SWIMMING NOTEBOOK: SAUGUS FRESHMAN KRISTENSEN AN EMERGING STAR.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - His sister graduated as the Foothill League's undisputed champion in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles and now owns two school records after her freshman season at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

His friend and fellow freshman is an Olympic Trials hopeful who just won three events at the California-Nevada spring sectionals and is a potential Southern Section Div. I champion in the 100 breaststroke.

Yet Saugus High freshman Ryan Kristensen already has carved out his own identity - despite the challenge following in his sister Lauren's footsteps - on a Centurions team now dominated by All-American freshman John Criste.

Kristensen won the 50 and 100 freestyle Tuesday as Saugus defeated Crespi of Encino at the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center. Kristensen's time of 23.19 seconds in the 50 was 0.39 seconds off the consideration standard for the section championships.

``He's dropping time like crazy right now,'' Saugus coach Jim Klipfel said.

Kristensen has yet to fill out his frame and could grow as tall as his 6-foot-4 father. He also should push Hart's Andrew Evans, the defending league champion, in the 50 freestyle come May. Kristensen is 0.11 seconds off the time Evans posted at last year's league finals.

``I'm trying to make (Southern Section championships),'' said Kristensen, who came from far back to win the 50 freestyle against Crespi. ``If I keep practicing, I think I'll get it.''

Kristensen started swimming by following Lauren to the pool as a child. He swims for the same Canyons Aquatics club team as Criste, and acknowledged Tuesday that it is easy for him to get overshadowed.

But Kristensen will be key if Saugus is to beat Hart in their March 31 meet. Along with Criste, the Centurions also have two standouts who someday could shift the balance of power in the league.

``It seems like we're getting better,'' Kristensen said.

--Fresh water: The biggest change in Santa Clarita swimming has come with the opening of the city's new $9.1 million aquatics center, a facility more than three years in the making.

Hart and Valencia inaugurated the pool last week by hosting simultaneous dual meets against Quartz Hill and Highland of Palmdale, respectively. Saugus is the only Foothill League school not practicing at the pool this season.

``They call it `The Jewel of the City' because it is state-of-the-art,'' project technician Cindy Cameron said. ``I personally think it's the best facility we have.''

With a 50-meter Olympic pool, the aquatics center can accommodate double dual meets as well as eight lanes of swimmers. The first set of double meets went smoothly, though at least one swimmer took off with the start command of the other meet.

``You have to tune out the other meet,'' Valencia coach Kathleen Perdisatt said. ``Even though the natural curiosity is to see what's going on.''

The pool is heaven-sent for area teams that have trained for years in less-than-ideal conditions. Hart, for example, was able to move out of its former home at Newhall pool, whose five lanes spanned the unusual 35-yard distance.

The pool will be the site of May's Foothill League championships. Valencia also will host the inaugural Santa Clarita Relay Invitational on April 17 with the hope of someday growing the 10-team relay meet to the size of the Royal Invitational in Simi Valley.

--Poolsmanship: One event the center will not be hosting, however, is the March 31 showdown between Saugus and Hart. Klipfel wanted the dual meet held at College of the Canyons, where the Saugus girls ended Hart's 20-year unbeaten run in league competition a year ago.

Klipfel said he preferred College of the Canyons because the indoor pool provides a better environment, last year the bleachers were filled with both teams' supporters. Klipfel also said he did not want to swim an eight-lane meet at the center against Hart.

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com