SOUTHERN SECTION SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS: OAKS CHRISTIAN'S SHIFLETT BREAKS RECORDS Q.H. GIRLS TAKE 1ST TEAM TITLE IN ANTELOPE VALLEY-AREA HISTORY.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

LONG BEACH - Brett Shiflett came to Belmont Plaza three years ago as the lone representative of the Oaks Christian High of Westlake Village swimming program. She completed her final high school meet Thursday with a legacy that will be hard for future Lions to match.

Shiflett broke her own Div. IV record in the 200-yard freestyle from last year by more than a second, as she finished in 1 minute, 49.80 seconds, then also set the division record in the 100 free at 51.15 in a successful evening at the Southern Section championships.

``She's every guy's idol on our team,'' said Oaks Christian's Adam Corriea, who anchored the boys 200 medley relay that finished in a division-record time of 1:40.68. ``We're trying to catch up with her.''

The Quartz Hill girls won the first team title in Antelope Valley-area history, as the Rebels totaled 215 points to the second-place total of 200 by La Reina of Thousand Oaks.

The Rebels repeated their victory in the 200 medley relay (1:54.96) as Sarah Colvin finished the backstroke leg in 28.38 then finished third in the 100 free (53.79) and third in the 100 back (1:00.22).

Quartz Hill didn't have an individual champion, but won with superior depth.

``I'm numb right now,'' coach Mark Thibault said. ``Those girls worked their tails off. I knew we would have to have the meet of our lives and the girls did that. I told them we had to win every heat, whether it was consolation or finals, and we really came through.''

Shiflett, who won two titles in 2001 when Oaks Christian had yet to officially form a swimming program, has long dominated the 200 free, but took a chance in the 100 free against stiffer competition. It mattered not, as she started strong in the first 25 yards and broke the two-year-old record by 0.55 seconds.

``I think (the 200) was more special because it was tougher,'' Shiflett said. ``I just felt like I was better when I have somebody to compete against, so I wanted to challenge myself in my last year.''

Emily Bibb, a freshman from La Reina, finished second in 51.56 and also broke the previous division record.

``I was thinking that whichever one of us won the race would probably get the record,'' Shiflett said. ``I wanted to get it this year, because I know she will probably break it next year.''

Shiflett has been one of the division's dominant freestyle swimmers over the past four years, and it seems that title might be passed to Bibb, who also won the 50 free in 24.11, just two-hundredths of a second off the division record.

``I was more excited than nervous,'' Bibb said. ``I felt pretty comfortable because I'm used to swimming in this pool with my club team, so I wasn't too nervous.

``This is the first time La Reina has really gone anywhere in swimming. We won the league title for the first time, and my goal is for La Reina to get more notice in swimming.''

The Quartz Hill boys had hopes of a team title but finished second as Los Altos won the team title with 244 points to the Rebels' 209.

Matt Smith led the Quartz Hill boys with a second-place finish in the 100 fly (55.20) and a third-place finish in the 200 individual medley (1:59.81).

Oaks Christian's Jon Pare won the 100 back (55.09) and finished fourth in the 200 free (1:46.65) and was also a member of the Lions' record-setting 200 medley relay team, which features freshmen Pare and Mike Blanchard, senior Alec Avedissian and Corriea, a junior.

``I had no idea we even had a chance at the record,'' Corriea said. ``It's nice, because the team is so young and we know we're going to get better.''

In the Div. III prelims, held Thursday morning, the Rio Mesa of Oxnard boys and Camarillo girls had strong showings.

Rio Mesa's Tyler Owens qualified second in the 100 free (48.09) and seventh in the 200 free (1:47.75) and Justin Burdine qualified third in the 50 free (22.21) and third in the 100 free (49.32). Flintridge Prep's Ben Naecker qualified third in the 100 free (49.32).

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com