Everything was green and white at the City Swimming Championships held at Valley Academy on Saturday.
Granada Hills won the boys and girls for the second consecutive year, thanks to its overall depth and several outstanding personal efforts.
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Junior Ryan Zheng defended his championship in 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle races and anchored the winning 4x50 and 4x100 freestyle relays. Senior Kenneth Devis won 100 butterflies and 100 breaststrokes for the third consecutive year and led the 4x100 freestyle relay, the Highlanders accumulated 473 points and finished the distant runner-up.
Zheng defeated teammate Kyle Lee with his personal best 1 minute in the 200 freestyle, who finished second in more than four seconds. In the 500 freestyle, Zheng won the victory at 4:42.33, while Palisades' Christopher Goodman (4:55.05) ranked Lee (4:55.18) second.
Granada Hills veteran Kenneth Devis won his third year of 100 breaststrokes in his third year in the city lane final on Saturday. (Steve Galluzzo / Times)
In one of the closest matches of the day, Zheng held the final lap of David Abarbanel of Taft, winning the Highlanders' 200 freestyle relay victory in 6500 seconds, winning 1:29.12. In the final game, Zheng won the Highlanders first place with a 3:16.79 advantage in Cleveland sophomore Aleksander Fadipe. The Cavaliers ranked second in 3:18.02, and Palisades ranked third in 3:32.44.
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"Freestyle is my profession - it's pretty much what I do," Zheng said. "I'm very proud of us winning 200 (relay races). That's the biggest. As for these two individual events, hopefully next year will be my three. Finger crosses!"
Devis has dominated two sophomore events since his sophomore year, and on Saturday he won the breaststroke in 56.35 seconds, his favorite event, winning the Butterfly in his personal best 49.59 seconds.
“My goal is to swim me in college,” said Devis, who competes for the Rose Bowl water sports in club season.
The boys' victory was also senior Jean Darbo, who finished first in the 100 backstroke of 51.91.
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Itay Goudz of Taft (47.94) ranked second with the top qualifier for Palisades in 100 freestyle Riley Amis with 22.37, behind Palisades' Roi Levertov (21.96).
Granada Hills sophomore Isabella San Jose swooped from the block to start the anchor leg of the Highlanders' victory 4x100 freestyle relay. (Steve Galluzzo / Times)
On the women’s side, the Highlanders won their third straight and ninth championship, with 426 points and finished second in the Super Runner-up (252), with them sharing last spring’s title.
Granada Hills won all three relays, with sophomore Isabella San Jose winning 200 medleys at 2:08.62, 100 breaststrokes at 1:03.69, and then anchoring the 4x100 freestyle relay. Her sister Ava swam the second round in the 4x50 freestyle relay and the third stop in the 400. Freshman Meygen Flores ranked third in the 200 freestyle at 1:58.21 and won 100 butterflies at 57.75.
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Gala's Jordyn Hale won the 50 freestyle in 24 seconds, second only to Iris Paek (52.93) in the 53.57 100 freestyle (53.57).
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The story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.