Costa Mesa girls, Calvary Chapel's Bianca Nwaizu pace OC swimmers at CIF-SS finals
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WALNUT — Costa Mesa’s swimming team arrived at the CIF-SS Division 3 championships Friday stocked with its school flag, the title plaques won by its boys in 2023-24 and a highly-motivated girls squad.
The Mustangs’ girls left Mt. SAC with their first section title and the memories of a colorful celebration.
Costa Mesa outdistanced Westlake by 53 points to claim its first section crown and highlight a record-setting second day of the section championships.
In the Division 2 championships, Calvary Chapel’s Bianca Nwaizu smashed the Orange County record in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 59.44 seconds. Foothill’s boys used their relays to place second in the team competition. And Villa Park senior Jay Hickman extended his family’s legacy at the CIF finals.
Costa Mesa celebrated with its collection of CIF plaques and its green-colored school flag.
“Let’s go Mesa Nation!” one supporter shouted.
Costa Mesa’s girls won the 200 medley (1:51.38) and 200 free (1:39.75) relays in school records and crowned the breaststroke champion in Melanie Pang (1:06.38).
Pang, a junior, said her team closely watched the success of the Costa Mesa boys, who captured Division 3 in 2023 and Division 2 in ’24.
“(The boys) inspired me to do better,” said Pang, who helped the Mustangs capture their first relay titles at CIF. “We all just went really fast and had fun together.”
Costa Mesa featured eight girls racing in finals. Most of the group also competes in club for Costa Mesa-based CMAC.
Mustangs co-coach Keith Ryan said the club has helped his high school program. The Mustangs placed third in Division 3 in 2024.
“They really have come together more, learned and grown,” said Ryan, who flipped into the pool during the Mustangs’ celebration.
Costa Mesa’s desire was visible in freshman Emma Freeland. Coming off ankle surgery, she touched third in the 100 butterfly in a school-record 58.37.
The Mustangs’ 200 free relay of Chloe Wool-Smith, Pang, Karolina Sangasy and Mia Walker clocked a consideration time for the CIF State meet next week.
Sonora sophomore Cassie Espinoza and Mission Viejo freshman Halle Dawson emerged in Division 3 as young swimmers to watch.
Espinoza swept the 200 (1:50.46) and 500 (4:52.10) freestyles in lifetime-best times and led off Sonora’s winning 400 free relay (3:42.42) with a lifetime-best 52.58.
Espinoza, who trains club with the La Mirada Armada, won her first section titles but took more pride in the relay. She combined with Katherine Czarnecka, Aubrey Diebolt and Elyse Kreimeyer to deliver the Raiders’ first section relay title.
“It’s more exciting (winning) with your team because it’s with people you care about and enjoy swimming with,” Espinoza said.
Dawson dropped just over four seconds from prelims to touch first in the 200 individual medley in a lifetime-best 2:05.14.
“I was fast off my walls and did a lot of underwaters (well),” said Dawson, who claimed Mission Viejo’s first individual girls title at CIF since Nicolette Teo in 2003.
Dawson, who swims club for the Mission Viejo Nadadores, finished second to Espinoza in the 500 free in a lifetime-best 4:57.68.
“She’s a racer,” Mission Viejo coach Tim Sutton said of Dawson.
In Division 2, Nwaizu sliced almost three-tenths of a second off Teagan O’Dell’s county record of 59.73 for Santa Margarita in 2023.
Nwaizu split the 50 in a sizzling 27.90 and went on to break her Division 2 record from prelims (59.89) and the pool record of Olympian Gabrielle Rose.
“It was pretty good. I kind of wanted to see at 58 because I’m wearing a new technical (suit),” said Nwaizu, a junior whose lifetime best is 59.05. “Definitely just seeing best times (motivates me).”
Nwaizu placed second in the butterfly with a lifetime-best 54.35.
Foothill’s boys scored 149 points to edge Buena by six points for second place behind Cerritos (198).
The Knights highlighted their meet by rallying to claim the 200 free relay in 1:25.94, their first section relay title since 2018.
Ezra Nelson split a 20.39 anchor to bring his team of Blake Chen, Gavin Fisher and Jared Wang to the wall just ahead of Newbury Park, which was disqualified.
“I like hawking my guy down,” Nelson said of being an anchor.
Foothill, the runner-up to Troy in the Crestview League, placed second in the 400 free relay with a 3:10.23.
“The guys got fired up and we had incredible drops,” Foothill coach Dean Crow said.
Hickman captured the 500 free in a lifetime-best and school record 4:24.54 to join his father Todd Hickman as a CIF-SS individual champion. Todd Hickman won the 200 IM for Mission Viejo in Division 4A in 1984.
On Friday, Todd Hickman helped with timing behind the blocks and exchanged a thumbs up with his son after his victory.
On the final lap, the younger Hickman held off Riverside Poly’s Dash DeAnda, who beat Hickman by about one second in the 200 free.
“It’s a great feeling. It’s like 40 years later, here comes the son,” Jay Hickman said of the father-son duo. “Ever since I was probably in the seventh or eighth grade, I had dreams of winning at CIF.”
Hickman’s runner-up finish in the 200 free of 1:38.87 broke Villa Park’s 1988 school record held by Greg Larson (1:39.04).
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 9:10 PM.