Four share boys swim team MVP

Fallbrook High School’s boys swim banquet was held May 30 at the high school cafeteria, and four swimmers shared team Most Valuable Player honors.

Seniors Mike Maryn and Garrett McKeown, junior Sam McDaniels, and freshman Bobby Guerra shared Most Valuable Player recognition for the 2012 squad which won both the Avocado East League championship and the CIF Division I championship. “Couldn’t have done it without any of the four,” said Fallbrook coach Bill Richardson.

All four won individual events at the Palomar League meet, and the four comprised the winning 200-yard freestyle relay team which won both the league meet and the CIF championship and also the 400-yard freestyle relay squad which won the league meet and placed second at the CIF meet (the 400-yard freestyle relay team took extra precautions to avoid disqualification and seal the Warriors’ CIF championship). Maryn and Guerra won individual events at the CIF meet while McKeown had a second-place finish and McDaniels set a school record at that meet.

The four Most Valuable Player recipients also shared other awards. McKeown and Guerra shared the Coaches Award. “Both of them were really instrumental in getting kids swimming and working hard prior to the season,” Richardson said. “They really did a good job getting themselves prepared as well as keeping some other guys involved.”

Maryn and McDaniels shared the Most Inspirational honor. “Both of those guys really laid it on the line every time they swam, every time they raced,” Richardson said.

The Most Improved award went to junior Austin Fagrell, who did not swim the breaststroke last year but qualified for this year’s CIF meet consolation finals in that event and finished second to McDaniels at the league meet. He dropped more than ten seconds from his breaststroke time during the year, and he also dropped more than ten seconds from his best 2011 time in the 200-yard individual medley. Fagrell is also on Fallbrook’s water polo team; in 2011 he was a second-team Avocado East League selection and the Warriors’ most valuable player. “For him to put as much as he did into swimming shows a lot about his character,” Richardson said.

The junior varsity team’s Most Valuable Player was freshman Chase Carpenter. “Really excelled in all the events,” Richardson said. “We’re looking for big things from him over the next three years.”

Richardson said that the depth of the 2012 team kept Carpenter on this year’s junior varsity. Eight of Fallbrook’s varsity swimmers this year were seniors.

The junior varsity’s Most Improved was freshman John Traner. “He really improved over the year in both his times and his ability,” Richardson said.

Sophomore Chris Reilly took home the JV’s Most Inspirational award. “He just really did a great job of working hard and trying his best every time he swam in practice,” Richardson said.

The awards banquet included a meal and the presentations of certificates, all-league pins, and varsity letters prior to the presentation of the awards. “It went well. A great, nice, sweet, short banquet. Got done quicker than any other time we’ve ever done it,” Richardson said.

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