Tristan Marsh Utilizes Speed, Versatility

Palisades High Athlete Spotlight

Palisades High swimming coach Maggie Nance considers sophomore Tristan Marsh her most versatile swimmer. Given his ability to succeed in the water in virtually any event, it’s no wonder the Dolphins’ boys team is in prime position to capture the City title.   Though Nance is comfortable utilizing Marsh in virtually any competition, he has shown he is at his best in the 200-yard individual medley, 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard breast stroke.   This season he has recorded personal-best times of 2:00.79 (200 IM), 54.14 (100 fly) and 1:02.79 (100 breast).   ’Tristan has a really good attitude, he’s really committed and he’s easy to deal with,’ Nance said. ‘He’s fast, he trains and he’s got a lot of talent.’   Nance added that although Marsh is only a sophomore, many of his teammates look up to him. She also has enjoyed coaching Marsh’s sister, Tiana, a talented swimmer who played for Pali’s water polo team and also happens to be an artist and musician who specializes playing the french horn.   ’I would say they look up to me,’ said Marsh, who finished second in the 400 freestyle, 200 IM and 100 fly as a freshman at City finals last year. ‘Maybe not as a role model, but definitely if they have questions about swimming and things like that.’   Marsh’s passion for the sport is easy to see. He has been swimming club since he was eight years old, for the Palisades YMCA team, for Team Santa Monica and now Pali Westside. His interest in the sport was piqued at age six when he began surfing.   ’My mom said, ‘If you’re going to surf, you need to learn how to swim,” Marsh recalled. And then Tiana took up swimming [because of me].’   His father, Paho, works as a digital retouch specialist, as both he and Marsh’s mother Denise have photography backgrounds, and the family resides in Mandeville Canyon. Tristan has started to think about college ‘ no schools in particular but he admitted he would like to go outside of California to a Division III school where he can focus more on academics while still swimming.   In a sport where speed is the key element ‘ ‘whoever gets to the wall first wins,’ Nance pointed out ‘ Marsh has his teammates and coaches believing that Palisades can emerge as City champions in a field of about 50 schools.   ’I think we have a really good chance,’ said Marsh. ‘Both the boys and the girls teams.’   On May 8, Pali will finish its dual meet season and then will prepare for the City prelims on May 15 at Palisades High, followed by diving prelims on May 16 also at PaliHi and finals on May 18 at East L.A. College. The girls team will look to repeat as City champions. Thanks to Pali’s new pool, Nance also hopes to get some extra points diving for the first time. She is counting on seniors Alistair Whatley and Brendan Cusack, junior Kyle Ferguson, sophomore Julia Jenson and freshman Avery Botansky.