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Asia Kozan earns family bragging rights as Santa Margarita swimmers blaze at Trinity League finals

April 29, 2023

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Santa Margarita’s boys and girls swimming teams added to their haul of records Friday but one drew an especially bright smile at the Trinity League finals.

Senior Asia Kozan broke the league record in the girls 200-yard individual medley of her older sister Justina by touching in 1 minute, 58.09 seconds at JSerra High.

Kozan flashed her smile after slicing just over two-tenths of a second off the 2021 record of her sister, a former Register swimmer of the year at Santa Margarita now racing for USC.

“I’ve got to brag about it,” Kozan said with a laugh of breaking her sister’s record. “I feel like before I wasn’t really at her level, or even close to her level, but I feel like I’m slowly getting there. I’ve actually never beat her but I just broke her record.”

Kozan, a UC San Diego commit, became the No. 3 performer in Orange County history in the 200 IM. She later won the 100 freestyle in 50.01.

Santa Margarita’s girls, who have set one national record and two county records this spring, blazed three league records en route to a 23rd consecutive Trinity title.

Sophomore Teagan O’Dell challenged her league record from prelims in the 100 butterfly by touching in 52.48. She also won the 50 free in 22.77, missing the league record by six one-hundredths of a second.

One the Eagles’ most impressive league records came in the girls 200 medley relay. O’Dell combined with sophomores Nicole Christensen and Chloe Stinson and junior Ariel Lin to clock a 1:41.49.

The relay posted the third-fastest time in county history and didn’t include freestyle sprinter Teia Salvino, who is representing the Philippines at the upcoming Southeast Asia Games.

Santa Margarita’s boys, who set a county record this season, recorded six league records en route to claiming a fifth consecutive Trinity crown.

Cal-bound senior Humberto Najera led the way with records in the 200 IM (1:48.50) and 100 backstroke (lifetime-best 47.84).

Daniel Verdolaga sliced more than half-a-second off his league record in the 100 butterfly with a 47.84. Hunter Cehelnik edged Grant Shoults’ 2016 league record in the 100 free with a 44.77 and Nathan Wu touched with a league-record 56.12 in the breaststroke.

“It just shows how we prepared we are (for CIF),” said Najera, who led off the record-setting medley relay (1:30.73).

JSerra’s Ryder Dodd claimed the 200 free in a league-record 1:38.55. “That’s definitely killer,” said teammate Bode Brinkema, who won the 50 free (20.73). “Water polo is all our main sport.”

JSerra’s Sydney Willson swept the 200 (1:50.99) and 500 (4:54.34) freestyles.

In other league finals:

In the Pacific Coast: Woodbridge junior Jacob Wang captured the 50 free at Beckman High in 20.20, second-fastest in county history.

In the South Coast: San Juan Hills’ David Schmitt won the butterfly in 47.78 and San Clemente’s Noah Sech took the 200 IM (1:47.38) and breast (54.23) at Capistrano Valley High.

In the Sunset: Corona del Mar’s Maggie Schalow won the butterfly (52.65) and 500 free (4:47.33) at Golden West College.

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