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

Boone High School’s Valerie Campanalie

Apopka Blue Darters

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Some of the top female swimmers coming back to the Lady Blue Darters in 2017 will include seniors Isabel Wix and Emma Treadwell, and juniors Anyka Wilkin and Victoria Golbuff. Treadwell came in third in the girls’ 200-yard freestyle at last year’s 4A-3 district tournament, missing out on first place by less than 2 seconds.

OUTLOOK: Under Coach Jerry Russell, Apopka’s ladies came in seventh at districts and 19th at the Region 1 meet. While those aren’t particularly impressive rankings, the girls’ team lost just three swimmers to graduation, and the returners will be served well by another year of experience.

Boone Braves

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Seniors Valerie Campanalie, Ellie McDonald and Chloe Conyers will bring some heat to area pools this season per Rosalie Creighton, who coaches the boys’ and girls’ teams at Boone. Campanalie focuses on the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly, Conyers on the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, and McDonald on the 200- and 500-yard freestyle.

OUTLOOK: In addition to some strong returning players, says Creighton, “We also have a large group of inexperienced swimmers that will show improvement next year.” Last season, the Lady Braves finished third in the metro championships, but they had diminishing returns at the District 4A-3, Region 1 and Class 4A state finals.

Celebration Storm

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Storm is expecting Cecilia Hernandez and Maria Vazquez to compete as juniors this year. Numerous seniors are slated to return, too, including Mie Amelung, Ava Bruner, Julia Bruner, Deanna Guzman, Hannah Masten, Maria Monteiro, Julianne Diaz-Rutia and Deborah Yates.

OUTLOOK: Coached by Kelly George, the Celebration girls’ swim team had more success last year than George’s male swimmers, finishing in seventh place at the District 4A-4 tournament and making it to the Region 2 meet, where they finished in 21st place. With so many seniors coming back this season, they could go even further this time.

Circle Christian Centurions

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Sophie Redding, juniors Lauren Brashear and Emma Caporaso, and sophomore Lily Redding are all expected to swim for the Lady Centurions again in 2017. Together, they formed the school’s freestyle relay team and also competed in individual races.

OUTLOOK: While it wasn’t a wildly successful season, the girls’ swim team at Circle Christian put on an admirable performance in Class 1A’s Region 2 and District 4 competitions, finishing in fifth place in the district, ninth at regionals and 36th statewide. The core of last year’s squad will be back, too, giving them another year to improve their work in individual and group races.

Colonial Grenadiers

PLAYERS TO WATCH: All four members of the Lady Grenadiers’ 2016 relay team are set to return, including seniors Aubrey Anthony and Alexandra Montealegre, junior Isabella Montealegre and sophomore Rachel Moss. Anthony also posted the school’s fastest times in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard backstroke, and Moss had Colonial’s best time in the 50-yard freestyle.

OUTLOOK: Anthony’s strong play aside, the Lady Grenadiers had to settle for eighth place at 2016’s Class 4A-3 district championship and had no impact on the rest of the postseason. Hopefully their star swimmer can inspire her teammates to achieve more this year.

Cypress Creek Bears

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Three returning seniors should serve as sources of leadership for younger players on the Lady Bears’ swim team this season, including Danique Akoon, Shanice Caraballo and Jazmynne Rivera- Boone. Also scheduled to swim for the school again are junior Veronica Cardona and sophomore Jasmine Thornhill.

OUTLOOK: The Cypress Creek girls’ swim team fared slightly better than the boys in 2016, finishing 12th overall at the District 4A-4 tournament but still missing out on regionals and beyond. In addition to faster times from experienced swimmers, Coach Erin Stutz, who also heads the boys’ team, will also need to hope for an influx of speedy freshmen for a better result this season.

Dr. Phillips Panthers

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Roseleen Olivares, who’s coming back as a senior, will be key to the Lady Panthers’ successes in 2017 per Coach Natalie Nickson, who also heads the boys’ squad. As a junior at last year’s District 4A-4 tournament, Olivares took first place in the girls’ 100-yard butterfly and second in the 200-yard individual medley, and she helped the team win first place in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

OUTLOOK: “We are looking forward to a great season where I think we will have some pretty amazing swims come championship time,” says Nickson. The girls will be looking to exceed last year’s admirable performance, when they placed second in districts, 10th at the Region 1 tournament and 16th at the Class 4A state finals.

East River Falcons

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Jamie Cooke, who’s one of the Lady Falcons’ best 200-yard swimmers, is slated to return this season. The core of East River’s relay team—senior Savanah Marinoni, junior Alexis Brown and sophomore Chloe McHayle—are also deck for 2017.

OUTLOOK: With East River’s unisex swim coach, Kristin Zehnder, providing the training, the girls’ squad took fifth place at the 3A-4 district championship, but they fell to 15th place at the Region 2 meet and were a non-factor at the state finals. Their region is admittedly tough, so without an influx of speed and endurance, it’s unclear if they’ll be able to post better standings this season.

Edgewater Eagles

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Eagles’ varsity swim coach for men and women, Patty Whitted, pinpoints Sloane Nerich as the top returning senior to this year’s team. Also returning are juniors Harper Self, Lydia Thompson- Greenleaf and Macy Wood, plus sophomore Jasmine Jarrett.

OUTLOOK: “I am hoping that several swimmers will participate in summer programs to improve their speed and stroke technique,” says Whitted. “Our team has many leaders, and all the swimmers work hard and have great team and school spirit.”

Evans Trojans

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Aundrina Jerome, Wildline Delice and Toepia Ruddock look to be the Lady Trojans’ top female swimmers as the school prepares to enter FHSAA competition for the first time, according to Coach Jessica Kendrick.

OUTLOOK: “We plan on improving our times and be an actual competitor in our first compete year,” says Kendrick, who also coaches the boys’ squad. Previously, the school’s varsity team was independent, so it will be interesting to see how well they do in their first year of chasing championships.

The First Academy Royals

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Tessa Alexander, who competes in group and individual races, should be one of the Lady Royals’ leading swimmers in 2017. Also slated to return are sophomores Melissa Bell and Kasey Preisser.

OUTLOOK: The First Academy’s girls’ swim team fared better than the boys’ team at the District 1A-4 tournament, having finished in fifth place, but they reached the same 15th-place finish at the Region 2 competition and were a non-factor in the Class 1A state finals. A few talented newcomers, paired with improved times from the more experienced team members, is all they need to achieve more this time.

Freedom Patriots

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Erin Karaktin will be one of the most experienced members of Freedom’s 2017 girls’ swim team. She, along with junior Caroline Cardenas and Valentina Decena, made it to last season’s Region 4A-2 competition in the girls’ 200-yard freestyle relay, but were then disqualified for an early start.

OUTLOOK: Lady Patriots Coach Lynn Kelly-McClish, who also leads the boys’ team, prides her athletes on being multi-faceted swimmers, noting that all of the school’s regional qualifiers were competing in at least two events each. Look for that ethic to inform them as they try to improve on their ranking as the No. 8 team at 2016’s District 4 tournament.

Lake Highland Prep Highlanders

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Coach Mike Curley, who’s in his 25th year with Lake Highland and coaches the boys’ and girls’ squads, expects junior Abby Burke to provide leadership both in and out of the pool for the young Lady Highlanders squad. Burke scored and achieved All-American status in both of her individual races last year, and she was also a member of two state-championship relay teams.

OUTLOOK: The girls’ team took first place in last season’s Region 1A-2 tournament after finishing second at the District 4 meet, and they were third overall at the Class 1A state championship. Their goal this year is obvious if not necessarily guaranteed: run the tables on all three title matches.

Lake Howell Silverhawks

PLAYERS TO WATCH: As juniors, Ashlee Tremholm and Sophie Burner were the Lady Silverhawks’ top-scoring players, according to Coach James Wesley. They’ll be back as seniors in 2017.

OUTLOOK: “Our swimmers will be training all summer long to be ready,” says Wesley, who also heads up the boys’ team. The squad probably has a way to go before it can realistically compete for a title, given their near-last finishes at 2016’s District 4A-2 and Region 1 tournaments, but it’s not impossible.

Lake Mary Prep Griffins

PLAYERS TO WATCH: “The [Lake Mary Prep] swim team is hoping to return to regionals in the fall with sophomore Sydney Lewis leading the way,” says Kathy Benefiel, who coaches boys’ and girls’ swimming for the Griffins. “The team is young, but the middle-school swimmers have a solid year or two of experience and are ready to step up.”

OUTLOOK: Like the boys’ team, the Lady Griffins didn’t make it to last season’s Class 1A state championship, placing seventh at the District 4 meet and 17th at the Region 2 tournament. Younger players, particularly the middle-school students who qualify for the varsity team, will have a big impact on their fortunes.

Lake Nona Lions

PLAYERS TO WATCH: “The girls return the core of our team, including state diving qualifiers Jenna Pinherio and Raquel Mason,” says Lake Nona boys’/girls’ swim coach Alex Bennett. “Jenna finished third last year, and Raquel finished eighth. We are also led by Sarah Trago, who is our most experienced swimmer and looks to qualify for the state meet for the first time.”

OUTLOOK: Although the Lady Lions finished one place behind the boys’ team at the District 4A-4 match, they fared much better at the Region 2 competition, finishing in 14th place overall and 28th at the Class 4A state tournament. With Mason, Pinherio and Trago returning, they could fare even better this season.

The Master’s Academy Eagles

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mia Hudanich will be a relatively young leader for the Lady Eagles swim team in 2017, having experience in group and individual races. Her relay teammates Gabriela Mawad, Katherine Cook and Emma Andersen are expected back, too.

OUTLOOK: Like the boys’ team, the girls’ swim squad at the Master’s Academy didn’t make it to the Class 1A state championship, finishing last at the District 4 meet and 17th at the Region 1 competition. With another year of experience behind them, though, this could be a breakout season for the young team.

Oak Ridge Pioneers

PLAYERS TO WATCH: In 2016, Rosalinda Melendez and Jesvianlys Perez were key members of Oak Ridge’s varsity girls’ swim team, and they’re expected to return this year. Melendez will be back as a senior, with Perez swimming as a junior.

OUTLOOK: Like the boys’ team, which is also coached by Richard Febo, the Lady Pioneers finished last in 2016’s District 4A-4 tournament and had no players compete at regionals and beyond. Without vastly improved play from returning students, they’ll be hard-pressed to achieve more this time out.

Ocoee Knights

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Seniors Lydia Gutierrez and Hailey Weidman are both slated to swim for the Lady Knights again in 2017. Other experienced team members expected back are junior Megan Hogan and sophomore Chloe Hannon.

OUTLOOK: Under their previous coach, the girls’ swim team at Ocoee only managed a sixth-place finish at the District 4A-3 meet, and they were a non-factor in the rest of the postseason. With new coach Dan Spellman infusing the program with excitement, this squad will be eager to prove themselves in the coming year.

Olympia Titans

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Seniors Bella Placencia and Ana Romero, who helped Olympia earn fifth place in the 200-yard medley relay at last year’s Class 4A state finals, among other accomplishments, are expected to swim for the school again this season. Other returning players to watch include junior Kara Holt, who placed second in one-meter diving at the same event.

OUTLOOK: The Lady Titans should have little in the way of complaints after last season, seeing as they were the No. 1 team at the District 4A- 4 tournament, No. 5 at the Region 2 competition and No. 4 statewide in Class 4A play. At the same time, a sizable percentage of last year’s squad graduated after the season, which could portend a rebuilding year, but Olympia has a good program and a good nose for talent.

Timber Creek Wolves

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Amelia Minkin and junior Viana Campesino, who were half of the 200-yard medley relay team that took first place at last year’s District 4A-4 tournament, are eligible to swim again in 2017. Junior Manuela Barres, who had the school’s second-best time in the 200-yard individual medley, is also set to return.

OUTLOOK: Elise Catron, who coaches the boys’ and girls’ swim teams at Timber Creek, led the Lady Wolves to a third-place finish at districts and eighth-place at the Region 1 meet. While a sizable chunk of the team graduated at the end of the season, they have enough returning talent to potentially go further this year.

Trinity Prep Saints

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Junior relay experts Grace Olivardia and Summer Heidish are eligible to play for Trinity Prep again this year, as is sophomore Jan Collazo-Torres, who was an All-Area swimmer last year as a sophomore. Senior Anna Carpenter, who focuses more on solo races, is also expected back, as is junior diver Ashley Garcia.

OUTLOOK: The Lady Saints didn’t achieve quite as much as the boys’ team last season, but they still have much to be proud of. Like the men, they finished first in District 1A-4, but “only” came in third at the Region 2 tournament and sixth statewide in Class 1A. With several powerful swimmers set to return this year, though, they have a good chance of edging out their counterparts as the season heats up.

University Cougars

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Incoming seniors Andrea Doloisio and Cloe Von Werder are set to be the Lady Cougars’ leaders in 2017. They’ll get assists from returning sophomores Hope Kern and Kallie Maguire.

OUTLOOK: Like the boys’ team, the Lady Cougars lost numerous key swimmers to graduation at the end of the 2016 season, and they’ll need improved times from returning members and one or two unexpected surprises from newcomers to stay competitive. Last year, they finished fifth in District 4A-3 and 17th in Region 1, but they had no impact at the Class 4A state tournament.

Wekiva Mustangs

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Lady Mustangs eligible to swim again this season include seniors Caitlyn Bennett, Alyssa Davis, Arianna Iporre and Emily Morris. Also set to return are juniors Alannis Hosier, Audrey Jordon, Summer Loftin and Nicole Mansfield.

OUTLOOK: Coached by Brian Charboneau, who also leads the boys’ team, the Wekiva girls’ swim team finished in last place at 2016’s District 4A-3 tournament and didn’t join their male counterparts at the Region 1 championship. With a little luck and a lot of practice, they can do better this year.

West Orange Warriors

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sophomores Ava Barolomei, Rhiannon Driscoll and Cali Harney should prove to be some of the most exciting members of the West Orange girls’ swim team in 2017, having formed the core of last season’s medley relay squads. Seniors Kari Heredia, Kasey House and Faith Khunduang are also expected to return.

OUTLOOK: Like their male counterparts, the Lady Warriors earned first place at 2016’s District 4A- 3 championship, but they exceeded the boys by placing seventh at the Region 1 tournament and 21st at the Class 4A state finals. What’s more, they lost far fewer swimmers to graduation than the men’s team, setting them up for a very promising 2017.

Winter Park Wildcats

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Winter Park’s school record-holder, Caroline Cooper, will return as a junior. Wildcats Coach Joe Auer says she’s a great all-around swimmer, particularly in relays. Also coming back this year are seniors Tina Glatz, Brianna Nicholas, Brooke Nicholas and Sophie Rotax, as well as sophomore Erin Clifton.

OUTLOOK: “After losing some great seniors, it will be a great challenge for the younger athletes to step up and be more successful than the year before,” says Auer. “But of course, they are up for it.” Last year, the girls were first place in District 4A-3, fifth in Region 1 and 13th in the state.

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