Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Park, Kane are double winners at the league swimming finals

By Dick Sparrer

Los Gatos finished second to Monta Vista at the league swimming finals last week.

But you won't catch the Wildcats losing much sleep over a second-place finish--not after what they've accomplished this spring.

Because the Cats may have finished second in the finals, but only after winning the dual meet championship in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

Los Gatos wrapped up a 7-0 dual meet season with a convincing 104-80 win over Gunn recently.

And they may have been second at the finals last week, but Gatos certainly had its share of champions.

Chris Park and Jeremy Kane were each double winners and helped the Cats to a couple of relay titles at the league meet held at Lynbrook last week.

Park breezed to wins in the 50-meter freestyle in 21.42 and the 100 free in 47.03, and Kane was first in the 200 freestyle in 1:44.03 and the 500 freestyle in 4:33.83.

The two teamed with Chris Herr and Lance Campbell for victories in the 200 free relay in 1:29.01 and the 400 free relay in 3:16.62.

Diver Joe Kocal joined Park and Kane on the victory stand. Kocal won the 1-meter diving event with 366.65 points to add another first to the Gatos list of victories.

Campbell supported with a third in the 100 free in 49.91.

A week earlier, Campbell was a double winner in the 100 and 200 freestyle events in Los Gatos's title-clinching win over Gunn.

Campbell took the 100 in 51.68 and the 200 in 1:52.35 to lead Gatos to the team win. He also combined with Herr, Kane and Jason Duink for a first in the 200 free relay in 1:35.97 and with Kane, Herr and Marc Cavagnolo for a win in the 400 free relay in 3:31.95.

Kane breezed to a win in the 50 free in 24.01 and Herr took the 100 butterfly in 57.30. Mike Cristol added a first in the 200 individual medley in 2:12.99.

In nonleague action earlier that week, Los Gatos swamped Soquel 106 1/2-52 1/2.

Herr took the 100 in 51.89 and the 200 IM in 2:13.41. He also teamed with Duink, Cavagnolo and Matt Greenwood for a win in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:37.89 and with Greenwood, John Etheridge and Steven Westcott for a first in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:44.98.

Greenwood was a twin winner, winning the 50 freestyle in 23.59 and the 100 fly in 1:00.22, and Etheridge took the 500 freestyle in 5:19.40. Ryota Satoh was a winner in the 100 breaststroke in 1:12.44 and Rob Smith won the 100 backstroke in 1:02.16.

Smith, Satoh, Etheridge and Cavagnolo won the 200 medley relay in 1:53.44.

Park, Kane and Kocal rank among the best in the Central Coast Section this spring, and they'll lead a solid contingent of Wildcats to the CCS trials and finals May 17 and 18 at De Anza College in Cupertino.