Long Course Junior Event Has 184 Teams

More than 1,000 of the top 18-and-under swimmers from the western United States will compete in the Junior Olympic Long Course National Championships West, beginning today at the Mission Viejo International Sports Complex.

Some 184 teams will compete in the event.

The Mission Viejo Nadadores, who tied for first in the Short Course Junior Nationals this spring, are expected to contend for a title.

The long course defending champion, the Schroeder Swim Team of Milwaukee, has a strong team again this year.

Aside from the team competition, many of the top swimmers will be trying to qualify for the 1988 Olympic Trials next August.

Top competition is expected from many Orange County athletes, including Natasha Kohne, 13, of Mission Viejo. She won the women’s division of the Seal Beach Rough Water 1-mile Swim last month.

Kohne is seeded in the top eight in the 400-meter freestyle and the 200- and 400-meter intermediate medley events.

“She’s been swimming great through this summer,” said Nadadore Junior National coach Martin Craig. “Natasha’s swimming against a lot older girls, but this field will be exceptionally fast.”

Frank Wattles, 17, of the Nadadores is seeded in the top eight of the 100-meter freestyle and butterfly.

Freestyle specialists Craig Sutfin and Greg Larson are expected to lead the Irvine Nova swim team. Sutfin, 18, and Larson, 17, will compete in the 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1,500-meter freestyle.

Fullerton Aquatics swim team will be led by Jeff Barman, 18, and Gary Van Voxtel, 17, in the 200-meter butterfly. Kim Martin, 15, and Joyce Lightfoot, 16, will be strong contenders in the 800-meter freestyle.

Competition starts today with 800-meter freestyle qualifying at 4 p.m. Finals are scheduled at 6 p.m. through Saturday.