CdM’s Hanson helps set national record

Tim Hanson, a Corona del Mar High student, played a big role in the Irvine-based Aquazot Swim Club breaking the 13-14 boys’ national age-group record in the 400-yard medley relay at the Southern California Swimming Junior Olympics meet in Riverside last weekend.

Hanson, 14, who will be a sophomore, joined Andrew Knoell, Matthew Lee and Sean Messer in recording a time of 4 minutes, 5.87 seconds, breaking the mark of 4:06.98. The previous mark was set twice, first by the Irvine Novaquatics in 1998 and then by the Nova of Virginia Aquatics in 2004.

Knoell, 14, and Messer, 14, will be freshmen at University, and Lee, 13, will be a freshman at Beckman.

The Novaquatics relay team in 1998 included Aaron Peirsol, who went on to compete at Newport Harbor High, the University of Texas, and become a five-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist.

Hanson swam the third leg in a split time of 59.60, the second-fastest time in the Aquazot’s relay, behind Messer’s 55.58.

Hanson, Knoell, Lee and Messer are coached by the Aquazot’s Todd Hickman and Brian Pajer, who was the UC Irvine men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach and a former coach of Peirsol.

The national age-group record involving Peirsol and the Irvine Novaquatics was the second to fall last weekend.

The King Aquatic Club from Seattle, Wash., set the boys’ 15-16 200 medley record. The King Aquatic Club swam a 1:44.60, topping the previous mark of 1:46.76 set by the Irvine Novaquatics in 2000.

— From staff reports