2019 Girls Swimming Capsule Previews
(as submitted by coaches)
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ADELSON SCHOOL
Head coach: Becky Lamph, 10th season
Returning letter winners: Five
Top athletes: Elisabeth Kac (Sr.), Dana Bluevise (Sr.), Lielle Boldur (Jr.), Rebecca Winger (Jr.), Vanessa Voltz (So.)
Outlook: Winger and Voltz were Class 3A state meet qualifiers last year, and Kac, Bluevise and Boldur all were finalists in at least one event in the Southern Region meet.
“We begin this season with the most returning regional finalists ever which is a great place to start,” Lamph said. “Our school is very small so we don’t have the depth of many of the teams in our division, so we hope to make the most of each swimmer that we do get out.”
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BASIC
Head coach: Ernie Sena, third season
Returning letter winners: Ten
Top athletes: Michaela Day (Sr.)
Outlook: Day was a Class 4A state meet qualifer in the 200-yard freestyle last season.
“She will be leading a seasoned pack of returning veterans charging their way back to state,” Sena said. “The team looks to improve this year with the leadership of returning lettermen and hard work in the water.”
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BISHOP GORMAN
Head coach: Michael Kinross, third season
Returning lettermen: Twenty-four
Top athletes: Caroline Anderson (Sr.), Emma Breslin (Jr.), Olivia Gordon (Jr.), Payton Moore (So.), Paige Sondgeroth (So.), Devyn Wingender (Sr.), Audrey Yu (Fr.)
Outlook: After four straight runner-up finishes in the Sunset Region meet, the Gaels are hoping to contend for a top spot in the Desert Region.
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BOULDER CITY
Head coach: Sara Carroll, 26th season
Returning letter winners: Seventeen
Top athletes: Aimee Garcia (Sr.), Rose Pouch (Sr.), Quinci Thomas (Jr.)
Outlook: The Eagles bring back 17 letter winners in quest of the program’s seventh straight state championship.
Garcia won the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyles in last year’s Class 3A state meet. Pouch won the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly at state, and Thomas finished third in both the 100 and 500 freestyles at state.
“We’re hoping to win regionals again, but state will be tough because of Truckee,” Carroll said.
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CORONADO
Head coach: David Stump, ninth season
Returning letter winners: Twenty-one
Top athletes: Katie Jankowski (Sr.), Eva Sasaki (So.), Gabrielle Wood (Sr.), Pilar Cohen (So.)
Outlook: Cohen is the defending Class 4A state champion in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles. She joined Wood and Jankowski on the state champion 200 free relay team and the 400 free relay team that finished third at state.
Jankowski also was seventh in the state in the 50 freestyle and swam with Sasaki and Wood on the 200 medley relay team that finished seventh in the state.
“With minimal loss due to graduation, we are looking to improve on last year’s finishes,” Stump said. “As is the case every year, regional champions is one of our main goals. The team, with the help of a very good freshman class, is also looking to move up in the rankings at the state championship.”
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DEL SOL
Head coach: Nancy Nelson, first season
Returning letter winners: Five
Top athletes: Paloma Torres (Sr.), Cesia Cordies (Sr.), Valerie Domingo (Jr.)
Outlook: Nelson takes over a squad that returns five letter winners.
“We lost our top swimmer to graduation,” Nelson said. “We still have a few really strong swimmers and a couple that should develop nicely this season. We’re in a mini rebuild, similar to our boys team.”
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ELDORADO
Head coach: Patty Eliason, fourth season
Returning letter winners: Five
Top athletes: Katherine Davila (Jr.), Jenny Paddack (Sr.), Katie Winder (Sr.), Maddie Pewtress (Jr.), Kristianne Davis (Jr.)
Outlook: The Sundevils return five letter winners and are hoping to show improvement throughout the season.
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FAITH LUTHERAN
Head coach: Stephen Blank, 15th season
Returning letter winners: Ten
Top athletes: Maddie May (Sr.), Sophia Rubino (Jr.), Adelaide Rau (So.)
Outlook: The Crusaders welcome back 10 letter winners from a team that finished ninth in last year’s Sunset Region meet.
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LEGACY
Head coach: Casey Renton, second season
Returning lettermen: Five
Top athletes: Alyssa Hawkins (Jr.), Isabella Schutte (Sr.), Vivica Craig (Sr.)
Outlook: Hawkins finished fourth in the 200-yard freestyle and eighth in the 100 freestyle in last year’s Class 4A state meet. She joined Schutte and Craig on the 200 freestyle relay team that finished eighth in the state.
“We are very excited about some of the returning talent this year,” Renton said. “While we lost a few graduating seniors last year, we have a strong showing of up and coming swimmers. We will be young team this year with many freshman and sophomores, but we will be able to establish some depth as a team over the next few years.”
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LIBERTY
Head coach: Carolyn Battin, fourth season
Returning letter winners: Nine
Top athletes: Brooke Blackard (So.), Taelyn Roberts-Oliver (Sr.)
Outlook: Blackard finished sixth in the 100-yard backstroke in last year’s Class 4A state meet, and Roberts-Oliver finished fourth in the 200 individual medley in the the Sunrise Region meet.
They lead a group of nine returning letter winners for the Patriots.
“We are expecting a lot of new swimmers this season and consider this a building year due to losing so many seniors last year,” Battin said.
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PALO VERDE
Head coach: Brent Gonzalez, 15th season
Returning letter winners: Twenty-five
Top athletes: Portia Blacket (Sr.), Chloe Freeman (Jr.), Victoria Gutierrez (Jr.), Maddie Laugher (Sr.), Summer Woods (Sr.)
Outlook: Gutierrez was second in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles at last year’s Class 4A state meet.
Lauger was third at state in the 100 butterfly and fourth in the 200 individual medley. Blackert was fourth at state in the 500 freestyle, and Woods took eighth at state in diving.
The Panthers also get a boost from the return of Freeman, who won the 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle state titles in 2017.
“We’re looking forward to a great regional meet, and hoping to regain the state title,” Gonzalez said. “Looking forward with a great battle with Bishop Gorman and Green Valley.”
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RANCHO
Head coaches: Robin Bigda, third season, and David Silberman, second season
Top athletes: Tatumn Alford (Sr.), Natalia Escalante (Jr.), Sophia Johnson (Jr.), Kekai States (Sr.), Ava Valenzuela (Fr.)
Outlook: The Rams are hoping to improve throughout the season.
“I am looking forward to collaborating with other teams and building the whole swim community to be more supportive of each other,” Bigda said. “My 2019 swim season word is involvement. I want my swim to be involved: in school, in the community, in the pool and with other teams. Look for Rancho at the end of the lane cheering for one and all.
“My captains this year are super involved, and I am excited to watch them grow and share their involvement.”
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SHADOW RIDGE
Head coach: Jonathan Hillmer, eighth season
Top athletes: Haylee Buff (Sr.), Aubrey Nenneman (Sr.), Elena Boswell (Fr.), Kayla Chavez (Sr.), McKayla Gunnell (So.)
Outlook: Buff, Nenneman and Chavez all qualified for last year’s Sunset Region meet and return to help lead the team.
But the Mustangs also lost a talented senior class that included state-meet qualifier Charlotte Brereton.
“This will open up the door for some hungry underclassmen to show up and perform in order to fill those spots,” Hillmer said. “We aim to compete in the top four team spots in the regional meet. We also expect to get some more swimmers qualified for the state meet, both individual and relays.”
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SIERRA VISTA
Head coach: Mikel Boland, fifth season
Returning letter winners: Twelve
Top athletes: Danyael Cuison (Jr.), Kayla Wolsey (So.), Enzi Han (So.), Analisa Zaby (So.), Gracen Babicz (So.) Emily Rash (Sr.)
Outlook: Cuison finished third in the 50-yard freestyle and fourth in the 100 butterfly in last year’s Sunset Region meet. Wolsey was fourth in both the 200 and 500 freestyles, and Han took sixth in the 500 freestyle in the region meet.
They’re among 12 returning letter winners for the Mountain Lions.
“We had a strong young core last year, and added a few new club faces,” Boland said. “The new Desert Region will be tough, so we’re hoping to do well against new competition.”
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SLAM ACADEMY
Head coach: Quincey Hocker, first season
Returning letter winners: First-year program
Top athletes: Hailee Clark (Fr.), Alyson Thommavongsa (Fr.)
Outlook: The Bulls begin competition this season.
“SLAM is excited to be officially in competition with other schools,” Hocker said.
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SPRING VALLEY
Head coach: Jean Rees, 12th season
Top athletes: Allie Jacobson, Matilda Rodigari
Outlook: Jacobson finished third in the 100-yard backstroke and sixth in the 100 freestyle in last year’s Class 4A state meet.
Rodigari is an exchange student who swam competitively in Italy.
“We are excited for this upcoming season,” Rees said. “Allie Jacobson will be working hard to qualify for state.
“All of our new swimmers are excited about competition.”
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SUNRISE MOUNTAIN
Head coach: Conrad Courtney, first season
Returning letter winners: Seven
Top athletes: Breanna Anguiano (Sr.), Wendy Benitez-Moreno (So.), Kylie Dreitzler (Sr.), Skarleth Hernandez (Sr.), Madelyn Hill (Sr.), Yarely Navarrete-Oliva (Sr.), June Sanchez-Bravo (Sr.), Melody Stevens (Sr.)
Outlook: The Miners bring back seven lettermen and are hoping to be competitive in the Class 3A Southern Region.
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VALLEY
Head coach: Ryan Max Ocampo, third season
Returning letter winners: Ten
Top athletes: Arianna Marroquin (So.), Emily Arseno (Jr.), Jasmine Kennedy (Sr.), Danielle Bradley (Sr.)
Outlook: The Vikings’ program continues to make strides.
“We have a big number of newcomers,” Ocampo said. “We hope to have our experienced swimmers leave a foundation of excellence for these new swimmers to build upon and strengthen the impact of our swimming program.”
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WESTERN
Head coaches: Elisa Marcheschi Hickey, fifth season; and Dana Grindall, second season
Returning letter winners: Five
Top athletes: Britney Theisgen (Sr.), Blandy Simon (Sr.), Veronica Rodriguez (Fr.)
Outlook: Theisgen and Simon both were Southern Region meet qualifiers last year and lead a group of five returning letter winners.
“We graduated a lot of our seniors last year, but we have a ton of talented newcomers coming up through the ranks,” Marcheschi Hickey said. “We are also working to get the majority of our team lifeguard or water safety certified this year so they can give back to their community.”
