Santa Margarita Girls Lower National High School Record in 400 Freestyle Relay
Performance of the Week, Sponsored by Luma Lanes
To finish off an impressive state-title-winning performance at the CIF Championships in Clovis, Calif., the Santa Margarita High School team of Macky Hodges, Teia Salvino, Teagan O’Dell and Justina Kozan lowered the National High School record in the women’s 400 freestyle relay. They finished in 3:14.80 to break the overall record of 3:15.38 that Carmel set in 2015.
That Carmel team included rising stars Veronica Burchill, Claire Adams and Amy Bilquist, so this was no slouch record. Santa Margarita also broke its own national independent school record of 3:15.61 set one day earlier in prelims. O’Dell, a freshman, led the way with a 47.75 split for Santa Margarita, while Kozan, a senior heading to USC next year, anchored in 48.67.
Earlier in the meet, Santa Margarita just missed the independent school record of 1:38.77 in the 200 medley relay. Hodges, O’Dell, Kozan and Lindsay Ervin combined for a time of 1:39.04, less than three tenths short of the independent school record of 1:38.77 established by a loaded Harpeth Hall squad that included Alex Walsh, Ella Nelson and Gretchen Walsh in 2018.
Kozan also won two individual titles, in the 200 free (1:44.63) and 100 butterfly (52.75), while O’Dell finished first in the 200 IM (1:55.15) and 100 backstroke (52.27). O’Dell’s 200 IM mark is just short of what it took to reach the NCAA final this season, and the freshman will have numerous opportunities to chase the national independent school record of 1:53.90 belonging to fellow Southern California native Ella Eastin as well as Torri Huske’s overall record of 1:53.73.
Santa Margarita’s girls finished with 378 points, almost doubling runnerup Davis’ total of 204, while Loyola won the boys’ title with 217.5 points, ahead of Santa Margarita (177.5). Loyola’s Rex Maurer won the 200 freestyle in 1:35.40 and helped his team finish first in the 200 medley and 400 free relays, but he did come up short in the 500 free after posting a swift time of 4:13.90 last week. Sonora’s Matthew Chai won the 500 free this time in 4:15.09.
Congrats to SM High School!!!
Congrats to SM High School – wow!