Fossil Ridge, Cheyenne Mountain, Aspen Top Colorado High School Ranks

The 2017 Colorado Girl’s State Championships kicks off this Thursday, February 9th, and runs through Saturday, February 11th.  With the state championships also comes the test that will verify or disprove the rankings compiled below.

First, let’s remember there have some changes in Colorado high school swimming recently, including a reorganization that added a 3rd level of competition for the state’s smallest schools.

In 5A (the largest schools) Zoe Bartel, Winter Junior National Champion (West) in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke, has clocked a 1:01.88 in the 100 breaststroke already this year during the high school season, but she was 59.04 at Juniors West in Austin, TX, in December.  Bartel swims for Fossil Ridge which is ranked #1 in each of the 3 relays, with swimmers holding 1st in the 50 and 100 freestyle (Kylee Alons), 1st and 2nd in the 100 back (Kylee Alons & Bayley Stewart), 100 fly (Kylee Alons & Coleen Gillilan), 200 IM (Bailey Kovac & Kylee Alons), and 100 breast (Zoe Bartel, Coleen Gillilan).  Bartel, while only being ranked 14th in the Colorado high school system in the 100 back, swam a brisk 53.42 at Winter Juniors, which would put her comfortably in the lead in the high school rankings.  Given their stacked team and 68-point lead in the rankings, Fossil Ridge is the likely state champ in 5A, where team standings overall have not significantly changed for the top 8 teams since last reporting.

Cheyenne Mountain maintains a significant lead in 4A where they will likely usurp the title from last year’s champion, Valor Christian, who graduated 3 of the 4 swimmers on the 4A Record-setting 200 medley relay last year.  While Cheyenne Mountain is only ranked 1st in two events (200 IM with Cat Wright and the 200 medley relay), they are ranked 2nd in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays and possess outstanding depth with 1 or 2 athletes ranked in the top 8 in every event except diving.  Cheyenne Mountain has kept a comfortable lead all season, though Heritage recently pulled ahead of Valor Christian to claim the 2nd position in the 4A rankings.  On the other side of the spectrum, Pueblo West knocked George Washington out of the top 20 in 4A.

A few weeks ago, Aspen wasn’t even on the radar for 3A, and now Aspen occupies first place by a narrow 15 points ahead of St. Mary’s Academy.  Aspen leads the rankings in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays, and sits in 2nd in the 200 free relay, while Kennidy Quist leads in the 50 and 100 freestyles, and teammate Davy Brown holds the top seed times in the 100 back and 200 IM.  As far as team ranking shakeups go, Aspen’s sudden ascension to #1 in the 3A rankings is by far the most dramatic.  Whether or not they can hold that lead with their small but solid squad will make for a very interesting meet.

The team rankings are calculated like a championship swim meet, with adjustments for athletes ranked in more than two events so that the results are not skewed too much by one athlete or school. The top 16 in each event score (just like the state meet), and times are pulled from MaxPreps – where coaches are required to be submitted to by the state association. Rob Nasser, the creator of prepswimco.com and head coach of Mountain Vista High School (and formerly of Valor Christian High School), maintains the rankings.

The 2017 Colorado Girl’s State Championship meets run from February 9th-11th.

5A Team Rankings

1. Fossil Ridge 356
2. Fairview 288
3. Arapahoe 255
4. Lewis-Palmer 176
5. Rock Canyon 144
6. Regis 142
7. Rocky Mountain 122
8. Legacy 105
9. Grandview 84
10. Cherry Creek 80
11. ThunderRidge 79
12. Mountain Vista 76
13. Castle View/Douglas County 74
14. Smoky Hill 66
15. Columbine 51
16. Monarch 49
17. Chatfield 40
18. Mountain Range 39
19. Ralston Valley 29
20. Legend 15

Meet location: Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center (VMAC), Thornton, CO

4A Team Rankings

1. Cheyenne Mountain 310
2. Valor Christian 254
3. Heritage 226
4. Rampart 205
5. Evergreen 200
6. Silver Creek 148
7. Windsor 122
8. Ft. Collins 116
9. Loveland 96
10. Niwot 93
11. Pine Creek 87
12. Thompson Valley 71
13. Highlands Ranch 61
14. Mullen 44
15. Liberty 42
16. Air Academy 39
17. Montrose 38
18. Pueblo South 23
19. Greeley West 24
20. Pueblo West 21

Meet location: Endora Pool Ice Center (EPIC), Ft. Collins, CO

3A Team Rankings

1. Aspen 203
2. St. Mary’s Academy 188
3. Glenwood Springs 1833
4. Pueblo County 174
5. Manitou Springs 131
6. Kent Denver 126
7. D’Evelyn 126
8. Colorado Academy 112
9. St. Mary’s 111
10. Centaurus 107
11. Estes Park 106
12. Longmont 105
13. La Junta 104
14. Disc. Canyon 80
15. Durango 70
16. Green Mountain 64
17. Salida 56
18. Montezuma-Cortez 52
19. Eaton 50
20. Fountain Valley 29

Meet location: Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center (VMAC), Thornton, CO

AB