MISSION VIEJO SWIMMING INVITATIONAL : Diehl and Triska Dominate Meet; Mission Viejo Wins Both Titles

MISSION VIEJO —  Not satisfied with victories in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races Saturday, Mission Viejo junior Eric Diehl asked boys’ swimming Coach Mike Pelton what it would take to overcome Poway and win the Mission Viejo Invitational at the Marguerite Recreation Center.

It would take a winning effort in the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, Pelton replied.

Diehl, who turned in an Orange County best of 4:30.32 in the 500, swam his leg of the relay in 46 seconds flat to lead the Diablos to the boys’ championship with 412 points. Poway finished second in the meet with 393 points. The Diablos’ time of 3:15.69 in the 400 relay easily outdistanced second-place Laguna Hills and third-place Poway.

“That was three seconds faster than we’d done all year,” Pelton said. “As good as Eric is, he was more concerned about the team. That says a lot about his internal makeup, his character.”

Diehl had to swim through grueling qualifying heats in the morning before the relay and was named the boys’ swimmer of the meet. Mission Viejo also boasted the top girls’ swimmer of the day, sophomore Katarina Triska, who won the 100-yard butterfly and 200 individual medley to lead her teammates to the girls’ championship with 447 points. Poway was second with 263 points.

“I was really pleased with my performance,” Diehl said. “I didn’t think I’d swim that fast. The meet was a little long and I’m a little tired.”

Diehl just missed breaking the 200 free meet record--1:39.27 set in 1986 by Mission Viejo’s Dan Jorgensen--finishing in 1:39.74. His 500 time was a shade under Mission Viejo’s David Louder’s 4:29.15 meet record in 1983.

Triska, a 15-year-old Swedish national, won the 100 butterfly in 59.91 seconds and won the 200 IM with a mark of 2:13.07. Teammate Claudia Franco won the 100 free (55.15) and 50 free (25.54).

Tsukasa Kawabuchi scored double victories for Mission Viejo in the boys’ division with a time of 48.28 in the 100 free and a 51.18 in the 100 butterfly.

Shuichi Matsumoto of Laguna Hills won the boys’ 200 IM in 1:56.8.