Prep girls swimming preview: Swimmers, divers and teams to watch

The high school girls swim and dive season is back up and running as teams hit the pool this week for their third week of the season.

District meets take place during the first weekend of November and the state championships are set for Nov. 11-12 at King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Here’s an early look into some of the top individuals and teams in the area this season:

SWIMMERS TO WATCH

Mary Clarke, sr., Snohomish

Clarke took home a pair of second-place finishes in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events during the 3A state championships last season. It was her second year in a row claiming the runner-up medal in the 100 free, while she earned a state title in 2021 for the 50 free. She swam the 50 freestyle in 23.42 seconds, racing the 100 free in 51.13 seconds. Both were school records. She also anchored the Panthers’ first-place 400 relay team at districts with a finishing time of 3:42.04.

Aila Howson, jr., Shorecrest

Howson placed fifth at state last season in the 3A 100 breaststroke, clocking in with a time of 1:05.13. In the district championship meet, she took first in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.18). She also placed first in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:12.72.

Addison Farman, jr., Glacier Peak

Farman earned a second-place finish in the Class 4A diving championship meet, posting a score of 339.55. She placed 14th as a freshman in 2021, upping her point total by 61.2 points on the same stage as a sophomore.

Olivia Hoyla, jr., Jackson

Hoyla placed fourth at state in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:10.61. She also took sixth in the 100 fly, finishing in 59.56 seconds, just 0.09 seconds faster than teammate Elissa Anderson. Hoyla took second in the 200 medley as a freshman in 2021.

Elissa Anderson, soph., Jackson

Anderson collected a second-place medal at the 4A state championships in the 200 freestyle in 2022, while also capturing seventh in the 100 butterfly as a freshman. She raced the 200 in 1 minute, 57.66 seconds. She swam the 100 fly in 59.65 seconds.

Claire Smith, sr., Kamiak

After winning the Class 4A 100 butterfly state title as a sophomore in 2021, Smith followed up with a third-place finish in the 100 fly last season, breaking her state crown time by 0.15 seconds. She finished in 56.95 seconds, while also placing third in the 100 backstroke with a time of 59.14 seconds.

Simone Bennett, jr., Edmonds-Woodway

Bennett claimed the 100 backstroke district title last season with a time of 59.30 seconds, qualifying for state. she also qualified in the 100 butterfly.

TEAMS TO WATCH

Snohomish

The Panthers finished 7-2 overall last fall and churned out multiple state individual and team placements. Snohomish returns a handful of returning first-team All-Wesco nominees, headlined by standout senior Mary Clarke, who returns after claiming four state top-two finishes in the 100 and 50-yard freestyle over the past two seasons while claiming the 50 freestyle state title in 2021. Sophomore Olivia Huber, who was a first-team all-league choice in 100 breaststroke and a member of the 400 freestyle relay team that took home the district crown, will also be in the mix. 100 butterfly first-teamer and senior, Grace Andrews, was also on the 400 relay squad.

Glacier Peak

The Grizzlies went an undefeated 9-0 in the regular season last fall while returning most of its top-end swimmers in the current year, earning a second-place finish behind Jackson at the 4A District 1 championships after taking first in 2021.

Returning junior Alena Lehmann placed seventh at state in the 200 freestyle, finishing with a time of 2:01.33 as GP had nine state qualifiers. The Grizzlies will welcome back three of their four members of the 200 medley relay team that teamed up for a district crown, in seniors Ellie Lao and Lily Lao, while Keelie Sullivan returns as a sophomore. GP’s underclassmen diving duo captured the top two spots at districts as junior Addison Farman (404.05 points) and sophomore Claire Butler (369.35 points) both qualified for state.

Kamiak

The Knights jotted down their seventh consecutive top-eight 4A state team finish during the 2022 season, finishing in seventh place with 121 points. Senior returner Claire Smith helped lead Kamiak to five top-four state placements, claiming third in the 100 fly and 100 backstroke. She joined then-sophomores Iris Cho, Julia Lorenzo and Janey Ryu for another third-place medal in the 400 freestyle relay. The group swam a season-best time of 3:41.26. Ryu and Lorenzo both tacked on fourth-place individual finishes as Ryu swam the 500 freestyle in 5 minutes, 15.88 seconds. Lorenzo finished the 100 back with a time of 1:00.01.

Jackson

The Timberwolves are coming off their sixth top-five team finish at state in the past eight seasons. The top-of-the-line Wesco League mainstay also marched toward its third 4A District 1 championship title in the past four years. They had all three relay teams qualify.

Jackson will bring back a group that has been largely dominant as underclassmen. Sophomore Elissa Anderson took home second place at state in the 200 freestyle, while junior Olivia Hoyla took fourth in the 200 individual medley. The Wolves also qualified junior diver Anna-Lyn Wilson, who made her second straight trip to state.

Shorecrest

Last fall, Shorecrest notched its third 3A District 1 team championship over the past five seasons, sending out all three of its relay teams to Federal Way as well as five individual state qualifying swimmers.

The Scots 200 medley relay team consisting of Alia Howson, Owan Fralick, Quinn Whorely and Miranda Thompson broke the district championship meet record with a time of 1:50.48. Thompson and Fralick return as seniors, while Whorely and Howson come back as juniors. Howson captured district crowns in both the 200 medley and 100 breaststroke. She also medaled in state competition, placing fifth in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:05.13.