The girls and boys swim teams for Gilroy High finished in third and fourth place, respectively, at Saturday's Tri-County Athletic League Championships at Everett Alvarez HIgh School in Salinas - the final meet of the season for most of both Mustang squads.

While the girls team narrowly defeated Notre Dame for third place, the boys team needed to best Palma in the last race of the meet - the 400-yard free relay - in order to finish third as well.

In the end, however, the Chieftains were approximately 12 seconds better in the relay, and finished with just two points more than Gilroy for third place overall.

"The girls were a surprise because we don't have very much (depth)," coach Tom Clark said. "The boys came down to the 400 free relay.

"Overall, we had a really good meet. I was really impressed with them."

As powerhouse programs Salinas and San Benito figured as the top two teams in both the boys and girls meets Saturday - Salinas won the boys and San Benito won the girls - the rest of the TCAL jockeyed for position among the five remaining spots.

Although the GHS ladies were led by Isabella Comin, Meagan Collett and Alana Osaki, each placing the girls team received within the top 16 counted. Gilroy compiled 164 points to edge Notre Dame's 159.5 for third. San Benito (405) and Salinas (359) earned first and second place overall, respectively.

Surprisingly, Gilroy's girls didn't take first place in any race. Their best finish was the 200-yard free relay, which finished second in 1:50.54. The 400-yard free relay (4:27.30) and the 200-yard medley relay (2:04.64) both finished third.

Otherwise, a trio of third-place finishes from Osaki in the 50 free (27.79), Comin in the 100 fly (1:04.21) and Collett in the 100 back (1:04.01) were Gilroy's highest finishes, a testament to the team's depth in the middle slots on Saturday.

"That was not expected," Clark said. "Our relays were pretty outstanding ... The girls did very well."

In the boys meet, Gilroy could have used some of that depth in the middle places to upend Palma for third place, as the Chieftains compiled 239 points to Gilroy's 237.

Once again, Salinas (311) and San Benito (268) took the top two spots.

Although they finished fourth overall, the Mustangs took first place in six events. Again, a lack of depth in the middle places proved to be critical.

The boys' 200 medley relay (1:45.59) earned the top spot, while Daniel Shields won the 50 free (22.93) and the 100 free (50.46). David Pribyl took the 100 fly (56.18) and Eddie Malick won the 200 IM (2:05.43) and the 100 breast (1:02.68).

Malick will be one of four individuals, including Collett, Pribyl and Shields, at this weekend's Central Coast Section meet, which will be held at Stanford on Friday and Saturday. Gilroy will also send all three relays for the boys and two relays for the girls.

Malick will compete in the 100 breast and the 200 IM at CCS, the same two events he finished first in at TCALs. He set a personal record by one second in the 100 breast and three seconds in the 200 IM, and he feels strong in both of those races heading into Friday.

"This means that I have to work harder at CCS," Malick said. "Next week, I'll taper, rest, and then for CCS just go all out."

BOYS - 1, Salinas, 311; 2, San Benito, 268; 3, Palma, 239; 4, Gilroy, 237; 5, Everett Alvarez, 75; 6, Alisal, 54; 7, North Salinas, 47.

GILROY (TOP 16) - 200 Medley Relay - 1, Gilroy, 1:45.59. 200 Free - 5, B. Cresswell, 1:59.24; 12, J. Abruzzini, 2:05.96; 15, A. Lucero, 2:16.57. 200 IM - 1, E. Malick, 2:05.43; 8, B. Pribyl, 2:27.41. 50 Free - 1, D. Shields, 22.93; 12, R. Gaines, 26.83; 14, A. Apolonio, 27.08. 100 Fly - 1, D. Pribyl, 56.18; 2, Z. Kendrick, 58.55. 100 Free - 1, D. Shields, 50.46; 16, A. Apolonio, 1:00.67. 500 Free - 5, B. Cresswell, 5:26.61; 10, A. Lucero, 6:03.95; 14, C. Brown, 6:37.18. 200 Free Relay - 2, Gilroy, 1:34.58. 100 Back - 3, J. Abruzzini, 1:02.23; 11, C. Nettleblad, 1:10.82. 100 Breast - 1, E. Malick, 1:02.68; 2, D. Pribyl, 1:05.00; 8, Z. Kendrick, 1:13.51; 15, R. Lindseth, 1:23.44; 16, A. Lindseth, 1:25.08. 400 Free Relay - 3, Gilroy, 3:46.42.

GIRLS - 1, San Benito, 405; 2, Salinas, 359; 3, Gilroy, 164; 4, Notre Dame, 159.5; 5, Everett Alvarez, 73.5; 6, North Salinas, 69; 7, Alisal, 55.

GILROY (TOP 16) - 200 Medley Relay - 3, Gilroy, 2:04.64. 200 Free - 12, A. Rothenberg, 2:22.28; 14, H. O'Connor, 2:27.46. 200 IM - 4, I. Comin, 2:28.65; 5, M. Davis, 2:36.54; 8, N. Nelson, 2:45.61; 13, M. Carvalho, 3:01.51. 50 Free - 3, A. Osaki, 27.79; 16, C. Tanaka, 30.35. 100 Fly - 3, I. Comin, 1:04.21. 100 Free - 12, C. Tanaka, 1:06.82. 500 Free - 5, M. Davis, 6:02.37; 12, A. Rothenberg, 6:19.13; 13, N. Nelson, 6:28.72. 200 Free Relay - 2, Gilroy, 1:50.54. 100 Back - 3, M. Collett, 1:04.01; 4, A. Osaki, 1:10.25; 11, L. Rhodes, 1:17.92; 14, M. Wheat, 1:18.60. 100 Breast - 14, L. Rhodes, 1:30.44. 400 Free Relay - 3, Gilroy, 4:27.30.