Wolves and water do not typically go hand in hand. But when it comes to the competitive world of Southern California club swimming, a predatory instinct and tenacity to achieve goes a long way.
So it is that the Malibu Seawolves club swimming team will compete at the prestigious 2013 Southern California Swimming Junior Olympic Championships this Thursday through Sunday at California Lutheran University.
“I’m very excited to see our kids perform and see what kind of results they can put up from the hard work they have put in this year,” Seawolves coach Mike Alexandrov said.
Hosted by the Conejo Simi Swim Club, the Junior Olympics feature many of the premier swimmers in the Southland. More than 300 swimmers will descend upon the Samuelson Aquatics Center in Thousand Oaks, including five Seawolves.
The Malibu contingent includes Malibu High School junior Logan Hotchkiss, who won two CIF individual titles this past spring for MHS, his younger brother Kennan, Farah Stack, Amy Perna and Morgan Perlmuter.
The elder Hotchkiss, 16, allowed that he was “pretty excited” ahead of the big meet.
“I’ve been working pretty hard in the pool with my coaches,” Hotchkiss said. “I’ve been doing morning workouts and dry land workouts to better my times.”
Hotchkiss will compete in six events, including the 200-meter freestyle in which he won the CIF Division IV title. Hotchkiss’s swim came in a school-record time of 1:45.54, just edging out Malibu teammate Alec Wilimovsky, who took second in 1:47.97.
Hotchkiss will also compete in the men’s (age) 15-and-over 200-meter backstroke, 800-meter freestyle, 400- meter individual medley, 400-meter freestyle and 1500-meter freestyle.
“I want to make finals in all my races and improve my times,” Hotchkiss said. “I’d be happy with that.”
Kennan, 12, will also compete in six events in the men’s 11-12 age group: 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle, 200 IM and 50 freestyle.
Stack, Perna and Perlmuter will compete in the women’s division. Stack is entered in the women’s 13-14 year-old 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke; Perna in the women’s 11-12 50 breaststroke and 100 breaststroke; and Perlmuter in the women’s 5-10 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle and 50 backstroke.
Alexandrov, a native of Bulgaria who recently won a silver medal representing the United States in swimming at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia, said he is looking forward to “100 percent best times” from his athletes.
“I am there to help them be at their best, to learn how to race, to learn how to focus and concentrate their mind and put their body to the test,” said Alexandrov. “I’m excited to help coach them to the same level I was at their age.”
Seawolves assistant coach Max Jaben said that while five members from the team may not make for a large contingent, he predicted success for the group.
“I am very excited for the athletes we have competing in the Junior Olympics. The athletes we have competing will be prepared and ready to make a good showing in their events,” Jaben said. “Even though we are not great in number, the smaller group we have hosts some quality and talented swimmers.
“The Junior Olympics give the children a wonderful opportunity to race, and the meets serves as a platform for the swimmers to practice skills and challenge themselves for the competitions to come.”
Events begin each day at 9 a.m. For more information and live results, please visit socalswim.org.