Los Gatos High's varsity girls swimming team entered the last race of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division finals in first place—a situation similar to one it faced before.

Led by seniors Gabriella Hdez and Kelsey Hunter, the Wildcats entered the last event of a long afternoon at Fremont High's aquatics center on May 7 with a five-point lead over Lynbrook. In a mid-March dual meet the Wildcats were slightly ahead of Lynbrook going into the last event, but the Vikings won the 400-yard freestyle relay and the meet.

In the recent El Camino meet Los Gatos again bowed to Lynbrook in the 400 relay, as the Vikings posted a meet record time of 3:44.1 and clinched the team title by the narrowest of margins, 415-414.

Los Gatos' team of Hdez, junior Alyssa Uno, sophomore Taryn Hunter and Kelsey Hunter clocked 3:51.69, better than the qualifying standard for the Central Coast Section championship meet.

Lynbrook also won El Camino team titles in the varsity boys and junior varsity boys divisions. Los Gatos, which had a double winner in senior Brian Williams, finished fifth with 214 points. Los Gatos ran away with the girls junior varsity crown, winning seven of the 11 races and amassing 562 points.

Hdez was a double winner prior to that final event. She had earned championships with winning times of 54.04 in the 100 free and 2:11.68 in the 200 individual medley. Uno took fifth in the 100 free with 58.80.

Kelsey Hunter won the 500 in 5:16.80 and teammates Lisa Ratzliff and Jessica Safir placed third and fourth, respectively. Senior Katie Lampe won the diving competition. Kelsey Hunter, Uno, Safir and Hdez combined to capture the 200 free relay in 1:45.43.

All three of the girls relay teams, as well as Hdez, Hunter and freshman Ratzliff in individual events, were set to compete in the CCS meet May 14­15 at Independence High in San Jose. On the boys side, Williams was entered in the 200 and 500 free races. Williams also was scheduled to swim the anchor legs for the Wildcats' 200 medley and 200 free relay units.

The Los Gatos girls 200 medley relay team of Taryn Hunter, Ratzliff, and sophomores Katie Sweeney and Safir took second place with 2:03.68.

Kelsey Hunter was second in the 200 free in 1:58.74 and Ratzliff was fourth in 2:05.21. Taryn Hunter was third in the 100 butterfly in 1:12.32. Kristen Chang was fourth in the 100 back with 1:12.89.

Williams won the varsity boys 500 free in 4:46.26, less than a second off of the league record, and the 200 free in a league-record time of 1:44.46. He also anchored the 200 free relay to a third-place finish. Andy Hight, Austin Nichols, Jack Morin and Williams combined on a time of 1:36.96.

The same quartet also placed third in the medley relay. Hight placed fifth in the 200 free and Morin was sixth in the 50 free.

Although the junior varsity boys placed second behind Lynbrook, the Wildcats managed one more first-place finish (six) than the Vikings. The Wildcats won two relays and four individual events, including several in record time.

Robert Shamshoian won the 500 free in 5:50.99 and the 100 back in 1:06.64, both JV league records. Forest Gallien won the 50 free in 25.76, a day after setting a new record (25.49) in the preliminaries. Sophomore Ben Draa covered the 50-yard butterfly course in 28.11, a new league record.

Two Wildcat relay teams set new league records. The 200 medley relay of Shamshoian, John Gallier, Draa and Forest Gallier won in 1:57.78. The 200 free relay squad of Draa, F. Gallier, Brett Krouskup and Shamshoian teamed up to set a new league record (1:43.93).

Junior varsity girls league champions included Wildcats Melissa Coleman, Katharyn Roberts, Emily Tighe and Lindsay Parsons, plus a couple of relay teams.

Roberts won the 200 free in 2:26.47, leading a Los Gatos sweep. Parsons was second in 2:28.95 and junior Kristina Cottle was third in 2:28.97. Another teammate, sophomore Stephanie Wessels, placed seventh in 2:38.66.

Coleman won the freestyle sprints, going 27.82 in the 50 and a league record 1:01.60 in the 100. Tighe, Parsons and Coleman combined with Caitlyn Horton to win the medley relay in 2:16.28. Parsons won the 500 free in 6:30.66.

Rita Warkov, Lauren Martin, Roberts and Coleman swam to victory in the 200 free relay. Amber Morse was second in the 100 breast. Warkov was fourth and Horton fifth.

Sarah Raider, Alyssa Kraig-Arnold and Kati Pease swept fourth through sixth place in the 100 back.

Parsons, Roberts, Kelly Wilbur and Warkov teamed up for a second place in the 400 free relay.