ARIZONA STATE SWIMMING & DIVING HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Division I Prelims
- D1: November 2-3, Skyline Aquatic Center, Mesa
- D2: November 2-3, Phoenix Country Day Aquatic Center, Paradise Valley
- D3: November 1-3, Phoenix Country Day Aquatic Center, Paradise Valley
- Full Prelim Heat Sheets (All 3 Meets)
- Results on Meet Mobile
The boys of Brophy Prep in Phoenix, Arizona appear well on their way to a 31st-straight Arizona Division I High School Boy’s State Championship. Based on prelims seeding, they project to score 376 points – just 3.5 fewer than they scored last season (when they won by 135 points). The next-closest team, Mountain View High School, is seeded to score 271 points. Defending Division II champions Chaparral, who made the jump to Division I this season, had a big prelims session as well, which includes top 4 seeds in all 3 relays. They are seeded to score 324 swimming points, meaning they would probably need a Brophy Prep DQ to end the streak.
There are a few tight battles set up on the boys’ side for finals. Chandler High School junior Lucas Kelly and Desert Ridge sophomore Essias Smith tied for the first qualifying spot in the 100 fly with matching 50.10s. The 200 IM also saw a tight prelims fight as Matthew Leblanc from Chaparral (1:53.11), Lucas Walker from Desert Ridge (1:53.13), and Aaron Rosen from Pinnacle (1:53.63) were all spread by about half-a-second total. The race in finals should be a wild one, as Leblanc and Rosen both split 32-second breaststrokes, but Walker closed like a banshee (25.92) to make his way into the race.
That swim by Walker was a 4.4 second improvement on his lifetime best done at the 2016 State Championship meet.
Leblanc was also the top qualifier in the 100 breast in 57.08.
The girls’ answer to Brophy Prep is Xavier College Prep: the 28-time, and defending, Division I state champions. With top seeds in 2 relays (and a #2 seed in the other relay), they had a very good prelims session, and are seeded to score 296 swimming points, which was more than any other team that scored at last year’s state meet.
But Chaparral’s girls team has taken a much bigger bite out of Division I (after winning the D2 title last year with more than double the points of Catalina Foothills High School).
The Chaparral girls took the top qualifying spot in a whopping 4 individual events, and the #2 spot in 3 other individual events, and are seeded for 414 points – all in spite of disqualifying their 200 medley relay.
Sophomore Ashley Strouse qualified 1st in both the 200 free (1:45.67) and the 500 free (4:48.49). That 200 free is her lifetime best, though she’s already been 4:41 in the 500 free. She also anchored Chaparral’s top-seeded 400 free relay with a 50.76.
Another sophomore, Samantha Krew, is the top qualifier in the 100 fly (55.84), and yet another sophomore Greer Pattison is the top qualifier in the 100 back by 4 seconds in 53.74 (which isn’t even her season best).
Editor’s Note: prelims diving results weren’t available at the time of posting.