JSerra’s girls swim team faced a daunting, new challenge during its quest for a second consecutive CIF Division 1 title.
Instead of playing the role of surprising upstart that marked their championship season in 2012, the Lions were a hunted team this season.
“I think people are coming after them,” JSerra coach Mary McLaughlin said.
But despite the tag of favorite — which usually brings added pressure — JSerra still found its desired destination.
Thanks to an atmosphere of fun and team unity nurtured by McLaughlin, the Lions captured a second straight Division 1 crown, setting a then-national record in the 400-yard freestyle relay and four Orange County records in the process.
For her efforts, McLaughlin has been selected the Register’s girls coach of the year for 2013.
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“I want to make (swimming) as fun as possible for them,” the fourth-year coach said. “I try not to make it a big deal, and let them have a good time, and this has been our result.”
JSerra took Division 1 by storm two seasons ago, leaping from a 22nd-place finish in 2011 to its first CIF title.
The arrival of freshmen standouts Kaitlyn Albertoli, Karli Thuen, Brittany Kahn and McLaughlin’s daughter, Katie, gave JSerra the firepower to contend in 2012. So did the emergence of sprinter Rebecca Millard.
But before their CIF voyage this spring, the Lions conceded they wouldn’t surprise anyone this time. McLaughlin said her swimmers would embrace the challenge of being a marked team.
McLaughlin set the tone. She kept her swimmers relaxed with an array of activities, especially the week of CIF. The team stayed at a Riverside hotel the night before the morning prelims.
The girls also got their fingernails painted and ate lunch together during CIF week.
“It gets them together, and they can hang out and have fun and be teenage girls and just enjoy it, because they do work very, very hard,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin also made her swimmers goodie bags, featuring silly glasses with mustaches, tiaras and sparkly nail files.
JSerra became queens of the pool by not only delivering their fastest times when it matter most but handling Millard’s disqualification in the 50 free.
Millard said McLaughlin helped her cope in that tense moment.
“She told me that this is what happens when you’re on a team: people mess up and other people make up for it,” Millard said. “That’s what a team is all about.”