Boys swim & dive preview: 5 storylines to watch

Five storylines to watch from the local high school boys swim and dive scene this winter:

Talented trio headlines perennial power Kamiak

Led by the talented returning trio of senior standout Maxwell Fang and junior twins Vlad and Slava Gilszmer, perennial power Kamiak appears well-positioned for more success.

Last season, Fang and the Gilszmer twins led the Knights to a Class 4A state title in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The trio also teamed with returning senior Brian Park for a third-place state medal in the 200 freestyle relay, while posting the eighth-fastest time in 4A state-meet history.

In addition to their relay success, the trio also combined for six individual state medals last season.

The Gilszmer twins claimed the top two spots in the 500 freestyle, with Vlad capturing the state crown and Slava taking second place. Vlad, the seventh-ranked junior recruit in the state according to CollegeSwimming.com, also placed fourth in the 200 freestyle and Slava finished sixth.

Fang, the state’s ninth-ranked senior recruit, earned a third-place medal in the 200 freestyle and a fourth-place medal in the 100 freestyle. Park also was a state finalist, placing 10th in the 50 freestyle.

Kamiak, which placed fifth in last season’s 4A state team standings, has earned eight top-five state team finishes in the past 12 seasons. And with their elite core of returners, expect the Knights to contend for another top state finish in February.

Auburn signee returns to lead Lake Stevens

Five-time defending Wesco North champion Lake Stevens got a major boost with the return of Auburn University signee Alejandro Flores, who swam for the Vikings as a freshman and sophomore before taking a break from high school swimming last season.

Flores, the fourth-ranked overall senior recruit in the state, claimed second-place and third-place 4A state medals in the 100 breaststroke during his first two prep seasons. He also earned eighth-place and 10th-place state finishes in the 200 individual medley.

The Vikings also returned a pair of state finalist divers in sophomore Jaden Cardona and senior Tyler Cochran, as well as three swimmers from their state-qualifying 200 freestyle relay team.

Lake Stevens has 64 athletes in its program, which coach Brady Dykgraaf said is the most ever by a large margin. The Vikings have spent the first portion of the season practicing and competing on the road, but Dykgraaf said they hope to debut their new pool sometime in January.

Lake Stevens has won 52 consecutive Wesco North dual meets and earned top-15 state team finishes in four of the past five years, with last season being the lone exception.

Jackson standout could contend for a state title

After a pair of top-three individual 4A state medals last season, Jackson senior Justin Limberg looks to cap his prep career with more trips to the upper steps of the state podium.

Limberg came oh-so-close to a state crown in the 100 breaststroke last season, finishing just 0.33 seconds behind then-North Creek senior Brandon Stride. It was the second consecutive top-four breaststroke state medal for Limberg, who took fourth place as a sophomore before placing second last season.

Limberg, a Johns Hopkins University commit who’s ranked as the No. 12 senior recruit in the state, also excels in the 200 individual medley. After back-to-back ninth-place state finishes in the event as a freshman and sophomore, he climbed all the way to third place in the state last season.

Limberg also is one of several returners from the Timberwolves’ three state-qualifying relay teams, including their sixth-place 200 medley relay squad.

With Limberg leading the way, Jackson looks to extend its streak of five consecutive top-10 state team finishes.

Can Edmonds-Woodway repeat as 3A district champs?

Edmonds-Woodway claimed the 3A Northwest District title last season, ending Shorewood’s lengthy reign of supremacy. And with plenty of talent returning, the Warriors figure to contend for another district crown.

At least two swimmers returned from each of Edmonds-Woodway’s three relay teams, each of which is coming off a top-10 state finish. The Warriors also returned several multi-event individual state qualifiers.

However, expect Shorecrest and Shorewood to once again be in the mix. Shorecrest, which took second place in last season’s district meet, returned three multi-event individual state qualifiers. Shorewood, coming off a third-place district finish, is led by reigning state runner-up diver Isaac Poole and returning state medalist breaststroker Cole Nouwens.

And don’t count out Snohomish. The Panthers finished a distant fourth at last season’s district meet, but they also have several state qualifiers back.

Area’s diving success seems primed to continue

The Snohomish County area has been a boys diving hotbed in recent years. Over the past decade, the area has produced 16 top-three state medalists and eight state champions.

And with six local returning state finalists, expect the area’s trend of diving success to continue this season.

Poole, a two-time 3A state runner-up, headlines the returning talent. The Shorewood senior was in first place entering the final round of last season’s state meet, but finished with a second-place medal for the second consecutive year. His success-filled season included a 498.35-point performance at the district championships, which nearly broke a 27-year meet record.

Also back is Marysville Pilchuck junior Andrew Kallio, who placed fourth in the 3A state meet last season. Earlier this month, he broke a 21-year school record in the six-dive format.

The other returning state finalists are: Snohomish senior Shane Morrill (ninth place in 3A), Monroe senior Benson Boone (10th in 4A) and the Lake Stevens duo of Cardona (11th in 4A) and Cochran (16th in 4A).