OAKDALE – Records are made to be broken, but when you break a record that has stood for longer than you have been alive, that is something special.

 And something special happened three times Saturday with Zach Scudder and Daniel Esenwein of Ripon and Scott Tolman of Sierra at Oakdale High School in the Valley Oak League swimming championships.

 Scudder took more than 1.6 seconds off of the 1990 record in the 100-yard freestyle with a sizzling 47.14 seconds and took five seconds off the 200 individual medley record (1.54.75) set in 2013. (The 100 free was the longest-standing league record). Scudder and Tolman share a record in the 200 medley relay as both of their teams – Esenwein, Ty Wells and David Thompson from Ripon and Trevor Fast, Zack Thomas and John Buonaro of Sierra – were clocked in a dead heat of 1:40.55 seconds to shave one second off of the 2013 record.

 Saturday’s races will be the last for Scudder as he will miss the Sac-Joaquin Section championships because he is going on the senior Disneyland trip with his class. His career is not over, though, as he will be playing water polo for Cal State San Jose.

 “Deciding not to go to Sections was a big deal for me because I am going on the senior Disneyland trip,” Scudder said. “So getting three school records – and league records – was huge.”

 Tolman etched his name in the record books for the second time when he won the 100 breaststroke in 57.99, shaving nearly two seconds off of the 1994 mark. Tolman, Fast, Thomas and Buonauro wrapped up the day with a record-setting effort of 3:18.39 in the 400 relay, taking three seconds off of a 2013 record.

“I just worked my first 50, that’s all I wanted to do,” Tolman said of his breaststroke record. “At sections I will work the last 50, that is what we are going to do the next two weeks.”

 Esenwein’s 55.11 in the 100 backstroke eclipsed a mark that had stood since 1995 (55.84) and he also won the 500 freestyle (5:03.55) which was good for an Indians record.

 “Getting two section records feels pretty good,” Esenwein said. “I have been working really hard.”

 In addition to the above-mentioned performances, the following athletes qualified for the section championships from Thursday, May 14 to Saturday, May 16 at Tokay High School:

 From Ripon with first-place finishes: girls 200 medley relay (Hannah Sweet, Elizabeth Wenner, Chloe Winter and Emma Lewis), 1:57.02; girls 200 freestyle relay (names unavailable), 1:45.75; Sweet in the 200 individual medley (2:18.19) and 100 breaststroke (1:10.91); Lewis in the 100 backstroke (1:05.31) and Wells in the 100 butterfly (53.94).

 Lewis was second in the 50 freestyle (25.71) as was Wells in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.11) and the 400 freestyle relay (names unavailable), 4:08.71. Finishing third from the Indians were Winter in the 100 butterfly (1:05.85) and Andria Martin in the 100 backstroke (1:06.41).

 Ripon won the girls varsity and was third in the boys varsity.

 “Coach Erik Zador and I could not be happier with our swimmers today,” Ripon coach Kim Corgiat said. “They work hard and swim with heart. We look forwards to sections and state championships to see their hard work pay off.”

Thomas won the 50 freestyle (22.49) and was second in the 100 freestyle (50.42). Fast was second in the 100 butterfly (55.03) and 100 backstroke (58.88) and Buonauro was third in the 100 backstroke (59.96)

Sierra won the boys varsity and girls junior varsity and was third in the girls varsity and boys junior varsity.

 “All swimmers did very well today,” Sierra coach David Breitenbucher said.  “Co-head coach Robin Errecart and I are very proud of what the team has accomplished this season. 

“We have five boys and five girls going on to sections in two weeks.”

The following swimmers finished first but did not make the qualifying mark for sections: Buonauro, 200 freestyle (1:55.17); Michelle Berber, Sierra frosh-soph, 50 butterfly, (36.52); Alan Pulido, Manteca frosh-soph, 50 butterfly (36.63); Noelle Lundrigan, Ripon frosh-soph, 50 backstroke (40.26); Daniella Sanchis, Lathrop frosh-soph, 50 breaststroke (42.60) and the Sierra frosh-soph girls 400 freestyle relay (Michelle Berber, Sevanna Waldrup, Mariel Diaz, Devin Ontai), 5:04.40.

 East Union’s Connor McKee swam to personal bests in the 50 freestyle (27.62) and !00 breaststroke (1:15.61) and was on the 400 relay.

 Lancer teammate Emely Pacas battled illness to compete in the 100 individual medley, 100 freestyle and 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

 “I was sick all week and I still am,” Pacas said. “But that shouldn’t get in your way.”

 While Weston Ranch did not qualify any swimmers for Sections, many Cougars swam personal bests to include Arcel Dimaano in the 200 individual medley (fifth place, 2:34.94), Karla Ramos in the 500 freestyle (7:11.48) and 100 breaststroke (1:25.38), Evelyn Darnell in the 50 freestyle (34.11), Timmy Gov in the 100 freestyle (1:04.63), Edgar Aguirre in the 500 freestyle (8:01.27) along with the girls 200 freestyle relay of Darnell, Ramos, Jordan Kimec and Vanessa Figueroa (2:10.37) and boys 200 free relay of Gov, Dimaano, Andrew Delinla and Kevin Lopez (1:53.67).   “I was really excited because I worked hard the whole season,” Ramos said. “My coaches really helped me to get myt best times today.”

 Manteca freshman Alyssa Trejo placed fourth in the varsity 500 freestyle (6:03.80), but qualified for the Sections in the frosh-soph division. She will be the lone representative for the Buffaloes.

 Trejo was fifth in the 100 butterfly (1:09.53) and missed the Section qualifying mark by less than two seconds.

“I cut a lot off of my times,” Trejo said. “I worked all year for this and both of the times are my personal bests.

“The 500 is a tough race to do and I am happy to be going for it.”