When the psych sheets were released for the CIF Southern Section’s Division 2 swimming championships, Murrieta Mesa’s senior standout Justin Schneider saw two names listed above his in the 100-yard freestyle.

That got the competitive juices flowing.

Schneider, who is headed to Penn State, won a majority of his races during this season without being pushed, but a challenge awaited him at the Division 2 finals in Mission Viejo. Schneider was seeded third for the 100 freestyle, as his entry time placed him behind Roosevelt’s Izaiah Trevino-Lozano and El Toro’s Cruz Tester.

However, Schneider shined brightest with the championship on the line. He trailed Trevino-Lozano by about a tenth of a second at the halfway point of the race. Schneider picked up the pace over the final 25 yards and used every bit of his 6-foot-4 frame to touch the wall first and beat Trevino-Lozano by .04 seconds for the title.



“I put my head down and hoped the wall came soon,” Schneider said about the final moments of that race.

Schneider also swam legs on Murrieta Mesa’s three winning relays at the Division 2 finals, which helped the Rams capture the program’s first section championship.

For these reasons, Schneider has been selected the IE Varsity boys swimmer of the year for the second consecutive season.

Schneider was familiar with Trevino-Lozano through the club swim circuit, but Schneider admitted to being a little surprised after seeing some of Trevino-Lozano’s times in the 100 freestyle throughout the season.

“I knew he was good in the longer events, but didn’t know he was a strong sprinter, too,” Schneider said. “I enjoyed swimming against him. It’s great to have someone push you. It can bring out the best in you.”

Schneider’s greatest strength might be his versatility, as he holds all but two records at Murrieta Mesa. Last season, Schneider won titles in the 50 freestyle and 500 freestyle at the Division 2 final to become the first swimmer in Southern Section history to win the shortest and longest events at a division final.

“As a coach, it’s a privilege and dream to have a swimmer like him,” Murrieta Mesa coach Jenn Beech said. “We can go into any situation or meet and put him in a variety of events and know he will come through.”

Schneider’s unselfishness also stands out. Murrieta Mesa tied for second at last year’s Division 2 final, and there were several talks throughout the season about how best to approach this year’s meet to ensure the Rams brought home the championship. In the end, the decision was made to load up on the relay events. Schneider swam the butterfly on the 200 medley relay and anchored the team’s 200 and 400 free relays.

Schneider earned All-American status in the 100 freestyle, while the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays also posted automatic All-American times. The 400 freestyle relay had an All-American consideration time.

“We all knew what needed to be done, and we came through,” Schneider said. “It was a fun way to go out.”