: 2:17.00 (consideration); 2:04.00 (auto). 200 free: 2:09.50 (consideration); 2:04.00 (auto). 200 IM: 2:29.00 (consideration); 2:19.00 (auto). 50 free: 27.20 (consideration); 26.00 (auto). Diving: 250.00 points (auto). 100 fly: 1:07.50 (consideration); 1:03.00 (auto). 100 free: 59.20 (consideration); 57.50 (auto). 500 free: 5:50.00 (consideration); 5:30.00 (auto). 200 free relay: 2:03.00 (consideration); 1:51.00 (auto). 100 backstroke: 1:09.00 (consideration); 1:05.00 (auto). 100 breaststroke: 1:17.50 (consideration); 1:12.00 (auto). 400 free relay: 4:25.00 (consideration); 4:00.00 (auto).

Division I Boys Standards

200 medley relay: 2:01.00 (consideration); 1:49.00 (auto). 200 free: 1:57.00 (consideration); 1:52.00 (auto). 200 IM: 2:15.00 (consideration); 2:09.00 (auto). 50 free: 24.00 (consideration); 23.00 (auto). Diving: 250.00 points (auto). 100 fly: 1:00.80 (consideration); 58.00 (auto). 100 free: 52.70 (consideration); 50.50 (auto). 500 free: 5:23.00 (consideration); 5:12.00 (auto). 200 free relay: 1:49.00 (consideration); 1:38.00 (auto). 100 backstroke: 1:02.70 (consideration); 59.00 (auto). 100 breaststroke: 1:09.50 (consideration); 1:05.00 (auto). 400 free relay: 3:54.00 (consideration); 3:34.00 (auto).

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