Torrey Pines’ Logan Noguchi wins 2 state swimming titles; San Diegans shine in pool

For his final high school performance, Torrey Pines High School senior Logan Noguchi became a double state individual swimming champion and the owner of two new CIF San Diego Section records.

Noguchi prevailed in both the boys 100-yard butterfly (46.12 seconds) and the 100 backstroke (47.49) Saturday in the ninth CIF State Championships at Clovis West High School near Fresno.

This came a week after Noguchi rewrote the marks in both events at the section finals.

Local boys had gone without winning a state title since Fallbrook’s Bobby Guerrera won the 500 free in the inaugural event in 2015.

“I’ve been trying to (win state) for four years,’’ Noguchi said by phone. “It’s great that it came together. It was fun. My training has been good, and all the things lined up properly with my teammates supporting me.”

In addition, Noguchi contributed to section records in the 200 medley relay (1:31.55) and the 400 freestyle relay (3:02.30).

The Princeton-bound Noguchi, who also owns the 200 individual medley record (1:47.96) set two years ago, closed his prep career with three individual section records and two relay marks.

In the 100 fly, Noguchi trimmed more than half a second off his previous mark (46.66), and in the 100 backstroke, he improved by six hundredths of a second from the old record (47.55).

Noguchi led off the Falcons 200 medley (1:31.55) that improved on its year-old mark (1:31.75) while placing fifth. He later anchored the 400 free relay that finished sixth, two seconds off the record from the section finals (3:04.92).

Also on both relay teams were senior Elek Zettle and sophomore Lukas Stein. Junior Max Yu competed in the 200 medley relay, and junior Kale Lozano in the 400 freestyle relay.

“It was a been great day for Torrey Pines,’’ said Falcons coach Richard Contreras, whose boys squad placed fourth in the team standings (139 points). “I’m really happy for the kids. The team really came together, and about everything went as about as well as it could for us.’’

The Torrey Pines girls also improved their record in the 200 free relay with a fourth-place showing (1:34.46) that upgraded their mark (1:35.40) from the section finals.

The lineup with no seniors included junior Sophia Kelley, sophomore Katerina Wietfeldt, freshman Anita Qian and sophomore Aya Ferguson.

As a team, the Falcons girls finished 18th (58 points).

La Jolla senior Arielle Brotman (53.00) improved on her top-seed time (53.44) in the 100 girls fly, but finished second by half a second off first (52.51).

Brotman, a future Cal swimmer coming off a career sweep of double wins in the section finals, placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.83)

A year ago, Brotman placed third in the 100 butterfly (54.07) and eighth in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.32).

Also in top three this year, Mater Dei Catholic junior Isa Chavez-Varela finished third (2:01.84) in the 200 individual medley.

Mt. Carmel sophomore Catherine Rowe placed fourth in the 100 breast (55.02). In the section prelims, Rowe (54.63) had approached the section’s second-oldest record (54:55).

Sundevils teammate Delaney Alonso finished eighth (55.75) in the same event.

On the boys side, Canyon Crest senior Bekzhan Yessengeldy placed third (55.23) in the 100 breaststroke, improving by three tenths of a second from the section finals.

In diving on Thursday, Torrey Pines senior Ezra Purcell placed third (564.20 points), up from seventh (520.20) a year ago.

Point Loma freshman Alex Pletcher placed 12th (1:38.96) in the 200 free and 13th in the 100 free (45.25), one spot behind Zettle (45.00).

Santa Margarita took both the boys and girls team titles.

Local girls have won three state championships.

University City’s Kathryn Hazle claimed the 500 free title last year, and Eastlake’s Emily Lundgren, currently at Washington State, took the 100 breast in 2002.

Torrey Pines’ Mia Kragh, currently at Cal, became the first local girl to prevail by taking 100 fly in 2019.

Thien is a freelance writer.