A look at what to expect from the upcoming season of boys’ high-school swimming

Boone High School’s Rusty Dagon (photo by Megan Pirino)

Apopka Blue Darters

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sophomores Nathaniel Boccuzzo, Mason Comes and Matthew Murphy, who formed the core of the group that took third place in the boys’ 200-yard medley relay at 2016’s District 4A-3 meet, will be back this season. Boccuzzo also took first place at districts and fourth place at the Region 1 matchup in the 200-yard individual medley, indicating he’ll be a top Blue Darter swimmer for the next three years.

OUTLOOK: Coach Jerry Russell’s boys’ squad fared slightly better than their female counterparts at districts and regionals, finishing fourth and 14th, respectively. As they fielded a relatively young squad last season, though, look for them to make more of a mark in 2017.

Boone Braves

PLAYERS TO WATCH: According to Rosalie Creighton, who coaches the boys’ and girls’ swim teams at Boone, juniors Elias Contogonas, Rusty Dagon and Dillan McKinney will have a big impact on the squad’s fortunes in 2017. Dagon, who was Region 1 qualifier, specializes in butterfly, backstroke and individual-medley events. Contogonas and McKinney both qualified for the Class 4A state championship, with Contogonas focusing on the 200- and 500-meter freestyle, and McKinney on the freestyle, breaststroke and individual medley.

OUTLOOK: “Even though we lost some key swimmers as seniors, we still have a small group of strong swimmers,” says Creighton. The boys will be looking to defend their title as metro champions and potentially earn better rankings at the district, regional and state tournaments.

Celebration Storm

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Kelly George, who coaches the boys’ and girls’ swim teams for Celebration, is expecting to welcome back a strong core of senior swimmers in 2017. They include Luis Cunha, Micah Desrochers, Alexander Myers, Nathan Thibault and Josh Tso.

OUTLOOK: After finishing as the 13th-best team at last season’s 4A-4 district tournament, the Storm was unable to advance to regionals. What’s more, they lost a major chunk of the team to graduation. Depending on how much returning players worked on their times this summer, as well as the X-factor of incoming freshmen, the coming season could either be a repeat of 2016 or a major push for credibility.

Circle Christian Centurions

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sophomore Ethan Spivey and junior Isaac Lijeros are both set to swim for Circle Christian again this season. They worked well together on last year’s medley relay teams and also posted decent times in individual races, setting them up for bigger and better things this time out.

OUTLOOK: The boys had a tougher time last season than their female teammates, finishing seventh at the District 1A-4 match and 15th at the Region 2 competition. Between faster speeds from returning players and some talented younger swimmers coming up from the middle-school squad, they could do much better this year.

Colonial Grenadiers

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Seniors eligible to swim for the Grenadiers in 2017 include Edward Acosta, Arian Cruz, Justin Diaz and Joshua Uyeda. Juniors Julian Ocampo, Santiago Mora and Obrian Sotelo are also expected back.

OUTLOOK: “Colonial High has a good group of boys returning and should see an improvement in our standings in the metro conference,” says Jana Adams, boys’/girls’ swim coach. “Coming off their best water polo season in many years, the boys are stoked up to put in some yardage and improve their swimming for both sports.”

Cypress Creek Bears

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Seniors Mauricio Edery, Samuel Ko and Javier Ramirez are expected to lead the way for the 2017 Bears swim team. Also cleared to return are juniors Donaven Bess, Javier Hernandez and Antonio Rivera.

OUTLOOK: Cypress Creek didn’t have much to show for the 2016 season in the way of honors and awards, dropping out of the post-season after finishing in 13th place at the 4A-4 district tournament. More dishearteningly, they had no standouts in either individual or team races at that match. Still, Coach Erin Stutz, who also heads the girls’ team, and her boys will be out there fighting for every lap in the coming year.

Dr. Phillips Panthers

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Natalie Nickson, the head of the boys’ and girls’ swim teams at Dr. Phillips, pinpoints seniors Luis Ortiz and Alex Kaiser as the players most likely to impress during the 2017 season. Ortiz is an all-around swimmer, including individual and team races, while Kaiser is a diving specialist who came in third in the boys’ one-meter diving competition at 2016’s District 4A-4 meet.

OUTLOOK: “We are a young team, but we have a lot of potential,” says Nickson. Last season, the boys came in second at districts, eighth at the Region 1 tournament and 17th statewide in Class 4A play, and they should maintain or build on that positioning this year.

East River Falcons

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Sean Catron was a powerhouse last season, taking first place in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly at 2016’s District 3A-4 tournament. He then repeated his 200-yard success at the Region 2 match and took home second place in the 100-yard butterfly, earning him a place at the Class 3A state finals. Catron is also great at relay, and he’ll be joined by two of his previous partners for that event: fellow senior Austin Olsen and junior Caleb Goddard.

OUTLOOK: Even with Catron’s successes, the Falcons were only able to take fourth place at districts and 11th at regionals, with Catron being the only team member to swim at the state championship. They’ll need more players of his caliber if they hope to achieve greatness.

Edgewater Eagles

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Patty Whitted, who coaches the men’s and women’s teams at Edgewater, pinpoints five returning Eagles as swimmers to watch, starting with seniors Robert Allen and Anthony D’Arco. Juniors Tim Bresnahan, Rafael Castellano and Carlos Castro will also be back.

OUTLOOK: “Both Edgewater teams will be returning a small group of strong swimmers that should compete well with our opponents,” says Whitted. She also expresses the hope that her swimmers are participating in summer programs to help improve their times and technique.

Evans Trojans

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Trojans Coach Jessica Kendrick, who also heads the girls’ squad, is expecting a number of experienced swimmers to return, including Marlon Poteat, Trevon Chambers, Camron Ward and Derrick Hedman.

OUTLOOK: “This year, the swim team expects to be the team to look out for,” says Kendrick. Through 2016, the school’s team was independent and did not compete for FHSAA glory. That all changes this year as they become an official competitor, with their class, region and district to be determined.

The First Academy Royals

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Talk about a young team—some of the First Academy’s key players will be sophomores this season, including their relay medley team: Daniel Cooper, Jake Dimas, Jacob Kelly and Austin Kemp. Also set to return to the varsity squad are eighth-graders Kyle Holt and Ethan Kelly, who swam with the team as seventh-graders last season.

OUTLOOK: While the Royals also fielded a young team in 2016, they didn’t have much in the way of accomplishments to show for it, having finished sixth at the District 1A-4 meet and 18th at the Region 2 matchup. Of course, one of the benefits of younger players is that they often improve dramatically by the time they graduate, so we’d expect this squad to have better rankings by the end of this year.

Freedom Patriots

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Daniel Perez, juniors Alex Balaguer and Carlos Luzardo, and sophomore Logan LaRochelle are all expected to return this year. Together, the four earned the Patriots second place in the boys’ 200-yard medley relay at last year’s District 4A-4 competition.

OUTLOOK: “[Our] swim and dive team expects a promising season for both the boys and girls, with many of its regional-qualifying swimmers to return for the upcoming season,” says Coach Lynn Kelly- McClish, who heads up the boys’ and girls’ teams for the school.

Lake Highland Prep Highlanders

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Junior Hayden Curley is expected to be a top swimmer for the boys’ team at Lake Highland this season, according to boys’/girls’ coach (and Hayden’s father) Mike Curley. The younger Curley was the 2016 state champion in the 200-yard freestyle and finished runner-up in the 500-yard freestyle, in addition to being voted the Charter Spectrum Male Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive year.

OUTLOOK: The boys’ team was slightly overshadowed by their female counterparts last season, but with a program as successful as Lake Highland’s, it’s a matter of degrees. All told, they were third place in District 1A-4, fifth in Region 2 and 13th at the state finals.

Lake Howell High School’s Misael Salazar, Joey Fink and Matt Schwan

Lake Howell Silverhawks

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Joey Fink, Misael Salazar and Matt Schwan will be Lake Howell’s key swimmers in the 2017 season, according to Coach James Wesley. He also notes that, last season, Schwan was the school’s first state qualifier in 15 years—and also the first sophomore qualifier in Silverhawks history.

OUTLOOK: “Lake Howell High School swimming is the fastest-growing high-school team in Central Florida,” says Wesley, who’s also in charge of the girls’ team. With some more success stories like Schwan, they could have a much better outcome this season.

Lake Mary Prep Griffins

PLAYERS TO WATCH: “Juniors Albi Manfredi and Nick Lopez will motivate the boys back to regionals for the relays,” says Coach Kathy Benefiel, who oversees the boys’ and girls’ swim teams at Lake Mary Prep.

OUTLOOK: Although they were unable to reach the Class 1A state finals last season, the Griffins were no slouches, either, finishing in ninth place at the District 4 competition and 21st at the Region 2 meet. With Lopez and Manfredi back to provide leadership and experience, they should move up a few notches this time.

Lake Nona Lions

PLAYERS TO WATCH: “Our boys will be led by Luke MacDonald and Carson Ellman,” says Alex Bennett, who coaches the boys’ and girls’ swim teams at Lake Nona. MacDonald was part of the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relay teams. Ellman was also a member of the 200-yard freestyle relay team but also specialized in individual races.

OUTLOOK: “We graduated the nucleus of our team in 2016 but look forward to being competitive and finishing in the top half of both the metro and district competition,” says Bennett. Last year, the Lions finished fourth at the District 4A-4 tournament but dropped to 21st at the Region 2 meet before bowing out of the postseason.

The Master’s Academy Eagles

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Nicholas Hudanich, who posted the Eagles’ best time for the boys’ 100-yard breaststroke at last year’s District 1A-4 tournament, is slated to return in 2017. Also likely to return are Josh Wilbanks and Trent Dickson, who with Hudanich were three-fourths of the school’s medley relay team last season.

OUTLOOK: The boys’ team showed a lot of promise at last year’s district tournament, but they faded in the Region 2 meet, landing in 11th place and not making it to the Class 1A state finals. They’ll be a young team, though, so it’s hoped that they can find ways to inspire each other and achieve more over the next couple of years.

Oak Ridge Pioneers

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Diego Caceres will be one of the most valuable experienced players returning to the Oak Ridge boys’ swim team in 2017. Expected to join him in the pool are juniors Luem Aguirrezabala and Kalib Russell. Together with a since-graduated senior, the three formed the school’s 200-yard medley relay team last season.

OUTLOOK: Coached by Richard Febo, who also leads the girls’ team, the Pioneers barely made a splash in 2016, finishing last in that season’s District 4A-4 meet and going no further in the postseason. Without remarkably improved times from returning swimmers, or some very lucky breaks with newcomers, they’ll have a hard time doing better this year.

Ocoee Knights

PLAYERS TO WATCH: “Senior Ryan Le, a two-time, record-breaking [swimmer] at Ocoee High School, is on track to make the state finals,” says the Knights’ new coach, Dan Spellman. “Ryan would be the first swimmer in Ocoee High School history to do so.”

OUTLOOK: Despite Le’s admirable efforts, the Knights finished in eighth place at the 2016 District 4A-3 tournament and were shut out of the Region 1 and Class 4A championships. As he begins to reshape the program, Spellman will need to squeeze more speed out of returning players while bringing newcomers into the fold.

OLYMPIA Titans

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Seniors Tyler Dillon and Aidan McConkey, who were part of last year’s medley relay teams, are eligible to play again this season. (Dillon also took first place in the 200-yard individual medley at last year’s District 4A-4 meet.) Also set to return are seniors Clay Marsh and Benjamin Souza, who placed second and fourth, respectively, in the 200-yard freestyle at districts.

OUTLOOK: Although the Titans got outshone by the girls’ team in 2016, they still did themselves proud, taking first place at the District 4A-4 match, fifth at the Region 2 competition and 25th at the Class 4A state finals. While they lost a sizable portion of last year’s squad to graduation, they still have a vast number of experienced swimmers returning and will be a force to reckon with this season.

Timber Creek Wolves

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Swimmers expected to return to the Timber Creek boys’ team include senior Michael Stegman and juniors Antonio Galiber and Nicholas Gongora. It’s also worth noting that the squad had a lot of freshman members last year, resulting in a young team that should continue to improve with time.

OUTLOOK: With the Wolves’ fastest 2016 swimmer graduating at the end of the year, the team might have trouble repeating or improving on their performance as the fifth-place team at last season’s District 4A-3 competition, which in turn might block them from returning to the Region 1 and Class 4A state meets. Coach Elise Catron, who also heads the girls’ team, will have to hope for faster times from her returners and some speedy newcomers to build on their successes.

Trinity Prep Saints

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Seniors Matthew Degtyar and Arrington Moses played integral roles in leading the Saints last season, and they’ll likely repeat in that capacity this year. Also expected back are junior Jan Torres-Collazo and sophomore Aidan McLaughlin.

OUTLOOK: Finishing last year’s Class 1A state championship in fifth place, the Trinity Prep boys’ team continued to be a powerhouse last year, also taking first place in District 4 and Region 2 competition. With many of their best 2016 swimmers returning, this could be a year in which they go all the way.

University Cougars

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Junior Nick Cash is poised to be one of the most valuable members of the Cougars’ 2017 swim team. Also slated to return are seniors Tyler Szewczyk and Armando Zayas.

OUTLOOK: Last season, University’s boys’ swim team finished sixth at the District 4A-3 competition and 19th at Region 1. At the same time, most of the swimmers who helped them earn those ranks were lost to graduation, which means that a rebuilding year could be in store.

Wekiva Mustangs

PLAYERS TO WATCH: “Our top swimmer returning this year is Wade Wheeler,” says Mustangs Coach Brian Charboneau, who heads the boys’ and girls’ teams. “He will be a junior and should compete for both district and metro competition as one of the best overall swimmers in the area. The rest of the team has strong sprinters but is still a work in progress.”

OUTLOOK: “We lost 14 seniors to last year’s teams,” Charboneau adds. As the team earned middle-tier placement at the District 4A-3 and Region 1 tournaments, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it provides plenty of incentive for returners and newcomers alike to step up their performance.

West Orange Warriors

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ide Reef, who was a bona-fide freshman sensation in 2016, will be back as a sophomore this year. He took second in the boys’ 200- and 500-yard freestyles at the District 4A-3 and played a key role in the team’s first-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

OUTLOOK: The Warriors were the undisputed champions of their district last year, but they stumbled into 16th place at the Region 1 meet. Putting a damper on their hopes of repeating this season is the fact that a good chunk of the team has since graduated, but Reef and others will be working hard to build on recent successes.

Winter Park Wildcats

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Joe Auer, who coaches the boys’ and girls’ swim teams at Winter Park, is looking forward to numerous returning swimmers in 2017. They include juniors Andrew Ortiz, Yashar Pourmaghadam and Hector Rodriguez, plus sophomores McLeod Chasser, Liam Negron and Devin White. Jake Varela, a senior transfer from St. Louis, is also expected to make a splash.

OUTLOOK: “The fall season’s success all depends on what type of conditioning these athletes participate in during the summer,” says Auer. “Our region is the most competitive in the state, so the athletes must be in top form very quickly to make it to the state meet.” Like the girls’ team, the boys took first place in District 4A-3, but they were 13th in Region 1.

This article originally appeared in Orlando Family Magazine’s July 2017 issue.