Gregori’s Christian Britton, district stars make splash at section swim meet

Christian Britton triumphantly slapped the choppy water at Tokay High School, releasing years of pent-up emotion with a cool chlorine spray.

The moment had always managed to elude the tough-luck Gregori star, who led the Stanislaus District’s assault on the Sac-Joaquin Section Swimming Championships on Saturday.

“I just went for it,” Britton said, “and more than anything, it was fun to swim with no regrets.”

Britton qualified for the CIF State Swimming and Diving Championships in two individual events and a relay, then returned to the deck to cheer on his high school and club teammates.

Each one seemed to meet the challenge. The Stanislaus District will send five swimmers, one relay team and one diver to next week’s state meet at the Clovis Olympic Swim Complex at Clovis West High School.

Three other swimmers qualified in two individual events: Sierra dynamo and reigning All-District Swimmer of the Year Scott Tolman, who won the 100-yard breaststroke; Downey sprinter Kyle White; and Gregori’s Andrew Britton, Christian’s younger brother.

Ripon sophomore Ty Wells also advanced to the state meet in the 100 breaststroke for the second consecutive year.

All five swimmers train with Ripon Aquatics, coached by Ripon High aquatics coach and former section champion Erik Zador.

“It was all about believing in themselves,” said Zador, who will take all five to Sunday’s Post-Taper Meet in Davis. “We’ve worked so hard. This season our main focus was confidence, believing in what they can accomplish. That was our goal, and they accomplished that.”

Zador’s words connected with Christian, a workout warrior searching for validation in a big meet.

“Getting the confidence to say, ‘I can hang with these guys and I belong here’ is what I needed more than anything,” Christian said.

For most of Christian’s high school career, the section meet was a source of frustration and disappointment.

Christian missed his sophomore season because of shoulder surgery. He tore shoulder cartilage during water polo and couldn’t swim for six months.

“It was all dry lands,” he said of his workouts. “My legs got pretty strong.”

The flu toppled his chances last spring. Christian woke up the morning of finals with “the worst of it” and labored to fifth in the 200 individual medley and added about 20 seconds in the 500 freestyle.

“That was huge, just because everything he’s been through,” Zador said after Christian placed third in the 200 freestyle in 1 minute, 39.44 seconds, punctuating his performance by slapping the water.

“He had so much pressure on him. In the last year, we’ve worked with him, teaching him to have fun and know the work you put in will be there (on race day). It was up to him to put that pressure and expectation aside and enjoy the moment.”

Christian also finished third in the 100 butterfly to become the first of the four to clinch multiple berths.

“It means more than I think I can put into words,” he said. “The last two years, this meet has really haunted me, between having the flu last year and shoulder surgery the year before. Seeing my coach’s face and my parents’ faces ... we’ve put so much into this. That’s really where all the emotions came from. We’ve wanted this for so long.”

Tolman was the district’s only event winner at sections, pulling away from Wells (55.94) in the final 25 yards to win the 100 breaststroke in 55.58. Tolman, who is tapering for the state meet, also finished second in the 200 individual medley (1:51.78).

Andrew Britton finished on his heels in both events.

Seeded last in the 200 individual medley final, the Gregori sophomore turned in a stunning swim by finding his “fifth gear.”

Positioned in Lane 8, the younger Britton executed his strategy, pacing himself through the first two disciplines. He wanted to make sure he had enough left in the tank for the final sprint.

Andrew, who touched the wall in 1:52.92, was pushed along by his high school and club teammates, who gathered at each end of his lane.

“All the cheering, the coaches, the crowd, the screaming and whistling pushes you to go harder,” said Andrew, who also qualified in the 100 breaststroke (56.16). “It puts you in that fifth gear.”

White placed third in the 50 and 100 freestyle.

In the 50, he separated off the wall and qualified for Clovis by a fraction of a second at 21.30.

White credited his swim to a clean start and strong flip turn.

“Your dive, your underwater work and your turn all make a big difference,” White said. “If you do all three, you’ve won. I think I had one of my best dives ever in that race.”

White shocked even himself in the 100.

Once again, the Downey dart shot off the block, but the fast start left him winded in the third lap. As he made the final turn, with state in sight, White fought through the fatigue.

“I just came home,” said White, whose time of 46.75 was one-hundredth of a second faster than his seeding time.

Gregori set the tone for the Stanislaus District in the fourth event of the day, the 200 medley relay. The Jaguars finished third in 1:36.01, about three seconds faster than their Modesto Metro Conference record.

Josh Harms swam the finishing leg, and though he couldn’t see anybody, he could sense the race would end with a photo finish.

It did.

The quartet of Aidan Wong, the Britton brothers and Harms advanced by a tenth of a second.

“I was trying to go all out,” Harms said. “I knew it would be close. I couldn’t see anybody around me, but I knew they were close. I just had to finish strong.”

This story was originally published May 14, 2016 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Gregori’s Christian Britton, district stars make splash at section swim meet."