Southern Section Swimming : Dana Torres Breaks Another National Record

Olympic Games gold medal-winner Dana Torres closed out her high school career in brilliant fashion, winning two events and setting one record during the Southern Section 2-A swimming championships at East Los Angeles College Saturday afternoon.

On Thursday, in a qualifying heat, Torres, a senior at Westlake, broke Jill Sterkel’s national record of 22.91 in the 50-yard freestyle with a stunning time of 22.69.

Saturday, she couldn’t top that mark, but won the event in 22.71, beating her sister, Lara, a junior who was second in 24.21.

Then, attempting to set a national record in the 100-yard freestyle, Torres won in 50.01. However, the record is 49.77, set by Sterkel in 1979, when she competed for Hacienda Heights Wilson.

But Torres wasn’t through yet. In the 400-yard freestyle relay, the meet’s final event, she got the record by swimming the leadoff leg in 49.76.

“I wanted both marks,” Torres said. “It was a goal I set at the beginning of the year. So this is great. I’m really excited.”

Westlake finished second in the team competition with 84 points, outdistanced by a solid South Hills team, which compiled 94.

In the boys’ competition, Jeff Tend of Gahr won two individual events and a relay to lead the Gladiators to a second-place finish behind San Luis Obispo. SLO, which won the title in 1982, filled out a full house for Coach Rick Ernstrom, whose team finished second in 1981, 1983 and 1984.

The meet was one of mixed emotions for Harvard Coach Walt Stewart, who is retiring after 34 seasons. However, his swan song will be a worthwhile memory since his 400-yard freestyle relay team of Vince Herron, Mark McDevitt, Marc Willick and Fred Brende won in a time of 3:16.89.

In the boys’ 3-A division, El Dorado, which finished second last year, edged defending champion Loyola, 143 1/2-140 1/2. Loyola senior Rob Graner, who is headed for UCLA, and Sonora’s Darren Ward each won three events. Ward also set two division records in leading Sonora to a third-place finish.

In the girls’ 3-A competition, Sunny Hills, led by junior Kim Rosso, won its first Southern Section swimming title, and Long Beach Wilson finished second. Wilson sophomore Katie Rowe won three events, while Rosso won two.