SPORTS
By Mitch Lehman

We seem to say it every year, but since the story never changes – listen up: Swimmers, like wrestlers, are the hardest working, least appreciated athletes there are.
Long, arduous training sessions coupled with strict dietary requirements mixed in with anonymous performance venues all add up to little recognition for maximum output.
Sounds pretty tantalizing, huh?
It’s difficult to distinguish one competitor from the other, the races are started in assembly-line succession and your name is never announced to the audience.
Still want to jump in the pool?
Thank goodness San Marino High School has thirty or so willing volunteers and they are enjoying one of their most successful seasons in recent years, according to decade-long Coach Mark Barr.
“It’s a good year for both the boys and the girls,” said Barr. “Our guys are as strong as they have been for a long, long time. We just lack the depth to compete with La Cañada in the Rio Hondo League, but I think we can finish in the top five at CIF [Division II]. The girls are also swimming well and one of our relay teams even broke a 28-year-old record.”
That would be the Lady Titans’ 200-meter medley relay team of senior Jenny Tyler, who swims the butterfly; junior Emily Adamczyk, who takes over on the breaststroke; sophomore Berklie Oscarson on backstroke and freshman Cindy Hsieh, who finishes with the freestyle. The all-inclusive squad – with a swimmer from each class at the school – recently blazed to a 1:53:30 clocking to claim the mark.
Tyler, a four-year veteran, has been a standout swimmer since her days with the Tsunamis.
“Jenny has been working incredibly hard this year, “said Barr. “We added weight training to our workout this season and she has taken to it very well. Last weekend at Walnut, she swam faster than ever. Jenny is a great competitor.”
Adamczyk is a recent addition to the squad – a welcome one.
“Emily is the piece that we were missing from last year,” Barr said. “She has made a lot of things possible for us. Our relay was close last year and she was the vital piece to get the record. This is her only season at San Marino and she has been part of four records.”
Adamczyk now holds records in the 100 meter breaststroke, 100 butterfly, 200 IM and is part of the record medley relay team.
Oscarson, a sophomore, is only getting better.
“With Emily arriving, Berklie is getting faster and faster in the backstroke,” said Barr.
Hsieh, only a freshman, represents the long-range future of the program.
“Cindy is an incredible freshman to be swimming this fast,” said Barr. “You don’t get many who swim this fast and work that hard.
Senior Vivian Hong swims the freestyle and backstroke events.
“Vivian improved a lot this year,” Barr said. “She has dropped her times across the board and has taken a leadership role this season as a captain.”
Senior Faith Batrack swims the freestyle events.
“Faith is a very resilient young lady,” Barr said. “She had a good start and then was injured, but is working her way back. Faith actually swam her best time last week at the Walnut Invitational and is getting better just in time for the league finals.”
Christa Lam, a sophomore, swims the 50 and 100 freestyle.
“Christa didn’t start on varsity but at one point during the season we brought her up and she came through for us,” said Barr. “Christa gives us depth. She is getting faster and faster and should be in the top twelve by league finals.”
Junior Margaret Lazzarini is first and foremost a water polo player “but she transitions to swimming very well,” said Barr. “She has had the most consistent drop of the season in the 500 freestyle, which she has cut more than 40 seconds from her time. That is incredible.”
Amy Lee, a senior, competes in the 500 and 200 meter freestyle.
“Amy gives us a lot of depth in those events as she is very experienced,” said Barr. “Amy scores for us every week and that makes my job a lot easier. She is a very hard worker.”
Karen Lee, a junior, participates in the breaststroke and the 200 IM and 200 freestyle.
“Karen has the widest range of events because she can do so many different things and score wherever she competes,” said Barr. “That helps us arrange the lineup to give us the best chance to win.”
Freshman Myrtle Lin has been consistent in the 200 and 500-meter freestyle.
“Myrtle provides the strength we have been missing in these two events the past three years since Katie Ball graduated,” Barr said. “She has come through in these events on several occasions, so we know we are good for the next three years.”
Sophomore Tiffany Yeh swims the 100 breaststroke, 100 freestyle and the 100 meter butterfly.
“Tiffany has come a long way,” Barr explained. “She is right up there with Margaret as far as dropping time in her events. Tiffany consistently scores points for us and is generally just fun to be around.”
Laura Adams, a junior, is an all-Rio Hondo League water polo player and swims the 100 freestyle and 100 breast to stay in shape.
“Laura adds to our depth and really fills out this team,” said Barr. “We don’t have a lot of swimmers on the team and without girls like Laura, we would struggle to win meets.”
Tami Chung, a senior, swims the 50 free, 100 free and 100 butterfly.
“Tami is the one you are rooting for,” said Barr. “She started farther back than anyone and you are just happy to see her improve. Tami puts the time in like everyone else and she is the kind of student you like to see compete. She has taken amazing amounts of time off her events and she is great to have in the pool.”
Barr predicts his Lady Titans to finish third in league, but can make some waves at CIF.
“South Pasadena and La Cañada have too much depth,” Barr said.
And he’s right. The Lady Tigers suit up thirty swimmers and La Cañada twenty-five – to San Marino’s fifteen.

The Guys...
Again somewhat shorthanded, the Titans are also very talented and find themselves in second place in the Rio Hondo League dual meet campaign.
Senior Kevin Tovar swims the backstroke and butterfly at a junior national level and has received scholarship offers from Hawai’i and UC Irvine.
“Kevin has trained very aggressively to make the junior national cut and that has really helped raise the level of his competition,” said Barr.
Princeton Lee, a senior, has a great name to go with his swimming pedigree.
“Princeton has great senior leadership and works extremely hard in the pool,” Barr said. “He is the type of guy who won’t blow anyone out of the water, but he scores a lot of points, which is critical in dual meets.”
Joe So, a junior, swims the 200 IM and 100 backstroke.
“Joe is probably the busiest guy we have,” said Barr. “He is only able to train an hour a day with us due to his workload but he makes up the rest of his workout on his own – and that is incredible.”
Alex Phillips, a junior, has been solid in the breaststroke.
“Alex has done a really good job of stepping in for one of the finest swimmers we have had in several years, Jonathan Masahiro, and Alex has filled that role really well,” said Barr.
Tim Lin, a junior, swims the 500 meter free and 500 meter backstroke – 20 lengths of the pool for us amateurs.
“Tim is easily one of the leaders of this team,” Barr explained. “There is a core group of guys who have been here for a while and Tim is one of them.”
Kevin Hon, a junior, participates in the 100 fly and the 200 free.
“Kevin, like Princeton, is a solid worker with great speed,” Barr said. “You need guys like them to solidify your depth. Kevin swims a 1:03 in the fly and that is fast enough to score against any team.”
Junior James Gillette is the Titans’ freestyle specialist.
“James has been dominant in the 50, 100 and 200 all year long,” Barr gushed. “I’m not sure what events he is going to swim at CIF but he will be top five, I can pretty much guarantee that.”
Stanley Chen, a junior, swims a little bit of everything.
“Stanley is your classic filler,” said Barr. “You are making out your lineup and you have holes and you say, ‘Stanley, swim this,’ or ‘Stanley swim that. With the type of meets the boys have been in, you need guys to take the last points away from your opponent and that’s what Stanley does.”
Sophomore Kerem Taskin has been a bright spot in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle.
“Kerem is second only to James in those events,” Barr said. “With Kerem there, we have a great 1-2 punch in the 50 and 100 meter free. If they aren’t getting 1-2 they are getting 1-3, and that is very important for our team.”
Matt Hsieh, a sophomore, competes in the breaststroke and the 50 freestyle.
“Matt doesn’t swim a lot of open events, but he contributes a great deal in the relays,” said Barr. “Matt’s impact is felt in those events and he will be key to the future of San Marino swimming.”
Sophomore Justin Hillman is a 200 meter freestyle and 100 meter butterfly guy.
“Justin is our third swimmer in a lot of events,” Barr said. “That’s not a knock on Justin, but a commentary on how strong this team is. Justin’s 100 fly is about as fast as you can be, but when you have national level swimmers in your events that is saying something.”
Freshman Everett Phillips is a member of the Flyin’ Phillips Family. Father Rick was a champion at Dartmouth and continues to compete in masters events – third in the nation in the 1,500 meter freestyle. Everett doubles his pleasure by pitching for the freshman baseball team, swimming the 100 breast and 200 IM when he’s not in pinstripes and stirrups.
“Even though Everett is a quiet young man, he is great to have on the team,” said Barr. “He is an extremely hard worker and he inspires the other members of the team. Everett has a bright future at Titan swimming.”
Freshman Scott Farley swims the 500 and 200 freestyle.
“With Scott on the team, our 4 x 100 meter relay team was able to break the existing meet record last weekend at Walnut, though we finished second to Mark Keppel,” barr said.
Farley was teamed with Tovar, Lin and Gillette to crack that mark.
Freshman Daniel Adamczyk is more than just a little brother.
“Daniel swims the breaststroke and IM events,” Barr said. “He is one of the fastest freshmen we have had since I have been at the school. Daniel has a great chance to win the 200 IM and the 100 free at the Rio Hondo League finals.”
And that might not be the end of the road for at least two relay teams, who Barr think can medal at the CIF level – the Tyler, Adamczyk, Oscarson and Hsieh connection – top five, in Barr’s estimation, and the boys’ medley relay team of Lin, Alexander Phillips, Tovar and Gillette.
“I give both those relays an excellent chance of advancing,” said Barr, a ten year veteran. “As far as the league finals, we just lack the depth necessary to win the team championships. When it comes to quality, we’re in good shape. Next, quantity.”