Poly freshman DeAnda breaking records quickly
RIVERSIDE >> The Riverside Poly swimming record board is among the most revered in the Inland area.
That board includes the names of two Olympic medalists — Cynthia “Sippy” Woodhead and Tyler Clary — and several other swimmers who went on to have standout careers at the collegiate and international levels.
It takes some swimmers years to get their name on the board, while many others have come up just short.
Ava DeAnda made the cut — not once, but three times — in her highly-anticipated high school debut Feb. 21 in a dual meet against Santiago at Riverside Poly High. The freshman broke records in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles, and she also anchored a record-setting 200-yard medley relay team.
“My adrenaline was really pumping,” DeAnda said. “First high school swim meet. I was ready to go.”
DeAnda swam the freestyle leg of the medley relay — the first race of her high school career — and combined with Kennedy McPhail, Presley McPhail and Caroline Timko for a winning time of 1 minute and 49.75 seconds. That time broke the previous record of 1:50.26 set by the McPhail sisters, Timko and Aleena Herrera last season. DeAnda’s time on the anchor freestyle leg was an impressive 22.74 seconds.
The first individual race of DeAnda’s high school career was the 50 freestyle, and she delivered a time of 23.26 seconds to shatter the previous record of 24.17 set by Kennedy McPhail last season.
DeAnda later won the 100 freestyle race, which is considered her best event, with a time of 51 seconds flat. That effort eclipsed the record of 51.08, set by Riverside S.P.O.R.T. Hall Famer Jeri Moss in 2002.
DeAnda said getting her name in the record books is even more special because her older brother Davis is already on the board as the record-holder in the boys 100-yard breaststroke. (57.54 seconds, 2021).
“I was so excited and happy for him when that happened,” Ava said. “I just couldn’t wait for my chance.”
DeAnda started swimming with the Tidal Waves Swim Team in Riverside when she was about 6 years old, and the first pool she trained and competed in was the one at Riverside Poly. Around age 10, DeAnda moved over to Riverside Aquatics Association, which is the club team she still swims for.
RAA does most of its training at Sippy Woodhead Pool in Riverside. Woodhead was considered the best female swimmer in the world in 1979, when she was 15 and a freshman at Riverside Poly. Woodhead was favored to win six gold medals at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow but did not get a chance to compete because of a USA boycott. Woodhead did win one silver medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Woodhead still holds three individual records at Riverside Poly (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle and 200 individual medley) and also is on the record board with Melanie Rile, Sandy Alexander and Arlene Low for the 400 freestyle relay. Woodhead’s record in the 200 freestyle is 1:47.40, which she set as a sophomore in 1980. DeAnda’s best time for RAA in the 200-yard freestyle is 1:48.79.
“I look at some of the those numbers, and it pushes me to go faster,” DeAnda said. “I just can’t wait for the day I swim that 200 free for the first time. It would be such an honor to break that record. A lot of my idols have swam for Poly and at Sippy Woodhead Pool, and I honestly have been waiting for my opportunity.”
DeAnda primarily is a freestyler, but she has added IM events to her repertoire in recent years. DeAnda’s fastest club time in the 200yard IM in club is 2:04.96. Woodhead’s school record is 2:02 flat.
“That one might take a couple of years,” DeAnda said with a laugh. “Some people think I might not take high school season as seriously as club, but that’s not the case. My Poly pride is racing through my veins.”