Fab 5 lead Valley to state meet

MAT-SU — After a weekend of record-setting swimming at the Palmer High School pool this past weekend, a handful of Valley athletes will find themselves at this weekend’s ASAA/First National Bank Swimming and Diving Championships at Bartlett High School.

From Colony, Alex Kessler will swim in lane two of the second heat of the boys 100-yard backstroke with a qualifying time of 58.29 posted at last weekend’s Region III meet at PHS.

The Palmer Moose had the most success of the Valley’s schools, qualifying four individuals in five events.

Katie Stark will compete in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle at state. She qualified for the 50 free with the fourth fastest regional time of 25.55. Her 56.39 was the eighth fastest qualifying mark for the 100.

Noelle Graham will swim in heat one of the state preliminaries in the 100 butterfly.

She had the seventh-fastest qualifying time in the event at 1:03.20. She also is the first alternate for the 50 freestyle.

For the Moose boys, senior Spencer Bloom makes a return to the state tournament after shattering his personal best in the 50 freestyle. His 23.12 regional qualifying time is the eighth fastest.

Another Palmer swimmer making a return to the state meet is Joe Provo, who is seeded 12th in 1-meter diving with a regional score of 323.05.

Stark and Graham also anchor a pair of Palmer relays that are alternates for state action. The team of Willow Schlenker, Sarah Hanson, Graham and Stark are alternates for the girls 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

For more information on the state swimming championships, visit asaa.org/swimming.