Arizona HS State Champs Preview: Brophy Prep Eyes 31st Straight Title

Arizona State Swimming & Diving High School Championships

• 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)

The Arizona State High School Swimming & Diving Championships are set to take place this weekend, with Division 1 being contested at the Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa and Divisions 2 and 3 at the Phoenix Country Day Aquatic Center in Paradise Valley.

Division I

Boys

For the Division 1 boys meet, Brophy Prep comes in as the overwhelming favorites as they seek a 31st straight title. Chaparral has been dominant in D2 in recent years and will move up this year and look to challenge for the title. The biggest challenge Brophy has had recently came from Chaparral in 2013 when they finished 35 points back.

Brophy is without their lone individual event winner from 2017, Patrick Schramm, but does return a strong core group that includes Parker Hughes, Matt Milovanovic and Dane Nelson who all swam on at least one winning relay last year.

Other notable swimmers competing include Chaparral’s Matt Leblanc, who won both the 200 IM and 100 breast last year in Division 2, and Drake Barberii of Rincon is the lone returning Division 1 winner from last year in the 100 fly.

Girls

On the girls side, Chaparral comes in as heavy favorites after cruising to two consecutive Division 2 titles in 2016 and 2017, winning all but two events in the State Championship last season. Xavier Prep are the defending D1 champions, but Chaparral is expected to firmly dominate.

A couple swimmers highlighting their squad this year include Ashley Strouse who won both the 200 and 500 free last year in D2 (and was on two winning relays), Riley Courtney who won the 100 breast, and Greer Pattison who won the 100 back.

Two-time defending 100 free champ Kyla Yetter of Highland and reigning 500 winner Destiny Kling of Chandler (who just committed to Nevada) will also be competing.

Division II

Boys

With Chaparral, who won the Division 2 boys titles in both 2016 and 2017, moving up to D1, the door is now open for the likes of Canyon del Oro, Catalina Foothills and Salpointe to take a run at the title. Catalina Foothills were the runners-up last year.

They have last year’s double winner Scott Pekarske looking to defend his titles in the 200 and 500 free. Tanner Falls of Desert Mountain, who won the 500 at the Division 1 meet in 2017, comes in as the top seed in that event. Harris Temple of Prescott comes in as the defending champ in the 100 free, and holds down the top seed there along with the 100 fly. Jaden Nabor of Verrado is the top seed in the 100 back and will look to defend his 100 fly title from last year against Temple.

Girls

Just like the boys, Chaparral’s absence in the D2 girls meet opens things up after they dominated last year. Catalina Foothills and Arcadia look to be the two teams in contention for the title after alternating 2nd and 3rd place finishes the last two years.

Hannah Houlton of Ironwood Ridge is the lone returning champion after she won the 50 and 100 free last year, as Chaparral had won every other event. Arcadia’s Sydney Carlson is certainly one to watch out for as she enters with the top seeds in the 200 IM and 500 free by wide margins.

Division III

Boys

Seton Catholic are the defending champions for D3 boys, but have lost many swimmers to graduation which opens up the field for the likes of Phoenix Country Day, Saguaro and Veritas Prep to contend. Phoenix Country Day won in 2016.

Grant Nations of Sabino will aim to defend his 100 breast title from last year, and also improve upon his runner-up finish in the 500 free. Freshman Maxwell Kleinman however holds the top seed in the 100 breast by over a second at 58.98. Lucas Olschansky of Phoenix Day Country, who was on the winning 200 medley relay last year, holds down two top seeds in the 200 free and 100 fly, and Seton’s James Karam (on winning 400 free relay in 2017) is the number one seed in the 100 free.

Girls

On the girls side, Sabino eyes a third straight title, though Scottsdale Christian and Scottsdale Prep are also expected to be in the mix.

Sabino’s Skylar Dikeman is the defending champ in the 50 free, while Quinn Murphy of Phoenix Country Day will look to retain both of her titles in the 100 free and 100 back.

Full heats sheets for prelims of all three meets can be found here.