Daily Journal Athlete of the Week: Carlmont’s Zerach Chan

“The relays are terrible cause when you hop off on the block you see that other guy ... he’s jumping in before you and you can’t chase after him,” Chan said.

But, as the old adage goes, it ain’t over till it’s over. And Chan personified the saying in spades as he swam the freestyle leg of his life, chasing down M-A’s anchor to overtake him on the final straightaway to deliver Carlmont to victory not only in the 400 free relay, but it the dual meet.

With the 400 free relay team finishing in 3 minutes, 20.59 seconds — punctuated by the best split of Chan’s four-year varsity career — the Scots pulled ahead for an 88-82 team victory. With it, Carlmont takes over outright possession of first place in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division. The Scots and the Bears entered the day tied for the top spot in the standings.

Chan’s outstanding finish has also earned him the title of Daily Journal Athlete of the Week.

“There’s always been a history with the Carlmont-M-A dual meets,” Chan said. “There’s always been that rivalry. So keeping that streak of winning ... is really important tradition wise. And it’s also just to set a precedent for what’s to come at PALs.”

Carlmont has two remaining dual meets, playing host to Burlingame (2-2) and Woodside (2-3). And while the PAL Bay dual meet title is now the Scots’ to lose, the regular-season standings are really more a matter of pride. The real war of the PAL swimming world is waged in the postseason at the PAL Bay Division Championships, held May 1-3 at Menlo-Atherton.

Chan knows the stakes of the PAL Championships all too well. As a freshman in 2022, he was integral to the Carlmont boys earning their seventh straight title the the annual postseason meet. Then in 2023, the Scots were dethroned with Aragon emerging to take the coveting postseason title.

Last season, Carlmont got back to the mountaintop, rallying for its eighth title in nine years. If last week’s showdown with M-A is any indication, though, it’s going to be a battle between the two rivals this year.

“It was probably one of the closest and most exciting meets I’m ever going to experience, on all fronts,” Carlmont head coach Derek Koo said.

Carlmont’s hopes were all riding on Chan’s shoulders in last Wednesday’s dual, a meet that was originally scheduled for Friday but moved up two days due to the schools’ spring break schedules. The senior had already claimed two individual wins on the day — in the 200 individual medley in 1:58.77, and the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.15 — but as he was stepping onto the platform to anchor the 400 free relay, it was looking unlikely he could do anything to overcome M-A’s ginormous lead in the event.

“So, my guys were trailing,” Koo said. “They held their own, but my guys were all over 50 (seconds) for the first three. So, we were probably sub six (seconds) going into the last leg.”

Chan knew exactly what the stakes were, as the team scores, with M-A leading, were announced over the public address system just before the event. Then when he hit the water, it was as if he was chasing a ghost.

“Honestly, I got in the water and I didn’t really see him,” Chan said. “He was definitely very far away on that first flip turn.”

M-A held a substantial lead even at the final turn.

“The last turn, I was really just at his feet, not even really next to him,” Chan said.

Chan was in the zone, though. Even with upwards of 90 teammates in attendance making so much noise, Koo said it was unlike any regular-season dual meet he had ever witnessed, comparing it to a postseason environment. All Chan could hear, however, was the water, his opponent, and his breathing.

“You really honestly don’t hear much,” Chan said. “Sometimes you can hear it. You’ve got to be listening for it ... but it was just me, the water, and that kid’s feet.”

Down the stretch, Chan didn’t even hear his breathing. That’s because he didn’t take any breaths, channeling all his energy into his closing kick.

“It’s just: put my head down, don’t care if I have to breathe,” Chan said. “I just have to go for it.”

Chan said the moment he hit the wall he knew he’d won. However, he wasn’t exactly sure how he did it.

“It was a lot of joy just seeing I closed that gap,” Chan said. “Going from seeing him dive in six seconds before me and then seeing him finish was a big shock.”

“It was kind of mind blowing,” Koo said. “Off a six-second deficit ... for him to make up that distance over the course of a hundred (yards), it’s a huge gap and a bunch of huge excitement.”