DeAlva’s Next Plunge Is Not a Sure Thing

IRVINE —  Danielle DeAlva is a bit overwhelmed these days.

She’s happy to have been named The Times Orange County female swimmer of the year, but she has some decisions to make. She’s undecided where to attend college, she wants to get a start on her career, and then there’s swimming.

Since moving to Irvine from Downey, where she competed for Warren High her freshman and sophomore years, DeAlva has been making her presence known in high school and club swimming.

DeAlva, who specializes in the 100-yard backstroke and 50 freestyle, has been offered a full athletic scholarship to Nevada. She says she’s excited by the offer, but wants to begin training to become a paramedic.

“I know I want to go to college, but I also want to start taking the necessary classes so I can start my career,” DeAlva said. “And then there’s swimming. I want to keep swimming too. My coach wants me to go to college, but I don’t know how I want to do it. . . . maybe go to a JC or something. I just don’t know.”

What she knows for sure is swimming.

At the Southern Section Division I finals in May, DeAlva finished first in the 50 freestyle and the 100 backstroke. She was named co-swimmer of the meet with Irvine teammate Amanda Beard.

DeAlva said the competition at Long Beach Belmont Plaza was intense and fun.

She just missed setting a Division I record in her best event, the 100 backstroke, in the preliminaries. In the final, she held off Fountain Valley’s Laura Tucker to win in 55.67 seconds. DeAlva dominated the 50 free, a race where close finishes are the norm. She easily handled the competition, winning in 23.98, almost a half-second ahead of the second-place finisher.

Coach Scott Hinman said the addition of DeAlva to his Irvine girls’ team was timed perfectly.

“We already had a very strong team, but when we lost Wendy O’Brien last year, we had a tremendous void in the 50 free,” Hinman said. “But Danielle stepped right in. She was important in our relays and added that great backstroke.”

DeAlva is presently training for Senior Nationals with her club, Irvine Novaquatics. And no matter where she ends up, her plans include swimming.

“Even if I don’t go to [a four-year] college, I’ll keep swimming at the JC level,” DeAlva said. “I’m having fun and I don’t want to stop.”