RUHS Swimmer Places 2nd in Race

swimming star Jonathan Diaz edged out perennial top-two finisher Micah Carlson in the annual pier-to-pier race between the Hermosa and Manhattan Beach piers Sunday.

Diaz, 18, finished the two-mile swim with a time of 41:04, beating Carlson, a Los Angeles County Lifeguard, by a mere 24 seconds. Alex Kostich won the race for the 10th time in the past 16 years with a time of 39:12.

This is the fourth year that Diaz has entered the race, and each year, he improved in the rankings. In 2009, he placed seventh, and last year, he placed fourth.

Jonathan Diaz wasn't the only member of his family to take the plunge this year—his younger brother Nathan, 14, also competed. With a time of 56:22, Nathan Diaz finished 215th in the race, but 16th in his age group.

The Diaz brothers are both members of Swim Torrance.

The annual pier-to-pier swim was part of the International Surf Festival.