The area’s top-10 high school teams from the 2008-09 season were selected by the La Cañada Valley Sun and Glendale News-Press sports department.
No. 1: La Cañada boys’ swimming — Could there have been a better way for their final season to end for the Spartan seniors?
Cinching up their fourth consecutive CIF Division II championship in May, the La Cañada boys’ swim team was an absolute force in the water, dominating in the relays and individuals.
“This win is retribution,” said senior Josh Renfro, referring to the boys’ water polo team’s loss in the CIF playoffs only months before (see No. 5). “I feel fulfilled. ... It makes a statement about our program in general. The strength of our players; our collective will.”
After last year’s surprising win over Loyola, it looked like the Spartans were going to have a tough road back to the championship with the loss of star Ian Mirasola.
But as it turned out, Loyola and Hart, another big competitor in CIF Southern Section Division II, were both bumped up to Division I while La Cañada stayed in Division II.
The Spartans also returned a number of their stronger seniors: Chris Myers, Renfro, Conner Rothe, Spencer Borisoff and Paul Miernicki—not to mention the diving of John Geyer.
Sweeping the Rio Hondo league, La Cañada headed into the Division II prelims and got 15 different qualifying times—more than any other team.
From there, it was easy. A fifth place finish in the boys’ 200 yard medley paced the squad. Chris Myers’ top-five finishes in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle racked up some points—and earned the senior All-Area swimmer of the year honors.
The brilliant diving performance of John Geyer—who won the boys’ one-meter diving competition—put the Spartans over the top in the CIF-SS Division II finals.
With a 20-point lead heading into the final event, the boys’ 400 yard freestyle relay, Renfro, Rothe, Alex Campbell and Myers took first place, nearly breaking the Division II meet record that they had set only the day before.
La Cañada won their fourth Division II championship in as many years with 234.5 points, outscoring Oaks Christian (205) by nearly 30 points.
