By Regan Hahesy

The boys and girls swim team competed in the 2012 CIF swim final this past Saturday May 19. Both the boys and girls teams won the Valley titles, bringing their totals to 14 and 16 consecutive championships.

“I’m really proud of how many girls stepped up and helped us defend a valley streak of 16 years. All our hard work paid off,” senior Ashley Merz said.

The CW boys swim team has won 16 consecutive California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) titles and the girls team has won 14 consecutive CIF titles. The dynasty, previously coached by Steve Baxter, was handed off to Kastner Intermediate School head coach Adam Reid after Baxter stepped down from his position to coach at the intermediate school.

“It was very different and strange not having Coach Baxter on the pool deck everyday but Coach Reid put in countless hours of work to step up to the task,” senior Gabriel Jones said, “The aquatics program is in good hands for years to come.”

The boys swim team won with a record 499 points to beat second place Buchanan by 201 points. The girls had a little bit closer meet, winning by 51.5 points over the tied Clovis High and Sanger High Schools.

Along with their valley titles a handful of the CW swimmers achieved individual records. Sophomore Justin Wright earned automatic All-American for his 100 butterfly time. Sophomore Mary Brooks set a freshman-sophomore record for her 50 freestyle time. Senior Matt Bilello made automatic All-American in his 200 freestyle and swam one of the top 20 times in the nation.

The 4 x 50 freestyle relay including Ivancovich, senior Tommy Allen, senior Eiljah Barrows and Bilello swam an automatic All-American time. The final race of the meet, the 4 x 100 freestyle relay, swam by Ivancovich, Allen, Wright and Bilello not only made another automatic All-Americantime, but the relay team also set a new Central Section CIF record for the event.