Mission Viejo swimming and diving invitational returns this weekend from extended absence

By Dan Albano | dalbano@scng.com | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: March 16, 2023 at 2:32 p.m. | UPDATED: March 16, 2023 at 3:55 p.m.

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The tradition-rich Mission Viejo swimming and diving invitational returns this weekend to the Marguerite Aquatics Complex after a three-year absence amid the pandemic and low turnout by schools.

The 48th edition of the meet will host diving on Friday morning and swimming prelims and finals all day on Saturday. The swimming finals are expected to run from 3 to 6 p.m.

“Glad to be back,” Mission Viejo boys coach Andy Garcia said.

The invitational has attracted 10 schools for the swimming competition, including several of its familiar squads from outside Orange County.

The lineup includes Mission Viejo, Mater Dei, Laguna Beach, Trabuco Hills along with Acalanes, Campolindo, Miramonte, Clovis North, Torrey Pines and Ramona of San Diego County.

The Torrey Pines girls and Campolindo boys are the defending team champions from 2019, the last time the meet was held.

Last season, Campolindo’s girls finished fifth at the CIF State championships while Clovis North placed 13th. The Torrey Pines boys are the reigning Division 1 champion in San Diego.

The diving meet will feature reigning CIF-SS Division 1 girls champion Taylor Fox of San Juan Hills and 2022 Division 1 boys runner-up Chase Shipp of Laguna Beach among others.

Please send swimming and diving news to Dan Albano at dalbano@scng.com or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter

Dan Albano | High School sports reporter

Dan Albano has been a high school sports writer at The Orange County Register since 1993. He specializes in football and all the aquatics but covers many different sports. Dan's passion for water sports has earned him the nickname, Aqua Dan, in the newsroom and taken him to multiple U.S. Olympic Swim Trials and many USA water polo events as a reporter. He also writes about high school football recruiting, including The Register's annual FAB 15 teams that list the top high school football players in the Western U.S. before National Signing Day. He compiles the Hot 150 list of football players to watch in Orange County before each season. During football season, he partners with Steve Fryer and Jonathan Khamis on OCVarsity's Gridiron Show and hosts a weekly podcast on Trinity League football. In 2015, Dan received the Bud Dwyer Jr. media award from the Southern California High School Football Coaches Association. He was honored as a Jim Staunton Champion for Character by the CIF-Southern Section in 2017. Dan is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton, where he worked at The Daily Titan as a news reporter, sports reporter, managing editor and opinion editor.

dalbano@scng.com