SWIMMING NOTEBOOK: CAMARILLO GIRLS' WIN STREAK OVER.

Byline: ERIK BOAL

Special to the Daily News

Although the Pacific View League finals are more than six weeks away, for the first time in eight years the Rio Mesa of Oxnard girls' swim team finds itself in the role of the hunted.

The Spartans' 107-75 victory Friday at Rio Mesa Community Pool snapped Camarillo's league winning streak at 39 consecutive meets. It also put Rio Mesa in strong position to secure at least a share of the league title, if not an outright championship, for the first time in eight seasons.

"It's OK, Rio Mesa has a pool and we don't," Camarillo coach Tawney Safran said.

Camarillo defeated Rio Mesa 91-85 last year, but with the graduation of Southern Section Div. III finalists Alexandra Nalevanko and Brittany Day, the Scorpions haven't had the depth to match up with the Spartans in their first of three showdowns this season.

Alicia Began and Kayleigh Jeffrey each won multiple events for Rio Mesa, which will compete against Camarillo again Friday in the finals of the Beverly Hills Invitational.

Kendall Avrea and Michelle Erlich won races and Aubree Goodman was victorious in the 1-meter diving competition for the Scorpions, who will look to extend their run of titles to eight in a row May 4 at the league finals.

Rio Mesa's boys' team took an important step toward a third consecutive championship with a 103-81 victory.

Santa Clarita showdown: After Camarillo and Rio Mesa, the next big significant league dual meet comes Wednesday, when Hart of Newhall and Valencia square off for Foothill supremacy at Santa Clarita Aquatics Center.

"The Foothill League is going to be incredible this year," said Hart coach Steve Neale, whose boys' team will put its streak of 52 consecutive league dual-meet victories on the line against the Vikings.

"Now it's one league and one valley and the loser leaves town. Every meet is going to be really exciting."

Valencia's girls' team defeated Hart 91-79 last season, the Vikings' first victory in 12 seasons against the Indians. But Hart rebounded to defeat Valencia 518-483 at the league finals, giving the Indians at least a share of 23 of the past 24 Foothill championships.

Although both teams will be without top athletes competing at the U.S. Spring National Championships in New York, the Vikings are looking to gain early advantage over Hart, since the teams won't be competing against each other April 21 at the Royal of Simi Valley Invitational because the date conflicts with Valencia's prom.

The drive for five: The La Canada boys' swim team will attempt to win its fifth consecutive title Friday at the Beverly Hills Invitational, but will likely have to do so without the services of some of its top athletes, who are also attending nationals.

"That just means some of the other guys are going to have to step up," La Canada boys' coach Art Lopez said. "The one thing we have on this team is depth."

La Canada, which tied Los Alamitos for the title March 10 at the third annual Los Alamitos Coed Relays, won eight events and set five meet records en route to last year's Beverly Hills championship.