Chaparral's team triumph in girls swimming last season has a solid chance of happening again this weekend (Nov. 6-7) as the state swim and dive championships are contested at Skyline Aquatic Center on the campus of Skyline High School in Mesa.

Chaparral outdistanced second-place Pinnacle by 79 points in the 2014 meet. The good news for Chaparral and bad news for everyone else is that crown was won without a boatload of seniors. No, the Firebirds are locked and loaded for a repeat led by a quintet of swimmers --- three juniors, a sophomore and a senior. The sophomore is the more decorated of the group.

That sophomore is Taylor Rusk -- a three-event champ as freshman. Rusk won the 200-yard free (state-record time) and 500 free and anchored the 200-free relay. Ruck and relay teammates settled for second in the 400 free, but that title has a good chance of falling their way this year.

Rusk was the lone freshman among D-I girls to win individual events last year. Chaparral's massive point total last year got plenty of help from relay teammates and juniors Emma Broome, Emma Segner and Gabriella Fagan and senior Gillian Rieth.

Broome was part of the winning 200 medley relay and runner-up 400 free relay. She was adept in individual events taking second in the 100 back and third in the 100 fly. Segneri swam on the winning 200 medley relay and 200 free relay teams. She checked in with a runner-up in the 100 fly and was ninth in the 50 free. Fagan contributed in the 200 free win and 400 free silver. She took seventh in the 50 free and eighth in the 100 free.

Rieth competed on the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay. She placed fifth in the 100 back and sixth in the 100 fly. Adding depth from last year to this year are sophomores Kelly Huffer and Madison Leblanc, both of whom placed in individual events along with senior Lauren Borst.

Other top swimmers to watch at the meet are Arcadia junior Savanna Carlson (200 IM champ) and senior Matti Harrison (100 back champ); Desert Vista sophomore Shae Nicolaisen; Pinnacle junior Alyson Yancy (100 breast champ), Xavier senior Elise Roediger, Mountain Pointe senior Grace Horvath and and Chandler junior Marina McInelly.

If Chaparral is to be challenged for the team championship, its ccmpetition will come from Desert Vista, Xavier, Pinnacle and Mesa Mountain View.

D-I BOYS

Two swimmers are likely to dominate as they have the past couple years -- one on the way out and another with more to come. Keep focused on Chandler senior Mark Jurek. Jurek waited until Halloween to swim in a last-chance qualifier and did so with ease. Jurek is two-time defending meet champ in the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly. Last month Jurek made a verbal commitment to attend USC next year.

A year behind Jurek is Chaparral junior sprinter Ryan Hoffer, who has five gold medals to his credit his first two seasons. Hoffer is two-time defending champ in the 50 free and claimed the 100 free crown last year. Hoffer's been part of the 200 medley relay title teams in 2013 and 2014.

Others to watch are Horizon senior Ben Olszewski, last year's 500 free champ; Desert Vista's Josh Vedder, 100 back champ), Brophy sprinter Jack Black and sophomore Mike Niezgodzski; Pinnacle's Aaron Apel (200 free and 500 free); Hamilton's Ty Dang (100 breaststroke); Mesa Mountain View's Bryce Kuchan and Catalina Foothills Brooks Fail (sprints).

Brophy's depth often sets it apart from would-be contenders and that figures to be so again. Mountain View, Desert Vista and Horizon are likely to follow the Broncos in the team standings in some order.

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