Apopka Blue Darters

Players to watch: Emma Treadwell, who was integral to the Lady Blue Darters placing 6th overall in Class 4A, District 3, 18th in Region 1 and 32nd statewide, is set to return this year. The team has a fairly open-door policy when it comes to new members, so we’re excited to see what sort of talent develops at Apopka in the coming year.

Outlook: Under Coach Jerry Russell’s direction, the girls’ swim team took 5th in Girls 200-Yard Medley Relay, 7th in 200-Yard Freestyle Relay and 9th in 400-Yard Freestyle Relay at last year’s Class 4A, District 3 championship. They’ll be eager to improve this year through the addition of new talent and fine-tuning returning swimmers’ efforts.

Boone Braves

Players to watch: Victoria Pratt was the Lady Braves’ MVP in 2015, and she’ll be back as a senior this season. Last year, she took 1st place in Girls 100-Yard Freestyle and 100-Yard Backstroke at the Class 4A, District 3 competition; 10th and 5th at regionals, respectively; and 10th in backstroke at state. Also expected to join her are fellow senior Cardinal Hastings and juniors Eleanor McDonald, Valerie Campanalie, Grace McGee and Chloe Conyers, who all had a hand in the squad’s team triumphs at districts.

Outlook: Boone racked up a lot of accomplishments in 2015, coming in 4th place districtwide, 13th in the region and 36th overall at the state level, and Coach Rosalie Creighton deserves a share of credit for those triumphs. They’re set to have a lot of returning members this year, too, and have a very credible shot at being the district’s top-ranked team in 2016.

Colonial Grenadiers

Players to watch: The Lady Grenadiers fielded a small squad last season, and it’s not clear as to which if any members will be returning, giving freshmen and transfer additions to the team extra weight. With some slightly faster times and determination, they could improve their showing of 8th place in the Girls 200-Yard Medley Relay, 200-Yard Freestyle Relay and 400-Yard Freestyle Relay at 2015’s Class 4A, District 3 tourney.

Outlook: Granted, the Lady Grenadiers ranked last in their district under Coach Ellen Blackwell, but they also lack the depth of talent enjoyed by many of their competitors. The good news is, they have nowhere to go but up.

Cypress Creek Bears

Players to watch: Three of Cypress Creek’s key players from last season are set to return, including sophomore Veronica Cardona and juniors Daniqua Akoon and Kanelis Dias. All three were part of the Lady Bears team that took 11th in Girls 200- and 400-Yard Freestyle Relay at 2015’s Class 4A, District 4 competition.

Outlook: After finishing at No. 13 in last year’s district championship, Coach Erin Stutz and her swimmers have some work to do if they want to make regionals and beyond. But with their solid core of experienced returners and the endless potential of new talent, Cypress Creek has a chance of improving this season.

Dr. Phillips Panthers

Players to watch: Returning members of the Lady Panthers swim team include junior Roseleen Olivares, senior Zoe Sherman, sophomore Kayla Smith and senior Maddie Magrino. At last year’s Class 4A, District 4 championship, Olivares took 1st in Girls 100-Yard Butterfly and 500- Yard Freestyle, Sherman was No. 1 in 40-Yard Freestyle, and all four returners teamed to earn their school 1st place in the 200- and 400-Yard Freestyle Relay.

Outlook: As with the boys’ program that she also leads, Coach Natalie Nickson expects the girls’ squad to have a strong season after finishing 2015 as the No. 14 Class 4A team statewide. Says Nickson, “We are returning our entire girls’ relay team that placed 4th and 6th at state this past year.”

East River Falcons

Players to watch: The Lady Falcons look forward to welcoming back seniors Tessa Kory, Amy Mitchel and Kayla Holmes to the 2016 team. Also expected back are juniors Gabriela Torres and Savanah Marinoni.

Outlook: Competing at the 3A level in state competition, East River placed 5th at the District 4 tourney and 13th overall at regionals. Under Coach Kristin Zehnder’s direction, they’ll attempt to improve at both competitions while making a mark at the state level.

Edgewater Eagles

Players to watch: Eagles Coach Patty Whitted anticipates returning seniors Abbey Brunault and Sabrina Shaw to perform well for the team. Brunault had a particularly good 2015, taking 1st place in Girls 100-Yard Breaststroke and 3rd in 100-Yard Butterfly at last year’s district competition.

Outlook: “We are expecting a great season with many returning swimmers,” says Whitted. The girls’ squad took 4th at last year’s District 4 meet and 10th overall at regionals, and they’d love to make their mark at the state level in 2016.

The First Academy Royals

Players to watch: The First Academy is expecting many of last year’s star swimmers to return to the girls’ team in 2016, but the exact lineup won’t be set till later this year. Also look for incoming freshmen and new students to have an impact on the program.

Outlook: Playing in Class 1A competition, the Lady Royals were 6th in District 4 and 13th in Region 2. While that’s nothing to write home about, some off-season improvement from returning players could have a big impact on their end results in the coming year.

Freedom Patriots

Players to watch: Seniors Diana Lutz and Jessica Ochoa are both expected to swim for the Lady Patriots again in 2016, as are sophomores Kathryn Emmerson, Erin Karaktin and Dariana Melendez. All five were integral in Freedom’s success at last year’s Class 4A, District 4 tournament.

Outlook: Under the guidance of Coach Jessica Bailey, the girls’ team at Freedom ranked at No. 7 districtwide last season, and earned 5th-, 7th- and 9th-place honors in Girls 200-Yard Freestyle Relay, 200-Yard Medley Relay and 400-Yard Freestyle Relay, respectively, at the district competition. Look for steady gains in the coming year.

Hagerty Huskies

Players to watch: Ashley Boddiford had a phenomenal junior year, taking 1st at districts and 3rd at regionals for Girls 100-Yard Backstroke, as well as 2nd at districts and 1st at regionals for 200-Yard Individual Medley. She should return as a senior this season to work with sophomore Julia Plescha, juniors Kaitlyn Reeves and Elena Fulginiti, and fellow seniors Emma Steinebrown and Jasmine Morris.

Outlook: Florida’s No. 13 Class 4A girls’ swim team, the Lady Huskies also earned 4th place in District 2 and 7th in Region 1, and all against some very stiff competition. With so much experience coming back to Coach Rick Duran’s program, we wouldn’t expect any drop in performance heading into 2016.

Lake Brantley Patriots

Players to watch: Lake Brantley’s top player in 2015 was Madison Murtagh, who’s back as a junior this season. In Girls 200- and 500-Yard Freestyle, she earned 1st at the district competition and 2nd at regionals while helping the team achieve high rankings in relay races. She’ll be joined by many other top district finishers, including fellow juniors Julia Sherlock, Shannon Hagmaier and Jessica Harris.

Outlook: In 2015, Lake Brantley fielded a champion girls’ team that took 1st in Class 4A, District 2, 3rd in Region 1 and 10th overall statewide. Thanks to a bounty of returning talent, Coach Clay Parnell and the Lady Patriots won’t just be defending district bragging rights, but seeking out regional and state titles, too.

Lake Highland’s Carley Lowe

Lake Highland Highlanders

Players to watch: Lake Highland will look to senior Carley Lowe, an Olympic Trial qualifier, and junior Hayden Curley, an FHSAA state runner- up, for leadership both in and out of the pool. Other All-Americans returning this season are juniors Abby Burke and Andie Myers.

Outlook: The Lady Highlanders came in 2nd in 2015’s Class 1A state championship, and though they also placed 2nd in District 4, they earned the top spot in Region 2 play, beating out such rivals as Trinity Prep and The First Academy. With so many key performers slated to return, Coach Mike Curley should have no trouble helping the team maintain that level of excellence.

Lake Howell Silverhawks

Players to watch: Seniors Kathryn Couch and Jacqueline Childers should lead the Lady Silverhawks this season, and they’ll have more experience than ever. Also expected to return are junior Sophie Berner and sophomore Sydney Nesper.

Outlook: Lake Howell’s female swimmers ranked at No. 7 in Class 4A, District 2 play and No. 16 in Region 1, but there’s no shame in that given the small size of their program and stiff competition from other schools. Regardless, we doubt that Coach Dan Spellman is satisfied with last year’s outcome, so he’ll be working with his returning swimmers and newcomers to figure out the best way to move forward.

Lake Mary Rams

Players to watch: Senior Allie Murphy is set to lead Lake Mary’s girls’ swim team this year, and juniors Nikki and Natalie Bucci will join her. Also expected back are sophomores Ce-Ce Roddey, Olivia McCaw and Celine Benedico.

Outlook: The Lady Rams didn’t place any higher than 4th in relay races at last year’s Class 4A, District 2 tournament, but still managed to rank at No. 6 overall and went on to place at No. 15 in Region 1. Coach Paige Baker expects a lot of swimmers to return, so this season could be even better.

Lake Nona Lions

Players to watch: Senior Allyson Deak will be the most experienced member of the Lady Lions’ swim team this year, but junior Sarah Trago had more success in 2015, placing at No. 2 and No. 3 in the Girls 100-Yard Butterfly and 500-Yard Freestyle, respectively, at last year’s district meet. Also expected to return is Laura Bechetel.

Outlook: As with his boys’ team, Coach Alex Bennet expects the Lady Lions to work hard throughout the summer in advance of the season. Last year, they were District 4’s 3rdranked team, No. 14 at regionals and No. 26 at the Class 4A state championship, and better standings are within reach.

Lyman Greyhounds

Players to watch: The Lady Greyhounds’ most anticipated returner is senior Abigail Marshall, who buoyed the team’s district ranking with 1st place finishes in Girls 50-Yard Freestyle and 100-Yard Breaststroke. Also expected back are seniors Lauren Moran and Morgan Nicholson, as well as junior Rayne Wilson.

Outlook: Although the girls’ team stalled out at last year’s Class 4A state championship, they ranked as District 2’s No. 1 team and Region 1’s No. 14 team on the road to that meet. Coach Skip Pletzer will be working with his returning swimmers and newcomers to help them achieve equal levels of success with the boys’ squad this season.

The Master’s Academy Eagles

Players to watch: Sophomore Mia Hudanich will be the most interesting player to watch on the girls’ squad. Her speed and determination turned a lot of heads during her freshman year, and she has the makings of a championship swimmer.

Outlook: Ranking at No. 7 in Class 1A, District 4 play and No. 19 in Region 2, the Lady Eagles have some work to do if they want to place among the top tier of teams this season. But they’ve made incremental improvements each year since their swim program launched less than a half-decade ago, and we’d expect that upward trend to continue in the coming year.

Oak Ridge Pioneers

Players to watch: Juniors Kimberly Reyes-Diaz and Madelyn Rogachesky are the only Lady Pioneers swimmers who competed at last year’s Class 4A, District 4 competition to rejoin the team this season. As a result, they’ll step into a leadership role for any newcomers to the squad.

Outlook: Oak Ridge’s ability to place 13th in District 4 despite sending only three female students to last year’s tournament says much about the swimmers they did send. With twothirds of that group coming back, Coach Richard Febo has the makings of an improved team right out of the gate.

Ocoee Knights

Players to watch: At last year’s district championship, Ocoee played 6th in Girls 400-Yard Freestyle Relay, 7th in 200-Yard Medley Relay and 9th in 200-Yard Freestyle Relay, which isn’t too shabby given the small size of their program. Better still, a number of key players are expected back, including senior Alyssa Acevedo; juniors Samantha Campbell, Lydia Gutierrez, Savannah Trewin and Hailey Weidman; and sophomores Megan Hogan, Brailey Brandon- Imes and Neah Zeitzmann.

Outlook: Coach Tod Joosens, who also heads the boys’ team, had slightly more success with the Lady Knights, who were the No. 7 Class 4A, District 3 team in 2015. As with their male counterparts, this group will benefit from a number of experienced players and should have the ability to achieve more this year.

Olympia Titans

Players to watch: Olympia’s girls’ swimming team should be strong contenders for the state title thanks to a host of returning seniors. They include Delaney Carey, Leila Sorrells, Sofia Bernard, Ana Romero, Kaley Hopegill, Claire Ewoldt, Samantha Schieffelin, Jillian Delisle, Lauren Rutledge and Marcela Herrera.

Outlook: The Lady Titans are coming off a fantastic year in which they ranked 3rd at the Class 4A state competition, 2nd in Region 2 and 1st in District 4. Former head coach Tom Nielsen deserves much credit for that success, but Olympia is sure that new coach Stephanie Johnson-Possell is up to the challenge of maintaining and building on the program’s tradition of excellence.

Oviedo Lions

Players to watch: The Lady Lions will field a strong senior class featuring Madison Faherty, Madison Floyd, Chloe Hampson, Tori Van- Buskirk, Savannah Brennan, Lindsay Rife and Kaitlyn Hunt. Freshmen to get excited about include Abbie Gibbons, Taylor Floyd, Brooke Brennan, Jaden Herbet and Guliana Zerpa.

Outlook: “We are going to be in the hunt for conference, district, region and state titles,” says Oviedo Coach Charlie Rose, whose girls’ team placed 2nd at the district and regional level before placing 4th statewide in Class 4A. “Much of our success at the region and state level will be determined by our divers—we need students with gymnastic or tumbling backgrounds.”

Seminole Seminoles

Players to watch: Coach Tony Ackerson says he expects returning sophomore Anna Freeman to be the Lady ‘Noles’ top swimmer in 2016. She placed 16th in Girls 100-Yard Freestyle at last year’s Class 4A state championship.

Outlook: The girls’ swim team at Seminole ranked 3rd in District 2 and 12th regionally on their way to the state competition, where they were No. 47 in Florida. With Ackerson back to help Freeman and other returning and new swimmers maximize their potential, they could have even better results this time.

Timber Creek Wolves

Players to watch: The top returning player on this year’s team will be sophomore Viana Campesino, who earned 1st place in Girls 500- Yard Freestyle at last year’s Class 4A, District 3 tournament. Other key members behind the team’s performance at the district, regional and state championships should be back, too, including junior Amelia Minkin and seniors Ardinn Grabenhorst and Lucy Nguyen.

Outlook: After ranking as No. 3 in their district, No. 8 in their region and No. 23 statewide in Class 4A play, the Lady Wolves aren’t ready to rest on their laurels. Coach Elise Catron and her team are hungry to be District 3’s best, so expect to see returning players striving to shave time off their laps to achieve that goal.

Trinity Preparatory Saints

Players to watch: Senior Claire Maiocco and juniors Grace Olivardia and Summer Heidish will be among the Lady Saints’ most seasoned swimmers. Olivardia placed 2nd in the Girls 200-Yard Freestyle at districts, while Maiocco did the same in the 50-Yard Freestyle but came in 1st in 100-Yard Butterfly.

Outlook: As well as the boys’ team did for Trinity Prep last season, the ladies fared even better, ranking as the district’s top team, 3rd in the region and 5th overall at the Class 1A state championship. Considering the high number of talented swimmers expected to be back this year, Coach Rocco Aceto and company looks like the team to beat.

University Cougars

Players to watch: The Lady Cougars were ferocious at last year’s Class 4A, District 3 tourney, placing 4th in the Girls 200- and 400-Yard Freestyle Relays and 9th in the 200- Yard Medley Relay. Several of the participating swimmers will be back, too, including seniors Zoe Contogonas, Natalie Cash, Naomi Shields and Andrea Doloisio, and juniors Cloe VonWerder, Elizabeth McLean and Ariana Trenary. Contogonas also placed 2nd in the district meet’s 500-Yard Freestyle.

Outlook: With the help of Coach Tim Brewer, University’s girls’ team ranked at No. 5 in District 4 and No. 22 in Region 1, making them a formidable opponent for other schools. And though they didn’t do quite as well as the boys’ squad, the sheer number of key returning players on deck this season might put them over the edge.

Wekiva Mustangs

Players to watch: Incoming seniors Chloe Harriss and Gabrielle Ius were top performers for the girls’ team last season, and they should be even more indispensable as 2016 gets underway. Both helped the Lady Mustangs claim 6th place in the Girls 200-Yard Medley and Freestyle Relays, as well as #9 in the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay, at last year’s district tournament.

Outlook: On the strength of their group and individual performances, Wekiva’s ladies were the No. 8-ranked team in Class 4A, District 3 competition last year, and they’re looking good to climb the ranks headed into the new year. Smart coaching from Jeff Sharpe and tireless effort from his swimmers will both be required to make it happen, though.

West Orange Warriors

Players to watch: Returning players expected to shine this season include junior Kasey House, who was No. 1 in 200-Yard Freestyle at 2015’s Class 4A, District 3 competition, and senior Sarah Passilla, who took No. 2 in 100-Yard Freestyle at the same meet. Other swimmers who played key roles in the girls’ team ranking as the district champs in 200- and 400-Yard Freestyle Relay will be back, too, such as seniors Linnea Holmgren and Sophia Bartolomei, and sophomores Phoebe Espinel, Lauren Andre and Elizabeth Cottle.

Outlook: Seeing as the Lady Warriors were the No. 2 team in their district last year, as well as No. 1 in Region 1 and No. 31 statewide, we don’t think they’ll be willing to settle for anything less than No. 1 in 2016. Solid coaching from Cindy Brasch will help, but experienced returners and eager newcomers will have to put Brasch’s plans into effect.

Winter Park Wildcats

Players to watch: Senior Isabella English, who took 1st and 2nd place in Girls 100-Yard Breaststroke at last year’s district and regional competitions, respectively, looks ready to lead the Lady Wildcats into a successful new year. She’ll be teamed with junior Brianna Nicholas, who had the district’s No. 2 200-Yard Freestyle, and Caroline Cooper (No. 1 100-Yard Butterfly and No. 2 200-Yard Individual Medley at districts), among others. As a team, they excel at 200-Yard Medley (No. 1 districts/ No. 2 regionals), 200-Yard Freestyle (No. 2 district/No. 6 regionals) and 400-Yard Freestyle (No. 3 districts/No. 4 regionals).

Outlook: Despite being slightly overshadowed by the boys’ Wildcats team, the ladies enjoyed a triumphant season in their own right, ranking as the No. 11 Class 4A team statewide after placing No. 1 at districts and No. 5 at regionals. Plus, with a far deeper bench of returning stars than the boys’ squad, this could be Winter Park’s top swim team by the end of the season.

Winter Springs Bears

Players to watch: The Lady Bears expect the return of seniors Sommer Bucknell and Constance Brezden. They joined junior Emily Fredrickson and sophomore Morgan Taylor in last year’s Class 4A district, regional and state competitions, and this group’s combined experience will go a long way toward helping the team succeed.

Outlook: Led by Coach Eric Christensen, the 2015 girls’ swim team ranked at No. 8 in their district and No. 19 in the region. The group is keen to build on those results and make more of an impression at the state championship.