Colorado girls swimming state meet splashes down this weekend

In a matter of just a few days, the first of the five winter sports in the state will crown a new crop of champions.

Some of those titlists will be repeat winners when the state swimming and diving championships wrap up Saturday. As Fairview (Boulder) and senior Brittney Beetcher look to lock up a second consecutive Class 5A state championship, can Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) hold off the Knights and bring the school a second title in three years? Or will a program like Arapahoe (Centennial) or Lewis-Palmer (Monument) steal the show?

Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) is looking to repeat the feat in 4A against the likes of Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs), Rampart (Colorado Springs), Evergreen and newcomer Heritage (Littleton). Windsor senior Morgan Friesen is attempting to add to her four previous individual titles and claim a fourth consecutive 100-yard breaststroke crown.

As for the state's newest classification, the 3A state meet will generate nothing but firsts – the first team champion, a bevy of individual and relay winners and state meet records in every race.

Everything will be decided by Saturday evening. The 5A finals will take place at 4 p.m. Friday at the VMAC in Thornton. The 3A finals get underway at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, also at VMAC. The 4A state meet, held at EPIC in Fort Collins, will hold its finals at the same time Saturday afternoon.

Here is a quick look at each of the three classifications along with events including returning state champions:

Colorado girls swimming state psych sheets

Class 5A
It had been more than a decade since Fairview claimed a team championship, but the Knights laid that streak to rest last year by holding off Regis Jesuit (Aurora) and Fossil Ridge for the 5A title. Backed by Brittney Beetcher's titles in the 200 and 500 freestyle events, Fairview finished on top for the first time since 2004.

Beetcher returns with the 5A top seed in both events headed into Thursday's preliminaries at VMAC, but top-ranked Fossil Ridge is looking for its third title in the past six seasons.

The Sabercats enter state with the fastest times in each of the three relays and the other six individual swimming events. Junior Kylee Alons is the top seed in the 50 and 100 freestyle – with Arapahoe's Laurel Eiber and Lewis-Palmer's Meredith Rees close behind. Bailey Kovac (200 IM), Coleen Gillilan (100 butterfly), Bayley Stewart (100 backstroke) and Zoe Bartel (100 breaststroke) are also seeded first.

Arapahoe could have something to say about which team comes out on top. The Warriors are seeded second in two relays and third in another, and Eiber and junior Delaney Smith (200 freestyle) are seeded second in their respective events. Freshman Anna Wetzel is the third seed in the 100 breaststroke.

Among the top events to keep an eye on include the 50 and 100 freestyle, where Alons, Eiber and Rees will do battle. In the 200 free, Beetcher, Arapahoe's Smith and Emily Barrier of Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins) are within a second of each other.

The 200 individual medley could be an all-Fossil Ridge affair, as three of the field's top four seeds are teammates (Kovac, Bartel and Stewart).

Defending champions (competing in event at state):
200 medley Relay: Fossil Ridge
200 free: Brittney Beetcher, Sr., Fairview
100 butterfly: Coleen Gillilan, Soph., Fossil Ridge
500 free: Brittney Beetcher, Sr., Fairview
200 free relay: Regis Jesuit
400 free relay: Regis Jesuit

Class 4A
Valor Christian ran away with its first 4A state championship a year ago, easily outdistancing Evergreen and Cheyenne Mountain. The Eagles captured two individual titles from Brooke Stenstrom, who is now swimming for Stanford, and a relay championship.

Doing it a second time won't be an easy task, not against a Cheyenne Mountain team that has a top seed in the 200 medley relay and second seeds in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. The Indians also have junior Cat Wright, the No. 1 seed in the 50 freestyle.

Heritage drops down from 5A and presents a loaded lineup of its own. Junior Kylie Andrews won the 100 freestyle a year ago and is the event's top seed this weekend, along with the 100 breaststroke. The Eagles are also the top seed in the 200 freestyle relay.

Valor's 400 freestyle relay team is a top seed, as is junior Abbey Owenby in the 500 freestyle.

Rampart's Allana Clarke (100 butterfly) and Edenna Chen (100 breaststroke) are No. 1 seeds, with Chen just edging three-time defending champion Friesen for that honor headed into state.

The 100 breaststroke and 200 IM – where Friesen, Valor's Ella Kirschke and Brandi Vu of Silver Creek (Longmont) are separated by a second – figure to be among the state's best. Wright and Valor's Madison Hoehn aren't far behind Clarke in the 100 butterfly, and Evergreen's Kate McDonald will try to best Owenby to claim a third consecutive 500 freestyle championship.

Defending champions (competing in event at state):
200 medley relay: Valor Christian
200 IM: Morgan Friesen, Sr., Windsor
100 free: Kylie Andrews, Jr., Heritage (5A)
500 free: Kate McDonald, Sr., Evergreen
100 breaststroke: Morgan Friesen, Sr., Windsor
400 free relay: Cheyenne Mountain

Class 3A
The pursuit of the very first 3A state championship is a heated one headed into state. Aspen has never won a state title in the sport, and the Skiers are seeded first in two relays and second in a third. Senior Kennidy Quist – runner-up in 4A last year in the 50 and 100 freestyle to Valor's Stenstrom – is the top seed in both events, and sophomore Davy Brown owns the top time in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke.

Pueblo County is seeded first in the 200 freestyle relay and second in the 200 medley relay. Sophomore Amanda Blickensderfer, who is the top seed in the 100 breaststroke, paces the Hornets.

St. Mary's Academy (Englewood) senior Alex Reddington, who is headed to Wisconsin, brought home 4A state titles in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly a year ago. Sophomore Lillianna Brooks is the No. 2 seed in the 100 backstroke headed into state.

Manitou Springs and Glenwood Springs also figure to make a run at a state championship. Manitou Springs finished fourth in 4A last February and the Demons were ninth. Both teams are top-four seeds in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays, and Mustangs senior Emily Dolloff-Holt is the second seed in the 100 breaststroke and the third seed in the 200 IM.

Defending champions (competing in event at state):
200 freestyle: Alex Reddington, Sr., St. Mary's Academy (4A)
100 butterfly: Alex Reddington, Sr., St. Mary's Academy (4A)
200 free relay: Manitou Springs (4A)