Newport’s Spitz sisters shine
No, Newport Harbor High freshmen swimming twins Ayla and Zoe Spitz aren’t related to seven-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Mark Spitz.
Still, it’s definitely not a bad last name for a swimmer to have.
The Spitz sisters, who swim club for Irvine Novaquatics, are more than just a name. They are part of a strong freshman class for the Sailors, and it was on display against Tuesday as they played host to Los Alamitos in a Sunset League meet.
The Griffins, though, proved to be the deeper team.
Los Alamitos swept the meet at Newport Harbor High. The Los Al girls won, 105-64, and the Los Al boys also captured a 97-73 victory.
“They bring a new energy to the swim team,” Newport girls’ swimming coach Brian Melstrom said of the Spitz sisters, who both won two individual events and were part of two winning relays. “Whoever gets paired up with those girls in relays really needs to step up their ‘A’ game, because those girls are going to bring it every single time. They bring a level of competitiveness that we haven’t had in a while, since we had [2013 NHHS graduate] Casey Duckworth. Our whole freshman class is really strong in a lot of different areas, a lot of different strokes. We just don’t have the depth yet ... it’s just going to take a little time.”
Despite their lack of depth, the Newport Harbor girls (1-2 in league) actually won more events than Los Alamitos, 6-5. Both Spitz sisters were on the meet-opening 200-yard medley relay, which they combined with fellow freshmen Kili Skibby and Linnea Kelly to win in 1 minute, 53.02 seconds. Sophomore Jessica Lynch teamed with the Spitzes and Skibby to win the 400 free relay in 3:40.30.
Ayla Spitz won the 200 individual medley in 2:07.14 and the 100 backstroke in 58.01. Both were automatic CIF Southern Section Division 1 times. She said after the meet that she is enjoying high school swimming. On Tuesday, she and Zoe had their younger sister Vivi, 11, yelling and cheering them on as they raced.
“It’s really fun,” Ayla Spitz said. “It’s really competitive and just a fun atmosphere.”
Zoe, meanwhile, swam the consecutive events of the 100 butterfly (58.66) and the 100 free (53.74) for the first time this season. She said it was challenging, but she easily won both.
But Newport Harbor, which has been without sophomore standout Dinny Stevens (shoulder) this season, was missing another key freshman. Annie Rankin was out with a hand injury, which Melstrom found out about just hours before the meet began.
“I think a lot of the girls swam events that they weren’t really used to swimming,” Ayla Spitz said. “Some of the events were switched around because of that, and I think everyone did really well in the aspect of just stepping up and racing.”
Other top-three individual finishes for the Newport girls included sophomore Kaela Whelan, who was second in the 50 free (26.49). Lynch was third in the 500 free (5:29.16) and Skibby was third in the breaststroke (1:12.95).
TCU-bound senior Nicqueline Rettberg paced the Los Al girls (1-2 in league), ranked No. 10 in Orange County by the Register, with wins in the 200 and 500 free.
On the boys’ side, Newport Harbor Coach Ross Sinclair was hoping for a win on his 31st birthday. He did get a birthday cake and singing from his team at the conclusion of the meet, but the Sailors fell to 1-2 in league.
Newport sophomore Jason Grew won the 100 freestyle in 49.32 seconds, and was second in the backstroke in 57.40. Junior Jerod McMillen won the 100 breast in 1:02.97.
The Sailors also won both freestyle relays. Reece Hemmens, Nick Halphide, Grew and Sawyer Farmer won the 200 free relay in 1:30.17, and the same quartet won the 400 free relay in 3:18.62.
Newport Harbor, however, was hurt when Farmer was disqualified in the 200 IM, which negated his first-place finish. In the next event, the 50 free, Los Alamitos’ Adam Lott actually broke the block in Lane 2. Coaches and the referee said they never had seen that happen.
Lott was permitted to swim the race again by himself, and he won it in 22.06, another swing that hurt the Sailors. They fell behind, 40-22, and never caught up.
“There was a swing of events that didn’t help us,” Sinclair said. “You want to get off to a good start. We talked about starting the meet and finishing with the same intensity, and I don’t think we started the meet with that intensity. Coming off a spring break week and in the middle of the swim season, we’re kind of in a grind right now. I’m excited for the taper these guys are going to enter, coming up soon. But as far as competing, I don’t think we really competed that well this meet.”
Sinclair did highlight the days of Grew and McMillen, who he said have been consistent all season. McMillen was third in the IM.
Coach Brent Danna’s Los Alamitos boys’ team, ranked No. 6 in Orange County, improved to 3-0 in league.
Newport Harbor resumes league action with a meet at Marina on Tuesday.
