The 48th annual East Bay Swim League (EBSL) Championships were held in Hayward at Chabot College from July 12-13 with hundreds of local swimmers competing
The Newark Bluefins won this year’s EBSL championships with a score of 6,125 points, marking their third straight championship victory in a row. The Mission Valley Barracudas earned second place with 4,975 points and Chabot Marlins came in third place with 4,852.5 points. Each team is allowed 100 swimmers total for all events and age groups. The 13-18 age group competed on July 12 and the under 12 age group competed on July 13.
“There was a lot of excitement and anticipation heading into today’s meet,” said Castro Valley Crocodiles co-president Seana Flowers.
Standout Bluefins boys’ 17-year-old swimmer, Donovan Tse, was the star of the day for the championship team, who competed in the 15-18 age group. He won first place in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:36.36, earned second place in the 50-yard breaststroke with a time of 26.85, third place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.99, and fourth place in the 100-yard individual medley with a time of 55.10. Last season Tse broke two league records, marking 21.48 in the 50-yard freestyle and 26.16 in the 50-yard breaststroke.
“It makes it that much more special for my team to win our third straight championship in my last year swimming for the Bluefins,” said Tse. “I play water polo too and I think the two sports definitely complement each other and bring out the best in me.”
San Leandro performed well in multiple events including first place in the boys 13-14 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:58.51. Two-sport athlete Jessie Cerna-Rivera, whose main sport is soccer for Notre Dame High School where he just graduated, competed for the San Leandro swim team his entire career thus far. This is his last year swimming for San Leandro and possibly also his last year altogether because he plans to pursue his soccer career in college.
“I came into today with the mentality that I’m going to give it everything I got since this is my final year and doing it for my swim family, because this team is like my family,” said Rivera. “I have committed to the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota where I hope to play soccer.”
On day two during the 12 and under competition, Mission Valley outperformed all other teams with six first place finishes in boys and girls medley relays combined.
“There’s a great support system built between all these swimmers who have been swimming together since a young age,” said Flowers. “There’s a feeling of nostalgia for me today, this being my last year with the Crocodiles after 10 years working for them.”
Many of these swimmers start competing at a very young age on the same team and grow up together through the program to form life-long relationships with each other and their families. The memories created in the EBSL are memories these athletes will carry for the rest of their lives.
For more information about the East Bay Swim League and the championship meet, visit www.ebsl.org.
