SOUTHERN SECTION SWIMMING: SHIFLETT WINS TWO IN DIV. IV.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

LONG BEACH - Less than a year into its existence, Oaks Christian High of Westlake Village has its first Southern Section champion.

Brett Shiflett won the 200-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke events in Thursday's Southern Section Swimming Championships to cap a year of firsts for the freshman from Agoura Hills.

Shiflett also set the Division IV records in both events, since the division was created this year for smaller schools, including Oaks Christian, which opened last fall with fewer than 200 students.

She qualified second in both events but edged Whitney's Melissa Wong (1 minute, 52.48 seconds to 1:52.81) to win the 200 free, then held off three strong challengers to win the backstroke in 59.44. Both times were personal bests.

``I didn't think I was going that fast,'' Shiflett said of the 200 free. ``(Wong) was going really fast in lane four. I was just excited and nervous.

``(In the backstroke) I just let it go, since this was my last meet. I slipped a little on the start (in prelims), but I still felt pretty confident.''

Other high local finishers included Buckley's William Chae, second in the 50 free (22.16) and third in the 100 free (48.20); Highland's Michele Kumaus, third in the 200 IM (2:11.61) and the 100 breaststroke (1:06.97); and Quartz Hill's Peter McVey, third in the 200 IM (1:57.56) and the 100 breaststroke (1:00.85).

Cerritos won the boys' team title with 273.5 points and the Brea Olinda girls won with 213 points.

In Division II, it will be a Showdown Saturday at Belmont Plaza for James Jenkins and Mike Linn.

Jenkins, of Crescenta Valley High, and Linn, of Hart in Newhall, are seeded first and second respectively in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events based on their success in Thursday's prelims.

Two duo will meet twice in Saturday's finals, with Jenkins on the cusp of at least one meet record and Linn hoping to lead the Indians to a team divisional championship.

Several other local swimmers had good times in Division II, including Maureen Farrell of Alemany in Mission Hills, who broke her own Division II meet record in the 100 backstroke in 23.96 and likely will go lower in the finals.

But the high drama is with Jenkins and Linn, who have gone head to head twice already this season, with Linn winning both events in a nonleague dual meet and Jenkins earning payback at last month's Royal Invitational.

Jenkins, who said he has not yet finished shaving down, breezed home in his 50 free heat in a personal-best 20.69 seconds, within striking distance of the Division II meet record of 20.27.

``It's nice to put up a time like that, especially since it's better than I did all of last year,'' Jenkins said. ``It definitely gives me some confidence going into the finals.''

Linn, who swam in the previous heat, finished in 21.38 but was happier with his 100 free time of 46.51, just off Jenkins' 45.95. Jenkins and Linn were side by side in the same heat.

``It's good that I've beat him once, because otherwise he'd seem like a monster,'' Linn said.

The Hart boys can score points in nine of the 12 events, and the girls' competition is wide open, with last year's runner-up, Crescenta Valley, having a shot to win thanks to double-finalists Alexis Sheridan (200 and 500 free) and Tawne Fishback (100 fly and 100 breaststroke).

The most impressive individual effort in Thursday's prelims came from Ferrell, who broke the record of 55.56 she tied last year and held with Meredith Booker, and won the 50 free in 23.96.

La Canada's Alyssa Chin qualified first in the 200 IM (2:05.99) and fourth in the 100 backstroke (57.33).

The meet continues today with Division III prelims at 10 a.m. and Division I finals at 4 p.m.