Valley swimmers, divers look to make a splash at state

WASILLA — Though it’s nowhere near St. Patrick’s Day, the Colony Knights will be hoping to turn the aqua blue waters inside Bartlett Natatorium into a sea of green at this weekend’s ASAA/First National Bank State Swimming and Diving Championships.

The Knights qualified the most Valley athletes into the state meet, which begins at 1 p.m. today (Friday, Nov. 6) with swimming preliminaries and continues Saturday at 9 a.m. starting with diving prelims. Finals begin at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Colony girls placed second at last weekend’s Region III meet and qualified nine individual and a pair of relay teams to the meet. Among Colony’s contenders for individual accolades are Camille Dayton, who is seeded fourth in the 100 butterfly and fifth in the 100 backstroke, and Anne Sullivan, who is seeded sixth in the 100 breaststroke. Colony diver Eileen Cyr — the Region III champion — could also make a splash in diving, where she’ll be seeded fifth.

For the Colony boys (who were third at regions), Joseph Anderson will be looking to lead the way for Valley contenders after his double win at the Region III meet. Anderson will be among the favorites in both the 100 breaststroke, where he’s the state’s second seed, and the 200 individual medley, where he’s seeded third. The Knights will also rely on Jake Simmons, who is seeded second in the 100 butterfly, and second-seeded diver Tanner Belliston. The Colony boys also qualified a pair of relays to the meet.

Palmer’s Millie and Max Snelders will lead the Moose into the meet, with each of the siblings qualifying for a pair of individual events. Millie is seeded seventh in the 200 individual medley and eighth in the 100 breaststroke, while Max is seeded fourth in the 50 freestyle and 10^th in the 100 free. Diver Gabe Waldhaus could also contend for a title as he’ll begin that competition ranked fourth.

Palmer’s girls also qualified to compete in the 200 freestyle relay.

Wasilla has just one state qualifier — but he’s the only top seed from the Mat-Su entered in the meet. Region III diving champion Brayden Schachle, who is the defending state champion and a two-time region champ, will be a heavy favorite to repeat at state. Schachle’s qualifying score heading into state is 473.15, more than 60 points ahead of Belliston’s mark of 410.3.

In the team race, the perennial powerhouse Dimond boys will be looking to win their seventh straight team championship, while the Cook Inlet Conference champion Dimond girls will challenge two-time defending state champion Juneau and Region III winners Soldotna on the girls side.

Cost of admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students each day. Seniors 65 and older, along with kids in sixth grade and below get in free. For a complete meet program and more information about the meet — which will be broadcast live online at the NFHS Network — visit ASAA online at asaa.org.

ASAA/First National Bank State Swimming and Diving Championships

Friday-Saturday

Bartlett High Natatorium

Mat-Su qualifiers (seed in parenthesis)

COLONY KNIGHTS

GIRLS: 200 medley relay — Yanne Toussaint, Anne Sullivan, Camille Dayton, Sarah Crosley, Samantha Belliston, Cailin Popejoy, Josi Zugg, Haley Lugars; 200 IM — (16) Samantha Belliston; 50 freestyle — (10) Yanne Toussaint; Diving — (5) Eileen Cyr; 100 butterfly — (4) Camille Dayton; (16) Samantha Belliston; 100 freestyle — (14) Yanne Toussaint; 100 backstroke — (5) Camille Dayton; 100 breaststroke — (6) Anne Sullivan; (10) Alexis Mattson; 400 freestyle relay — (5) Yanne Toussaint, Samantha Belliston, Sarah Crosley, Camille Dayton, Kendyl Laughlin, Anne Sullivan, Alexis Mattson, Calista Snavley.

BOYS: 200 medley relay — Jake Simmons, Joseph Anderson, Ryan Chastain, Elliott Amato, Cameron Gossett, Daniel Clyde, Nick Schwantes, Morgan Chapman; 200 freestyle — (17) Ryan Chastain (alternate); 200 IM — (3) Joseph Anderson; 50 freestyle — (18) Elliott Amato (alternate); Diving — (2) Tanner Belliston; (9) Dominic Monaco; (10) Alex Zimmerman; 100 butterfly — (2) Jake Simmons; 100 breaststroke — (2) Joseph Anderson; (10) Elliott Amato; 400 freestyle relay — (7) Joseph Anderson, Elliott Amato, Ryan Chastain, Jake Simmons, Daniel Clyde, Nick Schwantes, Cameron Gossett, Jed Dean.

PALMER MOOSE

GIRLS: 200 IM — (7) Millie Snelders; Diving — (11) Sydney Howe; (16) Rachel Hanson; 200 freestyle relay — (10) Lindsay Musgrave, McKenzie Musgrave, Rachel Hanson, Millie Snelders, Julie Beck, Ashtyn Peterson, Savannah Geffken, Cassidy Player; 100 breaststroke — (8) Millie Snelders;

BOYS: 200 freestyle — (15) Nick Geffken; 50 freestyle — (4) Max Snelders; Diving — (4) Gabe Waldhaus; 100 freestyle — (10) Max Snelders;

WASILLA WARRIORS

BOYS: Diving — (1) Brayden Schachle;