Prep swimming: State 4A/3A meet previews

• by Kyle Goon
• February 2, 2012
• Salt Lake Tribune article link

3A: Judge girls try to continue dynasty; Park City boys try reclaim one

A year after mounting a stunning comeback, the Judge girls’ swimming team looks well-positioned to bring back its ninth title in 10 years — and fourth in a row, if you’re counting.

The headliner is clearly Amelia Wolfgramm, who smashed the 100 backstroke record a year ago. Now a sophomore, she’s swimming the best times for that event as well as the 100 freestyle. She’ll be the favorite, but Judge will also need big performances from Alandra McDowell and Alison Witte, among others.

The biggest sticking point for the Bulldogs will be relays, in which Snow Canyon and Desert Hills appear to have some of the fastest times so far this season. Juan Diego will also be a threat in that category.

The Soaring Eagle might actually be the top contenders, depending on if they can get solid performances from swimmers such as Alaina Finley and Kelsey Leeson. But Courtney Freed and the Thunder are in the hunt for the state title after finishing third last year.

On the boys’ side, the favorite appears to be Park City. The Miners finished a disappointing third last year, but are ready to get back on top.

Leading the pack is Dusty Ragland, who won two individual titles last year. He’ll be favored in the 50 and 100 freestyle events, and will likely anchor several relays. Park City also has some powerful depth, with swimmers such as Jensen Howard, Hayden Peterson and Zach Carfi also competing for titles.

Wasatch finally broke the second-place curse that plagued it last season, and the Wasps will get a chance to see how hard it is to defend a title. But Desert Hills is also eager to win its first state title, and the Thunder will have some of the state’s toughest relay teams try to help them win it.

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Skyline finished in second place in boys’ and girls’ swimming a year ago. This year, the Eagles are gunning for first.

After going unbeaten this year in its dual meets, Skyline is the unquestioned favorite to win it all in 4A. To some, it’s a matter of when they’ll secure first place, but defending 4A champs Mountain Crest and Woods Cross — the boys and girls, respectively — are likely to have a rebuttal.

The boys will be led by senior Travis Norseth, who boasts the state’s fastest seeding times in the 100 fly and the 200 medley by several seconds and will likely provide support to some of Skyline’s razor-sharp relay teams. The Eagles have earned top-two seeding times in the 200 medley, the 400 free and the 200 free.

Skyline’s girls’ team has also looked strong this year, led by sophomore Lillian Moore and senior Natalie Bennion. Those two should compete well individually, but the Eagles’ relays should carry them — Skyline has the top seeding time in all three team events. The biggest key for both Skyline teams is depth: The Eagles hope to place several swimmers in each final.

It appears Mountain Crest could have the best shot at toppling the Skyline boys this year. The Mustangs return speedy freestylers William Watt and Anton Koponen as their top individual competitors. They also have a quick freestyle relay team, but they’ll need to cut some time to have a shot.

Sky View should also be in the mix, sporting some solid relay teams. Olympus may not be in the running for a team title, but BYU-bound Shawn Western should definitely add some hardware to his collection after winning the 500 freestyle last year and cutting his time more this season.

On the girls’ side, Mountain Crest sophomore Hailey Pabst might be the best swimmer in the pool. She’ll definitely be in the range of setting some 4A records, if not state marks, in the 200 and 500 freestyle races. Mustang teammates Ashlee Spinder and Anya Burtis will help her challenge Skyline’s No. 1 status.

Also in the mix is defending champ Woods Cross, which boasts returners Avery Hansen, Alexis Ralph and Katie Jowers, among others. Its relays aren’t as fast as Skyline’s, but with some breaks, they could muscle their way onto the podium.