Bonita Vista High School senior Anthony Ribal is swimming more relaxed these days, and it’s showing in the water.
The defending Division I San Diego Section champion in the boys 100-yard breaststroke, Ribal recently made his college selection final. He will attend Claremont McKenna College, a Division III school, where he will pursue both academics and swimming.
“Now that I’ve made my choice as to which college I will attend, I no longer have to deal with that uncertainty,” Ribal said. “Now I can concentrate on my swimming. That big burden is gone.”
Riball had received recruiting interest from several Ivy League schools. However, that would have meant a move across country. But, as the school’s salutatorian with a weighted 4.57 grade-point average, the Baron standout looks to succeed on any coast.
“I’m most excited to take the math classes (at Claremont McKenna),” he said. “I’m going into economics.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Ribal is undefeated in all the individual events in which he has competed this season.
He won the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke events in Bonita Vista’s Mesa League dual meet April 3 at Southwestern College. He timed 49 seconds in the 100 freestyle and 1:02 in the breaststroke.
Ribal’s goals remain the same as they did last year: to win a CIF title in the breaststroke and set a new CIF record in the process.
“I’m about two seconds off it but I’ve started weight-lifting this season and we’ll see how it works out,” he said. “I think my stroke is a lot better, stronger.”
Ribal is the three-time league champion in the breaststroke and a two-time league champion in the 100 freestyle distance (in which he finished third at last year’s section finals in 47.38).
His winning breaststroke time at last year’s division finals was 58.53. The section record is 56.38.
He can do the math, of course.
Notepad
Bonita Vista swept Olympian by identical 107-61 scores in both the boys and girls dual meets on April 3 to improve to 2-0 in league, 4-0 overall.
Boys event winners, besides Ribal, for Bonita Vista included Bryan Murillo (200 freestyle), Daniel Ribal (200 individual medley), Anthony Muzquiz (50 freestyle) and Sam Cohen (100 backstroke). The Barons were also victorious in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.
Girls event winners for Bonita Vista included Michelle McClelland (200 freestyle), Laryssa Lucatero (200 IM and 100 backstroke), Brigitte Bordenave (100 butterfly and 100 freestyle), Sydney Austin (500 freestyle) and Jovanna Parra (100 breaststroke). The Barons swept all three relays: 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle.
Olympian’s event winners included Andres Luna (100 butterfly) and Patricio Rodriguez (500 freestyle) in the boys meet and Alyssa Flores (50 freestyle) in the girls meet. The Eagles also won the boys 200 freestyle relay.
Otay Ranch topped Hilltop in another Mesa League dual meet on April 3, with the Mustangs girls winning 123-63 and the ORHS boys winning 105-80.
