Photo by Jason Redmond

Oaks Christian swimmers celebrate their CIF-Southern Section Division III boys' title at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach on Saturday. Among those rejoicing are, from left, Chase Bloch, Jet Reich, Evan Anglin (center), Nick Steadman (fist in air) and Collin Baratte.

Photo by Jason Redmond

Oaks Christian's Nolan Koon comes up for air during the 100-yard breast stroke. Koon won the event in 56.25 seconds and also captured the 200 individual medley.

LONG BEACH — Nolan Koon's wish list coming into Saturday's CIF-Southern Section finals was, well, expansive.

"Everything," the Oaks Christian School senior said with a smile. "We want to break records. We want to pile up team points. We want to win individual events. We just want to do well in everything."

So guess what? Check, check and check.

Koon and Kevin Nielsen each won two individual events for the second successive season, the Lions finished first in nine of 11 races and Oaks Christian rolled to its fourth straight section title by dominating the CIF-SS Division III Swimming Championships at Belmont Plaza Pool.

Koon won the 200-yard individual medley in a meet-record 1 minute, 50.06 seconds and the 100 breast stroke in 56.25, while Nielsen was first in the 200 freestyle in 1:40.82 and the 100 butterfly in 49.53. Chase Bloch won the 500 freestyle for the second successive year in 4:36.91 and Collin Baratte was first in the 100 backstroke in 52.61.

"It's a big deal for us do well in this meet," said Nielsen, also a senior. "We all want to be the best."

Another year, another tidal wave.

If not quite like last year, when the Lions established a new high for team points, their 377 points crushed an entire division. Second-place Cerritos notched 169 points.

Records fell, too.

Koon broke a 16-year-old Division III record by romping home in the 200 IM in 1:50.06. The previous mark of 1:51.16 was set by Suichi Matsumoto in 1992.

The Lions boys won all three relays, two with meet-record performances.

The 200 medley relay team quartet of Baratte, Koon, Chase Bloch and Michael Craft sliced nearly two seconds off the meet record by racing home in 1:33.78.

Walnut's 16-year-old mark of 1:35.25 was also set in 1992.

The 200 freestyle relay, manned by Koon, Craft, Bloch and Nielsen, swam to a record time of 1:24.73. That was two seconds better than the time of 1:26.76 set by La Serna in 1993.

There were other success stories Saturday.

Kendall Neely of Pacifica duplicated last year's triumphs by winning the girls' 100 backstroke in 57.70 and taking second in the 50 freestyle in 23.81.

Even as a seasoned senior, Neely said the CIF-SS finals still brings chills.

"I was shaking before the races, I was so nervous," she said. "But once the swimming starts, I'm OK."

Indeed, Neely carved nearly three seconds off her qualifying time in the 100 backstroke victory.

"This is better than last year, because it's two in a row in the backstroke," said Neely, who will swim collegiatetly for UC Santa Barbara. "But last year was good too because it was my best time."

Neely racked up a personal-best time of 23.81 in the 50 freestyle. Madison Fitzgerald of Calvary Chapel won the 50 free by a touch at 23.58.

"I'm really happy with that time," she said. "I would have liked to have won, but the time was great."

Alicia Began, a senior from Rio Mesa, was second in the girls' 100 freestyle (53.43) and fourth in the 50 freestyle (24.84). Ariana Peschke, a freshman from La Reina, was second in the girls' backstroke (58.27) and third in the 100 freestyle (53.51).

"It feels great," said Began. "I was really happy with my times."

Also in the girls' competition, Diana Safa of Oaks Christian placed fifth in the 100 breast stroke (1:09.91) to help Oaks Christian place fourth in the team scoring. Rio Mesa finished seventh.

Jennifer Tartavull of Malibu was sixth in the 500 freestyle (5:09.27) and seventh in the 200 freestyle (1:56.93).

Among the boys, Michael Crowley of Pacifica was fourth in the 100 backstroke (54.85); Jake Philbrick of Malibu was fifth in the 50 freestyle (21.69) and fifth in the 100 freestyle (47.86); and Lloyd Kirk of Rio Mesa was fifth in the 100 breast stroke (1:01.19).