Rising Stars Luka Mijatovic, Tim Wu Climb Age-Group Rankings at EBAL Championships

By Riley Overend on SwimSwam

2024 EBAL Swim and Dive Championships

• April 26-27, 2024
• San Ramon, California
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results on MeetMobile: “EBAL Swim and Dive 2024 Championships”

Team Scores

Boys

1. De La Salle – 492.5
2. San Ramon Valley – 451.5
3. Amador Valley – 427
4. Foothill – 405.5
5. Monte Vista – 298

Girls

1. Carondelet – 571
2. San Ramon Valley – 516
3. Monte Vista – 411
4. Granada – 402
5. Amador Valley – 400

Foothill freshman Luka Mijatovic raced for the first time since turning 15 on Monday, taking home East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) titles in the 500-yard freestyle (4:20.54) and 200 IM (1:47.61) to kick off his first high school playoff run.

The distance specialist knocked almost a second off his previous-best 200 IM time of 1:48.54 from last month to enter the U.S. boys 15-16 national age group (NAG) rankings at No. 74. Mijatovic now ranks 36th in the 15-16 NAG rankings for the 500 free, with his personal-best 4:14.83 from earlier this month standing as the 13-14 standard — and faster than Drew Kibler‘s 15-16 NAG record (4:15.36).

Mijatovic’s Pleasanton Seahawks club teammate, Dougherty Valley sophomore Tim Wu, also had a big day at Saturday’s EBAL Championships, tallying victories in the 200 free (1:36.44) and 100 butterfly (49.00). The 15-year-old shaved a couple tenths off his best 200 free time from earlier this month, moving up to 49th in the 15-16 NAG rankings. Wu placed 5th in the 100 fly (47.56) at the 2023 CIF State Championships and has been as fast as 47.50 in November. He added freestyle splits of 20.50 and 44.88 on the 200 medley relay (1:38.62, 7th place) and 400 free relay (3:11.15, 5th place), respectively.

Senior Sawyer Jones swept the 50 free (21.00) and 100 free (46.41) for his San Ramon Valley squad, which earned a runner-up finish in the team standings with 451.5 points behind De La Salle (492.5). The Colorado School of Mines commit sliced .15 seconds off his best 100 free time and came just short of his personal-best 50 free (20.86) from last month.

Amador Valley freshman Cade Vieler dropped more than half a second in the 100 back en route to the win in 50.33. His previous best stood at 50.84 from earlier this month. Monte Vista senior Sammy Kan claimed the 100 breast crown in 56.83, not far off his lifetime best from last May (56.45).

On the girls side, a pair of double winners led Carondelet to the EBAL team title with 571 points over San Ramon Valley (516).

Carondelet junior Ellie Butler triumphed in the 200 free (1:49.82) and 100 fly (54.28) while senior Maddie O’Connell added victories in the 100 free (50.54) and 100 back (53.52). Butler, a Notre Dame commit, chopped less than a tenth of a second off her previous-best 54.37 from last month. O’Connell, a UCSD commit, dropped almost a second in the 100 free and less than a tenth in the 100 back.

San Ramon Valley junior Raya Mellott clinched 1st-place finishes in the 200 IM (2:02.94) and 100 breast (1:00.23). The Virginia commit was within a second of her best 100 breast time from December (59.53) and more than two seconds off her best 200 IM time from last April (2:00.63). Mellott also split 28.30 swimming breaststroke on San Ramon Valley’s triumphant 200 medley relay (1:42.48) and 50.70 anchoring the 400 free relay (3:32.46, 3rd place).

Mellott’s San Ramon Valley teammate, senior Miranda Stevenson, notched a new lifetime best on her way to the 50 free title in 23.12. The UCSB commit shaved .11 seconds off her previous-best 23.23 from last month.

Dublin senior Kaitlin Lee captured the 500 free title in 4:53.03. The Georgetown commit was a couple seconds off her personal-best 4:50.65 that earned her a runner-up finish at last May’s CIF State Championships.

California’s top swimmers will head to sectionals next week before the 2024 CIF State Championships take place from May 9-11 at the Clovis Olympic Swim Complex.

SwimSwam: Rising Stars Luka Mijatovic, Tim Wu Climb Age-Group Rankings at EBAL Championships