Don’t let one result fool you.
Sure, Arapahoe probably opened more than a few eyes last Saturday, when the Warriors emerged as Continental League champions instead of Regis. The Raiders, winners of 13 of the past 14 state titles, didn’t come fully loaded and instead directed much of their focus on today and Friday’s Class 5A state meet at the Edora Pool Ice Center in Fort Collins.
“I think as a coach, if you don’t feel like you have a chance, then you are doing the wrong thing,” said Arapahoe coach Mike Richmond, whose Warriors have the best chance to dethrone the mighty Raiders. “We’ve proved that we can compete with them. We’ve got good athletes, and they have good athletes. It’ll be fun to watch.”
Said Regis coach Mike Doherty: “We have the utmost respect for Arapahoe and everything they have accomplished. But our guys know what they have to do, and they’ve put the work in at practice, and we’ll see what happens.”
If last month’s dual meet between the schools is any indication, Richmond might be exactly right. Regis, which entered the season with a 290-2 dual meet record since 1990, squeaked by the Warriors 97-89. It came down to the last race, the 400-yard freestyle relay, and a touch at the wall for the Raiders to avoid a tie.
“That was the most exciting dual I’ve ever been a part of,” said Richmond, who has been at the helm at Arapahoe for 10 years.
Arapahoe will have to set the tone this afternoon. The preliminaries begin at 4 p.m. No one Warriors swimmer is a favorite, but those swimmers seeded outside the top eight are going to need to improve their times to try to get into the finals.
“It’s crucial for those guys to maintain those spots,” Richmond said.
Swimmers to keep an eye on include Poudre’s Tyler Svendsen, George Washington’s Max Laney and Heritage’s Mark Dylla. Svendsen, a senior headed next season to the University of Arizona, is the favorite in the 200 freestyle and also owns the quickest time in the 100 free.
Laney, a rare threat out of the Denver Prep League, has the best times in the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke this season, but will be tracked closely in each race. Regis’ Jay Kim in the IM and Standley Lake’s Dan Lunger in the backstroke will give Laney something to think about on the blocks.
Dylla, already a four-time state champion, may try to pull off another tough double in the 100 butterfly and the 500 freestyle, as he did two years ago as a freshman. The two races are separated by just one event, the 100 free, and if he competes in both, he will get perhaps 10 minutes in between.
In 4A, which has its preliminaries Friday and finals Saturday, all eyes will be on Montrose. The Indians, two years removed from their first state title, are hungry for more.
Seniors Kyle Weiss, John Thomas and Steve Wiesner will be tough. Those three, along with Eric Sramek, give the Indians potent relay teams, especially in the 400 freestyle relay, an event they won in 2005.
Ralston Valley’s Clay Myers will be tough to beat in the 200 IM and 500 free. Cherokee Trail’s Michael Phelps – no, not the same Michael Phelps that made waves at the 2004 Olympics – could earn the Cougars’ first individual swimming title in the 100 breaststroke.
Mountain View’s Taylor Sishc will be tough to beat in the diving competition. He scored a whopping 567.75 points in the Northern League championship.
Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-820-5446 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
