Photo by Jason Redmond

Westlake's Jackie Brousseau is set to go in the 50-yard freestyle. Brousseau finished second in the event.

Photo by Jason Redmond

Westlake High swimmers Iris Yan, Marisa DeWames and Aislinn Smalling, from left, celebrate after their record-breaking victory in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

LONG BEACH — Equal parts preparation and motivation proved to be the impetus for Camille Duckett on Saturday evening.

The Thousand Oaks High senior knew herself, studying tapes of last year's performance at the CIF-Southern Section finals, and she knew her top opponent, with a long history of going against Westlake senior Aislinn Smalling.

She also knew she didn't want to lose to her Westlake rival again.

Duckett used a fast start and a heady middle stretch to hold off Smalling and win the girls' 200-yard freestyle at the CIF-SS Division II Swimming Championships at the Belmont Plaza Pool.

"It's awesome," she said through a smile at race's end. "I really wanted this race."

Duckett touched home in 1 minute, 49.36 seconds, a fraction ahead of Smalling, who placed second at 1:49.48. Smalling and Duckett had qualified 1-2 for the finals.

Talk about inspiration. Not only was Duckett motivated to outdo her second-place finish in the same race at last year's Division II finals, she was also prodded by losses to Smalling in the Marmonte League championships and the Thousand Oaks-Westlake dual meet.

"I didn't want to lose to her a third time," said Duckett, whose time set a program record.

Having viewed a tape of last year's 200 freestyle final, along with her up-close knowledge of Smalling, she had her strategy.

"I needed a quicker start than I had last year," said Duckett, who will attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall. "I know what (Smalling) can do. I expected her to come on strong at the end. I had to start fast, and focus on the middle 100 if I was going to win."

Smalling said the start indeed proved decisive.

"I didn't get off to a good start, but I knew I had to swim my own race," she said. "It's my best time, so I'm OK with it."

Duckett's tight duel with Smalling produced the lone individual champion for Marmonte League swimmers in the Division II finals.

The Westlake girls' foursome of Jackie Brousseau, Iris Yan, Marisa DeWames and Smalling turned out a relay highlight by racing to a meet record in the 200 freestyle relay. Their first-place time of 1:37.80 eclipsed the former top mark of 1:38.84 set by University High in 2005.

The Warriors' unit of Brousseau, Norling-Christensen, DeWames and Smalling also won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:33.57.

Duckett later placed second in the girls' 100 freestyle in 51.02, helping Thousand Oaks finish fourth in the team competition. Westlake, which won the Division II girls' crown a year ago, couldn't match Hart's depth and placed second.

Hart totaled 207.50 points, followed by Westlake (165), Flintridge Sacred Heart (139) and Thousand Oaks (137).

Smalling, in search of her first invidual CIF-SS title, came close with a pair of seconds.

She also was the runnerup in the girls' 500 freestyle, covering the distance in a personal-best 4:52.47.

"I had my best times, so it's good for me," said Smalling, who will attend Princeton in the fall.

Westlake's Brousseau took second in the 50 freestyle in 23.78 and was third in the 100 breast stroke in 1:04.39.

Thousand Oaks senior Alex Henley was fourth in the 100 butterfly, in a school-record 56.76, and was seventh in the 200 individual medley in 2:06.82.

Among the boys, Thousand Oaks senior Brendan Donahue placed eighth in the 100 backstroke in 53.34 as the lone area swimmer to reach the championship finals.

Moorpark's Michael Lorch took 10th in both the 200 freestyle (1:44.37) and 100 butterfly (52.53). He qualified ninth in both events, missing the championship finals by one slot.

"I had my best times, so that's a good thing," he said. "It was good experience for me."