Chaparral looks to upend Brophy in D-I swimming
Last year, COVID-19 stopped Phoenix Brophy Prep's 32-year state championships swim streak.
Now, Scottsdale Chaparral might stand in the way.
Brophy is back in the pool for the Division I state swimming and diving championships this weekend.
Swimming preliminaries start Friday at 2:45 p.m., at Mesa Skyline Aquatic Center. The finals are Saturday starting at 2:30 p.m.. Diving championships are Thursday and Friday at Brophy Prep for Divisions I through III.
The Division II swimming championships are Friday and Saturday at SAC, and the Division II swimming finals are Friday at Saturday at Phoenix Country Day School with Saturday's finals starting at 2 p.m.
Chaparral coach Russell Krzyzanowski led the Firebirds to their first boys state championship in the top division last year, when Brophy couldn't compete due to positive coronavirus cases.
He feels this year's team has a chance to repeat with Brophy Prep in the pool. Phoenix Desert Vista is another boys swim team to watch.
"If you put the meet on paper for the guys strictly looking at seeds, Chap boys win by three," Krzyzanowski said in a text. "DV and Brophy tie for second."
What is on paper, however, doesn't sometimes translate in the pool when it is the biggest meet of the season.
But for the first time with Brophy competing in maybe 33 years, there is no
favorite. Desert Vista might not have the same depth as Chaparral and Brophy Prep.
"It's a toss-up of who performs their best out of these three teams," he said. "It's going to be a dogfight for two days.
"This will be the closest meet arguably in history on the men's side," Krzyzanowski added.
The girls side should be dominated by Chaparral again at Division I.
Gilbert Higley junior Keaton Jones, who has committed to California, has a chance to break two state records. He is competing in the Division II meet. He is one of the top backstroke swimmers in the nation.
He won the 100-yard backstroke at state last year, when he finished runner up in the 500 freestyle.
Top boys swimmers
Keaton Jones, Higley; Evan Nail, Gilbert
Perry; Jack Luken, Desert Vista; Tristan Dalbey, Chaparral; Kellan Pattison, Chaparral; Jack Sorenson, Brophy Prep; Ethank Mindlin, Chaparral; Carson Hamblin, Mesa Dobson; Caleb Stanley, Desert Vista; Thomas Joswiak, Brophy Prep; Colby Raffel, Phoenix Sunnyslope; Tres Mungia, Desert Vista.
Top girls swimmers
Blakely Schuricht, Chaparral; Kennedy Noble, Goodyear Millennium; Clare Luken, Desert Vista; Sophia Jahn, Mesa Red Mountain; Hope Felner, Chaparral; Sam Arredondo, Tempe Corona del Sol; Haley Mueller, Perry; Ava Cunningham, Chaparral; Lauren Richards, Chaparral; Grace Dunn, Chaparral; Caelle Armijo, Phoenix Sandra Day O'Connor; Emma Becker, Mesa Mountain View; Nicole Kepi, Peoria Liberty, Maryjane Neilson, Horizon, Audrey Pickles, Chandler Hamilton.