WALNUT — Hemet junior swimmer Jaydah Godbolt is known for her fast starts in the pool.
This season, Godbolt has focused her training on finishing races just as strong as she starts.
Godbolt was exceptional from start to finish Friday afternoon in claiming the 100-yard backstroke title at the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship meet at the Mt. San Antonio College Aquatics Center.
Her winning time of 57.11 seconds was close to her personal best of 56.82 and nearly a second faster than her finals time last season.
Godbolt had the fastest reaction time of any swimmer and delivered strong underwaters throughout the race.
“I’ve been working really hard this season to put myself in good position to win this race,” Godbolt said. “Improving my back half (of a race) has been so important. In the past, I’d come out fast but haven’t been able to hold that speed. I still look to start fast but I’m also making sure I have plenty left for the finish.”
Godbolt finished third in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.69 seconds. She also swam the leadoff leg on Hemet’s 200 freestyle relay (also Sophia Cristea, Claire Fredricksen and Rylee Huser) that placed eighth (1:43.79).
Murrieta Mesa sophomore Addison Schneider placed third in the girls 200 individual medley (2:12.21) and seventh in the 500 freestyle (5:11.22).
Norco freshman Raylene Tapia finished fifth in the girls 100 breaststroke (1:08.32) and eighth in the 100 butterfly (1:01.40).
Liberty’s Gwen Asbury placed eighth in the girls 500 freestyle (5:11.41). She combined forces with Audrey Whitford, Grace Asbury and Mariah Broyles for a ninth-place finish in the 200 medley relay (1:57.90). The Asbury sisters, Whitford and Zelma VanRensburg teamed for a seventh-place finish in the 400 free relay (3:50.83)
Rancho Cucamonga junior Audrey Lee was eighth in the girls 20 individual medley (2:17.63). She teamed with Bella Fantocone, Anastasya Gamboa and Megan Medina for a fifth-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay (3:47.90) and seventh-place finish in the 200 free relay (1:43.19).
Loma Linda Academy’s Myla Benggon was sixth in the girls 200 IM (2:16.40). Webbs Audrey Ard-Huddy placed eighth in the girls 100 backstroke (1:02.90). Fontana’s Brooklyn Green finished ninth in the girls 50 freestyle (25.13).
Yucaipa sophomore Hunter Tamura finished fifth in the boys 500 freestyle (4:37.48) and sixth in the 200 IM (1:56.44). Tamura also combined with Axton Smith, Isaiah Hulihan and Gideon Crandell for a ninth-place finish in the 200 free relay (1.32.27).
Beaumont’s Jacob Bradbury was eighth in the boys 100 butterfly (53.02), while Redlands East Valley’s William Dahnke placed ninth in the boys 100 freestyle (49.36).
Temescal Canyon’s Carson Gray, Degan DeMartino, Aiden Goodall and Jaden Galindo finished sixth in the boys 200 medley relay (1:40.82).
Claremont’s Matthew Wong, Kyle Mahfoud, Alan Pena and Ryder Upshaw finished sixth in the boys 200 freestyle relay (1:29.98). King (Troy Newlin, Angelo Benitez, Gavin Starling, Logan Brown) finished eighth in that event (1:31.42).
