Bengals hoping to regain swimming's top spot

Entering the 5A state swimming meet Friday and Saturday at BYU, the Brighton Bengals have a chip on their shoulder after ending a two- decade run of state championships to Skyline last year.

"Brighton will be looking to avenge last year's upset, and the end of their 21-year win streak," said Skyline head coach Rod Horton. "In the boys meet, Hunter has a very strong team and stands a good chance of pushing our boys to the limit."

Both the Skyline boys and girls are ranked first.

"Skyline looks to be the strongest in both the girls and the boys," Brighton head coach Todd Etherington said. "We hope to give them a run for their money in the girls competition. Their depth is just incredible when you look at each event and the way the entries are."

Fittingly, the Brighton girls are ranked second in the state behind the Eagles, followed by Kearns, Hunter and Bingham. The Hunter boys are ranked second with Kearns third, Brighton fourth and Cottonwood fifth.

The Skyline girls boast three or four swimmers among the top 10 times in each event. Some of the best Eagle women are K.C. Albiston, a freshman who Horton said should win the 200 and 500 freestyle races; junior Adrienne Coburn, who should excel in the 200 IM and 100 breast stroke; and Anna Crandall, a freshman sprinter who should be at or near the top in the 50 and 100 freestyle events.

Horton said Coburn could break the state record in the 100 breast stroke and Albiston could do the same in the 500 freestyle.

Albiston claims the top times in the state in the 200 freestyle, 1 minute 59.84 seconds, and the 500 freestyle, 5:12.94, a full six seconds ahead of her closest competitor.

Coburn is tops in the 100 breast stroke with a time of 1:07.43 and second in the 200 IM, only .05 seconds behind Brighton's Ana Agy's 2:10.37.

Agy, a freshman, headlines the Bengals. She owns the top times in the state in the 100 back stroke, 100 butterfly and 200 IM. She is seeded first in the 100 butterfly and 200 IM.

Etherington said Elizabeth Duffin could be a contender in the 200 and 100 freestyle, Michelle Lee would do well in the 50 and 100 freestyle, and Kiersten Braithwaite would make waves in the 500 freestyle and 100 breast stroke. Braithwaite ranks second in both the 500 freestyle and 100 breast stroke. Along with Erin O'Connor, these girls make up Brighton's No. 1 ranked 200 medley and 400 free relay teams that also go into state meet seeded first.

"My girls have a goal of breaking the state record in the 200 medley relay (which Brighton holds)," said Etherington. "It will take an outstanding effort by all four girls, but they have a shot. In the 400 freestyle relay, it will probably take a state record effort to win the event, with both Brighton and Skyline looking to be under the current record time."

Other top individual female swimmers include Kearns' Maddie Stapley and Jennifer Fredsall. Stapley ranks first in the 100 free with a time of 55.29, and Fredsall is tops in the 50 free with the quick time of 25.05. Stapley and Fredsall plus Kristie Bergesen and Timbrell Huff make up the Cougars' top-ranked 200 free relay team, which is also seeded No. 1.

For the boys, the top individual swimmer is hands-down Kearns' Ozzie Gardner. Gardner, a senior sprinter, claims the top time in state in every event but the 500 free, which is owned by Cottonwood freshman Chad Fong at 4:53.15. Gardner ranks third in that event. Luckily for every other male swimmer, Gardner can compete in only two events. Not surprisingly, he enters state seeded first in the 50 and 100 free.

Thanks to Gardner and co-captain Stan Wirtz as anchors, the Cougar boys are tops in both the 200 and 400 free relays. Kearns also claims the top seed in both events. The Hunter boys own the top time and seed in the 200 medley relay.

Horton said Skyline junior Brooks Felton should do well in both the 200 and 500 freestyle races, and senior David Maasberg should be tops in both the 200 IM and 100 breast stroke. Maasberg is the defending state champion in both events. He ranks third in the state in the breast stroke and second in the 200 IM behind Gardner. Horton said Maasberg has a chance of breaking the state mark in the 100 breast stroke and that there is an outside chance that Brooks Felton will break the state record in the 500 freestyle.

The Hunter boys have at least one swimmer in the top five in every event but the 50 freestyle. They are led by Clay Winder, who is seeded first in the 100 breast stroke and second in the 200 IM, and John Harvey, who claims the third seed in the 100 butterfly and fourth seed in the 500 freestyle.

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