EL CAJONEL CAJON — At 6-foot-2, Point Loma High School’s Alex Pletcher is no small freshman swimmer.
Certainly, he had a big impact in the CIF San Diego Section Division 2 prelims.
Pletcher qualified first in both the boys 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 41.03 seconds) and the 100 freestyle (46.07) by a second in each race at Granite Hills High School on Thursday.
Ahead is a double title bid in the finals at 3 p.m. Saturday.
“There’s the motivation to be the best that I can possibly be this time around,” Pletcher said. “I definitely want to beat (the older guys) and make a point for myself. I’m excited about what I can do for finals.”
Pletcher sparked a youth movement by the Pointers, including sophomore McKenna Carroll, who stood out in the girls 200 freestyle.
Carroll (1:53.55) emerged as the frontrunner by qualifying first in the event after finishing 16th last year (2:06.24).
“My training has really improved, and I’ve gotten more comfortable racing,” Carroll said. “Also, I’m less in my head before racing, meaning my mind’s more clear.”
In the 100 freestyle, Carroll qualified third (52.75) in range of the leader, University City senior Corrie Dudley (52.27), last year’s runner-up. In second was Rowe (52.53)
The finals will include a record bid in the girls 100 backstroke by Mt. Carmel sophomore Catherine Rowe, whose top qualifying time of 54.63 came within eight hundreths of a second of the mark of 54.55 set in 2009 by Nicole Parmenter of San Marcos. It’s the second oldest girls mark.
In going for twin wins, Pletcher can follow the example of La Jolla senior Arielle Brotman, who is seeking to complete a career sweep of double titles.
Brotman topped the qualifying in the girls butterfly (53.74) and the 100 breaststroke (1:02.17), ahead of her winning times a year ago.
Mater Dei Catholic junior Isa Chavez-Varela, the defending champion in the girls 200 free, opted to switch to the 200 IM that she did as a freshman and led the way (2:00.89) by nearly seven seconds.
Chavez-Valeria (4:59.65) also positioned herself for double crowns by qualifying first in the 500 free after finishing second last year.
“I’m really excited for the finals, just trying to give everything that I’ve got,” Chavez-Varela said. “Mostly, I got want to have fun.”
Along with the 100 free, Dudley also qualified first (24.07) in the 50 free in the quest for an encore title.
Point Loma senior Aiden Griffith led the way in both he boys 200 IM (1:52.65) and the 100 back (51.27).
In the boys 500 free, La Costa Canyon senior Quinn Delaney (4:36.32) took four seconds off his winning time last year. He also qualified third in the 200 free (1:42.53)
Cathedral Catholic senior Ken Eckel, going for repeat doubles titles, qualified second in the 200 IM (1:53.63) and tied for first in the 100 breast (56.25) with Sage Creek junior Sebastian Sandoval.
Thien is a freelance writer.
