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Woodbridge’s Unified swimmers set pace with new inclusion events at CIF-SS championships

May 1, 2024

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IRVINE — Coach Marcus Natividad’s eyes sparkle with excitement as he scans his neatly printed practice schedule, which includes a picture of him wearing sunglasses and a whistle.

The 2023 graduate of Woodbridge High helps guide his alma mater’s Unified Sports swimming team, the same program that he left his mark on as a competitor.

Natividad was the swimmer who went from covering the 50-yard freestyle in about 2 minutes — holding the lane line on a few stops along the way — to completing the event without a break in about 40 seconds at league finals last season.

Known as “Coach Marcus on the pool deck, he understands the heart of his athletes from the school’s Extensive Support Needs (ESN) program. The desire burns in him, too.

“He’s an awesome success story,” Woodbridge coach James Hickson said before a recent practice.

And so is the rise of the paralympic, or inclusion events, at the CIF Southern Section swimming championships, which are being held this week at Mt. SAC in Walnut.

Woodbridge High’s Unified swim coach James Hickson, center, gives pointers to his team during a practice at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Woodbridge High’s Unified swim coach James Hickson, left, gives instructions to his team during a practice at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Woodbridge High’s Unified swim coach James Hickson, left, and volunteer junior coach Marcus Natividad, right, give pointers to his team during a practice at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Woodbridge High’s Unified swim team members, from left, Sydney Truong, 16, Yuna Taing,15, and Delaney Klem, 18, take a breather during a practice at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Woodbridge High’s Unified swim coach James Hickson hands out paddle boards to the team during a practice at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Woodbridge High’s Unified swim coach James Hickson, left, shows his team how make a W hand sign for Woodbridge during a practice at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Woodbridge Unified swimmers, Leo Villeger, 16, front and Justin Esquivel, 17, swim laps on paddle boards at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Sydney Truong, 16, a member of Woodbridge High’s Unified swim team swims laps during a practice at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Woodbridge Unified swimmer, Kyle Goes, 17, swims laps with a paddle board at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Woodbridge High’s Unified swim team member Yuna Taing,15, swims laps with a paddle board during a practice at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Woodbridge High’s Unified swim team members, Yuna Taing,15, left, Delaney Klem, 18, right, and Sydney Truong, 16, back, swim laps on paddle boards during a practice at Woodbridge High’s pool in Irvine on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Last year, the section introduced the 50 freestyle paralympic event for swimmers with physical or mental challenges. The races received some of the loudest applause of the championships.

“It was pretty good cheers,” said Woodbridge junior Justin Esquivel, who raced in one the events. “A lot of people are very kind to us.”

This week, the section will add relays to its paralympic schedule. The inclusion events are expected to held during finals, assistant commissioner Thom Simmons said.

“We’re grateful for the additional events and opportunities to race,” Hickson said.

Woodbridge has been among Orange County’s leaders in building a Unified swimming program.

For the second consecutive spring, the Warriors will have five swimmers at the Division 1 meet. The team of Esquivel, Delaney Klem, Tori Green, Yuna Taing and Sydney Truong will race in finals on Saturday.

Woodbridge’s Unified relay with four girls could be one of the highlights.

The school’s swimming program benefits from the Warrior Unified Club, an on-campus organization that encourages ESN students to participate in sports.

“Probably since 2018 or 2019, we’ve had swimmers from our ESN program involved in swim,” said Hickson, who chairs the club with Nicholas Card and teaches in the ESN program. “The efforts are about inclusion.”

The “unified” theme surfaces when Woodbridge’s ESN swimmers are paired with “partner athletes”, or fellow students and swimmers who offer support. All of the program’s swimmers also practice at the same time.

“It kind of brings the team a little closer together,” Hickson said. “We’re focused internally on how we can make our program the best and we hope that other schools will see what we’re doing and want to get involved.”

The current for Unified swimming seems to be growing stronger. Earlier this season, Woodbridge’s Unified team raced against Trabuco Hills’ Unified squad.

The CIF-SS added the inclusion events last year after receiving an inquiry from a mother of a swimmer with cerebral palsy.

A former swimmer at Woodbridge, Hickson, 35, said his inspiration to teach in the ESN program traces to his brother Jack, 26, who has special needs.

“I get to see a lot of improvements,” Hickson said of his positions at Woodbridge. “These (swimmers) are amazing. They are in the water on time. They do their stretches. They’re great. There’s no other issues with them. They’re always doing exactly what they’re supposed to do.”

Hickson designed a practice workout schedule that Natividad follows with his Unified swimmers. The plan covers numerous stretches, proper spacing in the pool, warm-ups, drills, a main workout set and a cooldown.

Natividad also is known to record race videos and rattle off the times of his swimmers.

“Marcus deserves a raise,” Hickson said with a laugh. “A lot of the kids in our program really look up to him.”

Natividad enjoys teaching flip turns the most.

“Justin almost did one,” he said proudly.

Natividad hopes to make a career in coaching.

“My dream job is to be a staff member helping students,” he said.

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