"We try to make the high school meets fun for them," Bridges explains. "There is not as much pressure as in USA (club competition)."

The Mustangs were having fun March 19 at the Mountain View High pool, winning seven of the 11 swimming events in an Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division meet.

Junior Amber Hovey won two individual events and swam the third leg of the victorious 400-meter freestyle relay, leading the Homestead girls to a 97-80 win. Homestead's boys team also beat Mountain View, 110-73, as senior Mat Schmidt was a double winner.

Hovey, 2003 Central Coast Section 100-meter butterfly champion, easily won her specialty against Mountain View and captured the 100 backstroke race as well. Hovey's fly time of 56.06 was nearly two seconds ahead of the runner-up. Mustang senior Catherine Kung was third.

Hovey also breezed in the backstroke race, winning in 1:00.23. Kung was second in 1:03.93. Hovey and Kung combined with sophomore Megan Meadows and junior Jackie Laird to win the 400 free relay in 3:52.47.

Freshman Michelle Camburn was a double freestyle winner, going 2:02.0 in the 200 race and 5:21.44 in the 500 event. Laird was third in the 200 and freshman Emily Pool placed third in the 500. Both of Camburn's times were good enough to qualify for the CCS meet.

"She is one of the better freshmen to come into our league this year," Bridges praised Camburn, who also has recorded CCS qualifying times in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly.

Meadows led a sweep of the 200 IM, winning in 2:27.19 and touching just ahead of teammates Jessica Lee and Pool. Lee, a senior, led a sweep of the 100 breaststroke with a CCS-qualifying mark of 1:12.0. Meadows placed second and sophomore Yoshi Zhimitzu took third.

Senior Alicia Chapman, one of the Homestead girls who competes solely at the high school level, placed third in the 50 and 100 free races, but her time of 26.02 in the shorter sprint is a CCS qualifier.

Chapman teamed with Camburn, Laird and junior Jessica Schwiesow in a fast 200 free relay. Although their time of 1:46.84 was nearly six seconds behind Mountain View's winning time, it was more than three seconds better than the CCS qualifying standard.

Homestead's boys recorded CCS qualifying times in five events, including the two that Schmidt won. Schmidt placed first against Mountain View in the 200 IM (2:01.05) and the 100 breaststroke (1:01.21).

Junior Karta Khalsa, whose time of 53.42 in the 100 fly is a qualifier, and senior Brian Bucher also won events for Homestead. Bucher won the 50 free in 23.41.

'Tino tops Fremont

Fremont's boys team won more than half of the events, but Cupertino recorded more second and third place finishes and swam away with an 89-84 El Camino Division victory at the Firebirds' pool.

Fremont freshman Larry Wen was the top winner, taking two individual events and swimming legs for two victorious relay squads. The ninth-grader's 56.97 in the 100 fly and 1:49.47 in the 200 IM both are better than the CCS qualifying standards.

Wen combined with seniors Tony Zhu, Andrew Amm and Gordon Cameron to win the medley relay in 1:46.5 and the 400 free relay in 3:38.76.

Zhu won the 100 back in 58.4 and Amm placed first in the 100 breast in 1:05.66.

Aly Meyer was a double winner for Fremont's girls team against Cupertino. The sophomore placed first in the 200 IM in 2:26.15 and outstroked the competition in the 500 free in 5:31.44.

Freshman Annie Hughes took the 200 free in 2:13.2 and Jamie Buckingham won the diving event.

Both Fremont teams dazzled Milpitas a week earlier.

Wen, Amm and Cameron all were double winners for the boys. Wen won the 200 free in 1:49.3 and the 100 fly in 56.88. Amm was best in the 200 IM (2:15.66) and the 100 breast (1:05.51). Cameron took the freestyle sprints, going 24.2 in the 50 and 53.12 in the 100.

Zhu won the backstroke event in 58.77, and senior Stephen Shimshock went 5:56.88 to win the 500 free.

Zhu, Wen, Amm and Cameron worked together to win the medley relay in 1:46.2, a CCS qualifying mark. Shimshock, Zhu, Cameron and sophomore Patrick Samuels took the 200 free relay in 1:57.77. Wen, Samuels, Shimshock and Cameron won the 400 relay in 3:44.57.