Laguna Hills Junior Tona Zinn Lowers Pair of CIF-SS Division 2 Records

2021 CIF-Southern Section Division 2 Swimming and Diving Championships

• May 21-26, 2021
• Santa Margarita Catholic High School, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
• SCY (25y)
• Live Results
• PDF Results
• Team Scores
• CIF-SS Central

The first of four California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Swimming and Diving Championship meets finished up on Tuesday, as Division 2 schools battled it out in Rancho Santa Margarita.

The Southern Section comprises most of the public and private high schools in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and central and southern Santa Barbara counties. It was announced in late April that these meets would be allowed to take place after they were cancelled in 2020.

The Division 2 showdown was highlighted by a pair of Meet Records from Laguna Hills junior Tona Zinn, along with team titles for the Corona del Mar girls and the Notre Dame-SO boys.

Zinn Downs D2 Records In 100 Breast, 200 IM

Zinn, who recently turned 17, started off his meet by winning the boys’ 200 IM by over four seconds in a time of 1:46.47, lowering the previous D2 Meet Record of 1:46.91 set by Lakewood’s Daniel McArthur in 2015. Zinn came into the meet with a best time of 1:47.61 set in December.

New D2 record in 200 IM for Tona Zinn of @LHHawks 1:46.47 👀, 3rd all/time in OC @ocvarsity @OCVswimdive pic.twitter.com/AyDdFuwZJx

— Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) May 25, 2021

In 2019, competing in Division I, Zinn won the 200 IM as a freshman in a time of 1:48.61.

A Northwestern commit for 2022, Zinn sent a second meet record up in flames later on in the 100 breaststroke, scorching a time of 53.66 to smash the previous mark of 54.91 set by Walnut’s Derek Kao in 2014. Zinn’s previous best time in that event coming in was a 54.94 from March.

Notre Dame senior Evan Yoo was also under the previous record in 54.45 for second, while Fountain Valley senior Ivan Nghi was just off it in 55.05 for third.

Zinn set a third best time leading off Laguna Hills’ 400 freestyle relay, clocking 45.74 in the 100 free to improve on his previous PB of 45.83 set in March.

Boys’ Meet Recap

The team race on the boys’ side turned out to be a razor-thin one, with Notre Dame-SO (Sherman Oaks) taking second in the concluding 400 free relay to erase a 34-point deficit to Murrieta Mesa and win the meet. Notre Dame finished with 164 points, while Murrieta Mesa only scored four points in the relay, finishing with 160 to tie Portola for second.

Individually, Notre Dame didn’t have any first-place finishers, but they did finish atop the 200 medley relay (1:33.91), and were only .06 back of El Segundo in that critical 400 free relay (3:08.88 to 3:08.94).

In addition to Zinn, the meet’s other multi individual event winner was Murrieta Mesa junior Justin Schneider, who showed impressive range by claiming both the 50 free (20.65) and 500 free (4:28.34).

Schneider also had a pair of sizzling 50 free relay splits for Murrieta Mesa, anchoring the runner-up 200 medley in 20.19 and the 200 free in 20.17.

TEAM SCORES

1. Notre Dame-SO, 164
2. Murrieta Mesa / Portola, 160
3. –
4. El Segundo, 139
5. Woodbridge, 120
6. Viewpoint, 115
7. Poly-Long Beach, 109
8. Corona del Mar, 103
9. Laguna Beach, 94
10. San Clemente, 93

Girls’ Meet Recap

The team race on the girls’ side wasn’t nearly as close, as Corona del Mar rolled to a 67-point margin of victory with 247 points.

The team won a total of four events, including a pair from sophomore Maggie Schalow in the 200 free (1:47.99) and 100 fly (53.83). The 200 free swim was a new personal best.

Corona del Mar also won the 200 medley relay in 1:44.66, with Schalow providing a quick 24.36 fly split, and senior Michelle Tekawy (1:03.34) topped the 100 breaststroke in a tight race with Capistrano Valley’s Morganne Malloy (1:03.53).

Saugus junior Riley Botton and Harvard-Westlake sophomore Claire McLean had an exciting back and forth in the sprint free events, with Botton edging out the win in the 50 free (23.33 to 23.37) before McLean answered in the 100 free (50.37 to 50.42). McLean also had a pair of huge relay splits (23.11, 49.82) as Harvard-Westlake won the 200 and 400 free relays and ultimately placed second in the meet.

TEAM SCORES

1. Corona del Mar, 247
2. Harvard-Westlake, 180
3. Mark Keppel, 131
4. Jserra, 128
5. Saugus, 106
6. San Marino, 103
7. Canyon-Anaheim, 101
8. Santa Monica, 82
9. Mira Costa, 74
10. Capistrano Valley, 73

The swimming portion of the 2021 CIF-SS Division 1 Championships will take place on Thursday, May 27, and both Division 3 and 4 will be held on Saturday, May 29.