All-Area Swimming: La Serna’s Shew, Santa Fe’s Brandt earn top honors


SWIMMERS OF THE YEAR: Andrew Brandt, from Santa Fe, and Kiersten Shew, of La Serna were selected as the Whittier Daily News boys and girls swimmers of the year (Staff photo by Keith Durflinger)

DAILY NEWS 2012 ALL-AREA SWIMMING TEAM
BOYS
Swimmer of the Year:
Andrew Brandt, Santa Fe, So.
Coach of the Year: Mary Ann Prutsman, Santa Fe
FIRST TEAM
Mitchel Embrey, La Serna, Jr.
Sean Haramija, La Mirada, Sr.
Sean Lundin, La Mirada, So.
Kris Kohout, La Serna, Jr.
Seth Villeda, Santa Fe, Fr.
SECOND TEAM
Max McCollum, La Serna, So.
Andrew Torres, Montebello, Sr.
Marcus Delgado, La Serna, Sr.
Isiah Gaytan, Whittier, So.
Kevan Brown, La Serna, Sr.
GIRLS
Swimmer of the Year:
Kiersten Shew, La Serna, Sr.
Coach of the Year: Erin Brown, La Serna
FIRST TEAM
Alyssa Shew, La Serna, So.
Melissa Lopez, La Serna, Jr.
Gabby Pierandozzi, La Serna, Jr.
Samantha Ellis, La Serna, So.
Bertha Baca, La Mirada, Jr.
SECOND TEAM
Lizette Perez, Montebello, Fr.
Gabriela Perez, Montebello, So.
Laura Jimenez, Montebello, So.
Katrina McGrath, La Serna, Fr.
Marissa Lopez, California, Sr.

By Steve Ramirez, SGVN
twitter.com/DailyNewsSports

For one, the 2012 high school swimming season was a coronation of one of the best careers in recent area history.
For the other, it was a coming out party.
La Serna’s Kiersten Shew, who won a CIF-Southern Section individual title for the second consecutive season, and Santa Fe’s Andrew Brandt, who emerged as possibly the area’s next star, both shined above the rest.
For their efforts, Shew and Brandt are Daily News Swimmers of the Year.
The boys All-Area team also features La Serna’s Mitchel Embrey and Kris Kohout; La Mirada’s Sean Haramija and Sean Lundin and Santa Fe’s Seth Villeda.
Santa Fe’s Mary Ann Prutsman is Boys Coach of the Year.
The girls first team is the La Serna quartet of Alyssa Shew, Melissa Lopez, Gabby Pierandozzi and Samantha Ellis and La Mirada’s Bertha Baca.
La Serna’s Erin Brown is Girls Coach of the Year.
Shew, who has received an athletic scholarship to attend Arizona State, completed one of the area’s best seasons by winning the 50-yard freestyle championship during the CIF-SS Division 3 championships in May.
The senior, who swept the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke during the Del Rio League finals, used a time of 24.76 seconds to win the 50 at the CIF-SS championships before helping the Lancers’ relay teams win division titles in the 200 medley (1:50.68) and 200 free (1:40.21).
“It felt amazing to win CIF again,” Shew said. “It felt as if all my hard work and training daily had truly paid off.
“It was extremely rewarding to have my CIF career end just the way I hoped it would.”
Now Shew is hoping to continue that success at Arizona State.
“I’m so exciting to be attending ASU,” Shew said. “I can’t wait to swim for their team. I just hope to improve in the sport of swimming while I’m there.”
Brandt, meanwhile, hopes to continue the success he enjoyed this season.
The sophomore had two top-five finishes to lead the area at the CIF-SS championships. He was fifth in Division 3 in the 200 individual medley (2:03.30) and fifth in the 500 free (4:57.82).
Brandt also swept two events at the Del Rio League finals, winning the 500 free (5:05.70) and the 200 IM (2:07.47).
“I thought I did very well this year,” Brandt said. “I had two personal best, so I really felt I had a great year.
“I recently had a change in coaching at my club, and I think the different training helped me. I grew this year. I’m up there with the top swimmers in the area. But I have more work to do.”
Brown, named Girls Water Polo Coach of the Year in the winter, earned her such honor of the year after La Serna went 5-0 to win the Del Rio League, won all l1 events at the league finals and had six competitors finish among the top 20 at the CIF-SS championships.
Prutsman helped Santa Fe score four individual league titles and had two competitors finish among the top 20 during the CIF-SS championships.
Alyssa Shew lived up to her family expectations by placing second in the 200 IM (2:07.34) and 100 breaststroke (1:06.28) at CIF-SS finals. She was also won the 50 (24.12) and 100 freestyles (59.51)at the Del Rio League finals.
Lopez, Pierandozzi and Ellis were also solid at the CIF-SS meet. Lopez was fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 200 (2:00.11) and 500 (5:24.63) freestyles, with Pierandozzi sixth in the 100 butterfly (1:01.12) and 16th in the 100 free (55.73).
Ellis was 17th in the 100 butterfly (1:06.76).
Baca had a nice double, placing ninth in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.73) and 17th in the 200 IM (2:22.02).
Embrey and Kohout helped La Serna to an undefeated league season. The duo each won an event at the Del Rio League finals.
Embrey had two top-10 finishes at the Division 3 championships. He was sixth in the 50 free (21.96) and eighth in the 100 free (48.97). Kohout was eighth in the 100 backstroke (57.61).
Sean Haramija and Sean Lundin were La Mirada’s top two competitors at the Division 3 championships. Haramija was fifth in the 100 free (48.47) and seventh in the 50 free (22.22). Lundin was sixth in the 500 free (4:58.08).
Villeda had two consolation finishes at the division finals, placing 11th in the 100 butterfly (55.66) and 14th in the 200 free (1:52.45).

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