Swimming & Diving

 

Co-varsity head coach: rich blanc

Coach Rich Blanc begins his 25^th year coaching the Girls Varsity and the 23^rd year coaching the Boys Varsity.  In 2021, the Girls Varsity finished with an overall record of 5-0, won its 21^st straight Trinity League championship and won the CIF Division I Championships for the 7^th year in a row.  The team also was named Swimming World magazine’s National Independent champions. The Boys Varsity had its most successful season finishing with a 5-1 overall record, won the Trinity League championship, and won its first CIF Division I title.  Both varsity teams ended the season ranked in the Orange County Register top team. Coach Blanc now has a combined 310-73-3 dual meet record in his years running the Eagles swim program, which is considered one of the top swimming programs in California.  In 2000 and 2017, he was named the Orange County Swim Coach of the Year, and in 2014, Coach Blanc was named the National High School Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA). In addition to swimming, Coach Blanc teaches Economics at SMCHS.  He resides in Ladera Ranch and is married to his lovely bride Taylor and together they are raising their amazing sons Adrian and Chance.
 

co-varsity head coach: ron blancLike his brother, Coach Ron Blanc brings 34 years of swim coaching experience to the Eagles.  Coach Blanc coached at Mater Dei for 9 years, winning the 1990 CIF swimming title and a school-record 40 dual meets in a row.  Coach Blanc has now coached at SMCHS for 26 years.  When Coach Blanc's captured the 2000 CIF swimming championship at SMCHS, they became the only coaches in CIF swimming history to win 2 CIF titles at 2 different schools. Coach Blanc has had the privilege of coaching 109 All-Americans and 415 All-CIF swimmers at SMCHS. Since he began coaching at SMCHS, both varsities have been ranked in the Top 10 in the OC Register every year and has won 100 of 126 possible team league titles—a record no team in the Trinity league can match. In 2014, Coach Blanc was named the National High School Swim Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) and is a Level 5 Certified coach with the ASCA which only the top 5% of coaches in the U.S. achieve. He is also the Admissions Director at SMCHS and is married to his lovely bride, Kelley and reside in Ladera Ranch with their amazing cat, Mochi.
 

jv girls head coach: renee blanc-supernaw

Coach Supernaw returns for her 25^th year coaching the Eagles Junior Varsity. In her 24 years with the Eagles, Coach Supernaw has compiled one of the most impressive records of any junior varsity team in California.  She has coached the team to a 173-16 overall record and has guided her swimmers to break 101 lower level school records.  Her JV team in 2021 won its 21^st straight Trinity League championship, unprecedented in league history, going undefeated in league (4-0) and 6-0 overall. Coach Supernaw’s teams have built a reputation as the best junior varsity girls program in Orange County.  158 of her swimmers have won individual league titles in 22 years. Coach Supernaw teaches math at SM & enjoys making lemon squares and is enjoying being married to the love of her life, Mr. Shaun Supernaw and their incredible daughter Kayla Marie in November 2018.  Mr. & Mrs. Supernaw currently live in Ladera Ranch.
 

open girls head coach: olivia romo

Also back to the coaching staff but not new to Santa Margarita is Coach Olivia Romo. Coach Romo is no stranger to Eagle Aquatics as she swam for four years and played water polo for four years, being part of a Trinity League championship team in each season of swimming.  Coach Romo was a captain of the SM Swim Team her senior year and is part of the school-record 4x50 backstroke relay. Coach Romo took her aquatics skills to Goldenwest College where she is on her collegiate swimming and polo teams.  In 2015, 2016 and 2018 Coach Romo led the Frosh/Soph Boys teams and helped coach the Boys Frosh/Soph win the Trinity leage title in ‘18. Coach Romo also helps out coaching the team during dryland workouts.  Coach Romo enjoys going to the beach and camping, and is a newlywed to the love of her life, Ben. Ben and Olivia reside in Ladera Ranch. 
 

open boys head coach: Joel Yamasaki

Finding high-quality and experienced coaches is always a challenge, so finding Coach Joel Yamasaki is truly a blessing. Coach Yamasaki bring extensive swimming experience to the position. Coach Yamasaki swam for the Hawthorne Otters swim club and the Lakewood Aquatics Club under legendary coach Jim Montrella. Coach Yamasaki swam for Jim Montrella’s brother, equally legendary John Montrella at Millikan High School, where he set 2 Moore League records in the 100 free (:51.11) and the 100 fly (:57.13). Coach Yamasaki then went onto swim at Long Beach City College with his 3^rd legendary coach, Dennis Fosdick. In 2021, Coach Yamasaki led the Boys Frosh/Soph to the Trinity League runner-up finish, and his swimmers have broken 2  school records. Coach Yamasaki is a “meat and potatoes” eater and anything salty and spicy.
 

jv & open boys assistant coach: bailey martinSanta Margarita is honored to add Coach Bailey Martin to the coaching staff. Coach Martin joined the SMCHS faculty and staff working in our learning support center and first swam competitively at age 10. Coach Martin spent four years on her high school swim team at Heritage High School in Northern California where she was named a team captain in her senior year. Coach Martin gained further swim experience by being a member of the Seawolves club swim team and taught swim lessons throughout high school. A lifeguard at the University of Oregon’s rec center, Coach Martin worked at famous Hanna’s Steakhouse. Coach Martin enjoys camping at Joshua Tree, going to the beach, weightlifting and running and spending time with her beloved German Shepard. A little known fact is Coach Martin is a triplet and a registered foodie. 

 

Click here for the SMCHS Swimming & Diving Alumni List

Click here for the SMCHS School Records

Click here for the list of All-Americans

EAGLE SWIMMING & DIVING HISTORY

Santa Margarita Catholic High School Swimming and Diving has enjoyed a rich history of success since the team began during the school’s first year of existence in 1987. Since that first season in Spring 1988, the team has grown to over 130 student/athletes and the list of team accomplishments and nationally ranked student/athletes has continued to expand.

Girls National Champions:

• 2017
• 2018
• 2021
• 2022 
• 2023
• 2024

Girls California State Champions:

• 2018
• 2019
• 2021
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024

Girls CIF Champions:

• 2000, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Boys California State Champions:

• 2023
• 2024

Boys CIF Champions:

• 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Girls League Champions:

• 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Boys League Champions:

• 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

In October 2007, the Swimming and Diving team witnessed the inauguration of the beautiful Eagle Aquatics Center. An Olympic-sized 50 meter pool with a full Colorado Timing System set up and permanent bleacher seating for 500 graces the east end of the campus. The pool has hosted national-level water polo events and several major club swimming meets and went through an extensive retrofit in 2020.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics saw the first Eagle swimmers participate in the Olympic Games:

• Katie McLaughlin (’15)—USA—Silver Medal, 4 X 200 Freestyle Relay
• Anicka Delgado (’20)—Ecuador—50 & 100 Freestyle

The success of the Swimming and Diving team is unparalleled in Trinity League history and in Southern California high school swimming. Some achievements include:

• 10 Consecutive (10 total) CIF-SS Division I Girls team championships
• 4 Consecutive CIF-SS Division I Boys team championships
• 6 CIF California Girls State Swimming and Diving champions
• 2017, 2021, and 2022 Swimming World magazine Girls National Champions
• 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024 NISCA (National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association) Girls National Champions
• 24 Consecutive Girls team league championships
• 16 Boys team league championships
• 118 out of the 138 total team league championships (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Open) since 2000
• 86 Consecutive Dual Meet Victories, Girls Varsity (2011-present)

In the past several years, Eagle Swimming has set 6 National High School swimming records:

• Katie McLaughlin, 100 Butterfly, :51.53, 2015
• Ella Ristic, Mackenzie Degn, Anicka Delgado, Samantha Shelton, 400 Freestyle Relay, 3:18.26, 2017
• Grant Shoults, 200 Freestyle, 1:33.26, 2016
• Grant Shoults, 500 Freestyle, 4:12.87, 2016
• Macky Hodges, Teia Salvino, Teagan O’Dell, Justina Kozan, 400 Freestyle Relay 3:14.80, 2022
• Teia Salvino, Asia Kozan, Gracyn Aquino, Teagan O'Dell, 200 Freestyle Relay 1:29.60, 2023

Several notable Eagle Swimmers and Divers have qualified for the Olympic Trials, the highest level of competition in the country:

• Phillipe Demers (’97)—1996, 2000
• Frank Uxa (’98)—2000
• Matt Martin (’97)—2000
• Meagan Brown (’08)—2008
• Conor Murphy (’10)—2012
• Katie McLaughlin (’15)—2012, 2016, 2020
• Mackenzie Degn (’19)—2016
• Isabelle Odgers (’18)—2016, 2020, 2024
• Kahley Rowell (’10)—2016
• Grant Shoults (’16)—2016, 2020
• Samantha Shelton (’18)—2016
• Chris Taber (’14)—2016
• Ella Ristic ('20) - 2020
• Noah Brune ('19) - 2020
• Justina Kozan ('22) – 2020, 2024
• Anicka Delgado (’20)—2020, 2024
• Humberto Najera (23)—2020, 2024
• Macky Hodges (’23)—2020, 2024
• Teagan O’Dell (’25)—2020, 2024

VIEW SMCHS TOP 50 SWIM TIMES