Prep Swimming: Broncos’ Huynh sprints to top times in prelims
There’s a different feeling for Rancho Bernardo junior Tin Huynh at the San Diego Section Division I swim championships this year.
Beyond entering the ranks of upperclassmen, Huynh returns as a defending champion in the boys 50-yard freestyle.
“It just gives me confidence,” said Huynh, who earned his first section medal with last year’s victory. “Now I know how things go. Before, I was getting used to it. I’m really going after it.”
Huynh led qualifying in the 50 free (21.52) and 100 free (47.03) in the prelims during intermittent rain at Granite Hills High on Thursday. The finals are slated at 3 p.m. Saturday at the same site.
Though shorter than the typical sprinter, the 5-foot-7 Huynh found his niche in those events before high school. In turn, he acknowledges the events match his personality.
“Get ahead and stay ahead,” said Huynh, describing his approach. “I’m a sprinter. It’s my thing. It’s at the point that when I don’t do sprints, it’d kind of weird.”
Fallbrook senior Bobby Guerra set his aim on again winning double titles, albeit different from the 100 free and 100 back last year. This time, in a return to his sophomore races, he qualified first in the 200 free (1:41.40) and 500 free (4:38.63).
In the girls meet, Patrick Henry senior Amanda Sumrow led qualifying in the 200 individual medley (2:07.54) in her bid for a repeat title. Also, she ranked third in the 100 butterfly (58.64) in qualifying led by defending champion Jordan Payne (56.88), a junior from El Camino.
“Last year, I worked more on the breaststroke, and this year, more backstroke, just to improve on each,” said Sumrow, looking to better last year’s winning time in the 200 IM (2:05.57). “I’m pretty happy so far. With the butterfly, we’ll see how it goes.”
San Marcos junior Lindsay Ladman led qualifying in the 500 free (5:02.61) in seeking a repeat title and also in the 200 free (1:54.01). Set to challenge is Carlsbad freshman Kalie Novosedliak, second in the 500 free (5:06.62) and third in the 200 free (1:55.12).
Defending champion Julie Parsons, a sophomore from Otay Ranch, qualified second in the 100 back (58.69) behind Rancho Bernardo junior Samantha Morris (58.59).