Okemos swimmer Freyja Garbaccio heads toward a first-place 200 yard IM championship win during the 2014 CAAC Blue Division championship finals at Holt. Garbaccio is a two-time LSJ swimmer of the year and is looking to earn it for a third time in 2016.
KEY: back-backstroke, breast-breaststroke, dist.-distance or 200 and 500 free, DT-Lansing State Journal Dream Team selection, fly-butterfly, free-freestyle, IM-individual medley, MD-middle distance, sprints-50 and 100 freestyle, dive-diving
CAAC BLUE
Coaches’ predictions: 1. Grand Ledge, 2. St. Johns, 3. Holt, 4. Okemos, 5. Jackson, 6. DeWitt, 7. East Lansing, 8. Haslett
Top athletes: Sydney Shipps (DeWitt), Freyja Garbaccio (Okemos), Lisette Fenneuff (DeWitt), Mary Phillips (East Lansing), Katie Thomas (Grand Ledge), Abby Ford (Grand Ledge), Meg Pope (Grand Ledge), Lola Mull (Grand Ledge), Megan Fulton (Haslett), Sarah Williams (Okemos), Rachel Ely (St. Johns), Emma Schaefer (St. Johns), Alexis Lefevre (Holt), Ingrid Petersen (Holt)
DEWITT
Last year: 3-4 (6th)
Coach: Gregg Brace (10th season)
Top returning athletes: Sydney Shipps (jr. back/free), Lisette Fenneuff (so. fly/breast)
Outlook: Shipps, who was an LSJ Dream Team selection last season, and Fenneuff were both all-state performers in 2015. Brace said this season is a rebuilding one for the Panthers, but added that his team has a lot of “raw talent.”
EAST LANSING
Coach: Ron Marsh (37th season)
Top returning athletes: Mary Phillips (so. dive), Kelley Sweitzer (sr. breast), Laurel Cullerton (sr. free), Allegra Forman (sr. breast), Mallory Haynie (jr. free/fly), Lilly Zink (jr. free/back), Mara Logan (so. free), Cydney McKeel (jr. dive)
Other contributors: Alexa Demuth (fr. free), Freya Dufner (fr. IM), Jill Karmmerer (so. breast), Katelyn Meeker (so. free)
Outlook: With 18 new members to the Trojans’ team, Marsh is looking for his newcomers to help build on the success from the end of last year. Phillips, a sophomore, is the reigning LSJ girls diver of the year, won the conference title last season and finished 14th at the Division 2 state tournament.
GRAND LEDGE
Last year: 5-4
Coach: Ian Townsend (8th season)
Top returning athletes: Katie Thomas (sr. free), Abby Ford (so. breast), Alexis Everett (sr. sprints), Emma Cornell (jr. dist.), Amiya Harris (jr. IM/breast)
Other contributors: Meg Pope (sr. breast), Isabel Lee (so. back), Danielle Ries (fr. sprints), Grace Weston (fr. all-around), Lola Mull (Fr. dist./fly)
Outlook: With a strong group of returners mixed in with “possibly the best freshmen class” Townsend has had in his eight years, the Comets look to make a mark in the CAAC Blue in 2016. Thomas and Ford, who holds the school records in the 100 breaststroke and 200 free relay, are returning Dream Teamers. Pope, who was a 2014 Dream Team selection while at St. Johns, is a welcome addition to Grand Ledge’s team after sitting out last season under MHSAA transfer rules. Freshman Lola Mull won four state titles during her middle school career. Townsend sees depth as a strength for his team this season.
HASLETT
Last year: 1-7 (8th)
Coach: Damon Robertson (4th season)
Top returning athletes: Megan Fulton (jr. IM/fly), Amy Kach (sr. dive), Hannah Krajniak (jr. free/back), Chloe Alverson (jr. breast/free)
Other contributors: Molly Lehman (fr. fly/IM), Samantha Eschtruth (fr. back/free), Madeline Glaza (so. dive)
Outlook: With a small, young team, Robertson said the Vikings are looking to build on last year’s eighth-place finish in the league and single events at the state meet. Fulton, a junior, was a state qualifier in 2015 and Kach was a regional qualifier. Krajniak and Alverson are three-year varsity swimmers.
HOLT
Coach: Marty Pohl (9th season)
Top returning athletes: Alexis Lefevre (sr. free), Ingrid Petersen (jr. free/fly), Jessica Jacobs (jr. breast), Noel Lefevre (so. fly/back), Cami Magee (so. breast/free)
Other contributors: Avalon Jones (fr. free), Maggie Hoerner (fr. free/back), Lindsay Richards (fr. free/breast), Sara Pawluk (fr. dive)
Outlook: Pohl is very high on his freshmen class heading into 2016, and he believes that group combining with his established veterans can make the Rams a competitor for the league title. Lefevre is returning for another year and is considered one of the top swimmers in the league. Pohl believes most of the teams in the conference are “pretty close” in terms of talent.
OKEMOS
Last year: 4-3 (3rd)
Coach: Patrick Saucedo (9th season)
Top returning athletes: Freyja Garbaccio (sr. fly/back/IM), Sarah Williams (sr. sprint/free), Jennifer Przybylo (sr. free/fly), Isabella Morris (sr. free/back), Anna Alegi (so. IM/breast), Ryann Quillinan (sr. free)
Other contributors: Sarah Anderson (jr. free/back), Heather Poland (so. free), Taylor Quillinan (sr. free), Claire Kiley (sr. dive)
Outlook: With the return of Garbaccio, the two-time LSJ girls swimmer of the year, the Chiefs are looking to fight for a top-10 finish at the Division 2 state meet. Garbaccio finished fourth in the 100 butterfly and ninth in the 100 backstroke at the state meet last year. Williams was was the CAAC Blue champion in both the 50 and 100 freestyles.
ST. JOHNS
Last year: 10-0 (1st)
Coach: Kim Brewbaker (14th season)
Top returning athletes: Rachel Ely (sr. all-around), Emma Schaefer (sr. all-around), Amber Cousineau (sr. breast/dist.), Tess Burnash (jr. IM/fly), Tatum Grams (jr. back), Kameron Massa (so. dive), Kameron Massa (so. dive), Madi Kotowicz (so. dist.)
Other contributors: Lydia Ely (fr. dist./back), Zoe Vance (fr. back/IM), Morgan Leavitt (so. back), Kinze DeGeer (sr. dive)
Outlook: The Redwings lost several key contributors to graduation, but return LSJ Dream Teamers in Rachel Ely and Schaefer. Cousineau and Burnash both earned all-area honors in 2015. Brewbaker believes his team will once again be competitive in the CAAC Blue and could potentially make a run at the Division 2 state meet.
CAAC RED
Coaches’ predictions: 1. Waverly/Lansing Catholic, 2. Owosso, 3. Williamston/Lansing Christian, 4. Mason, 5. Ionia, 6. Charlotte, 7. Eaton Rapids, 8. Lansing Legacy
Top returning athletes: Rita El Jbeily (Waverly/Lansing Catholic), Megan Deal (Williamston/Lansing Christian), Kiana Namvansy (Mason), Mallory Irelan (Owosso), Natalie Crandell (Williamston/Lansing Christian)
CHARLOTTE
No information submitted.
EATON RAPIDS
Coach: David Jackson (4th season)
Top returning athletes: Aubrey Jackson (sr. IM), Sarah Roman (sr. dist.), Kirsten Henderson (sr. breast), Allison Pretzel (jr. back), Lillian Jones (so. dist./IM), Autumn Powell (so. dive)
Outlook: The Greyhounds will return three four-year varsity swimmers in Jackson, Roman and Henderson. Pretzel finished third in the backstroke at the league meet last season. Eaton Rapids will look to continue to climb the CAAC Red standings with strong performances from some of the seniors.
LANSING LEGACY (EVERETT, SEXTON AND EASTERN)
Coach: Nathaniel Burchfield (7th season)
Top returning athletes: Ana Gianiodis (jr. IM/breast), Julia Tominski (so. free/fly), Mary-Margert Bradbury (sr. free)
Other contributors: Katie Lewis (sr. back/free)
Outlook: The combined team of Everett, Sexton and Eastern will rely on its youth to move up the league standings.
MASON
Last year: 4-5 (4th)
Coach: Emily Wilson (2nd season)
Top returning athletes: Kiana Namvansy (sr. 50 and 100 free), Hanna Keller (sr. dive), Ashley Grant (sr. back/free)
Other contributors: Shianne Buxton (sr. free), Emily Bushey (so. IM/breast), Sadie Disselkoen (fr. IM/fly)
Outlook: Wilson sees depth as one of the glaring strengths of the Bulldogs’ team in 2016. Namvansy, Keller and Grant all earned all-area honors last season and are entering at least their third year of varsity experience. Wilson added that if her team can improve its stamina, particularly in breast and fly events, it can go another step this season.
OWOSSO
Last year: 8-5 (3rd)
Coach: Andrew Murray (1st season)
Top returning athletes: Mallory Irelan (jr. fly/free), Madison Wilhelm (sr. dive), Sierra Davis (sr. dive), Natalie Taylor (sr. IM/dist.), Madison Chmiko (sr. free/dist.), Alyssa Barrett (sr. dist./breast), Olivia Reale (sr. back)
Other contributors: Madison Livingston (so. fly/free), Sidney Voss (jr. dist.), Faith Gates (so. dive), Allie Pumford (fr. free), Lily Espinoza (fr. breast)
Outlook: Irelan, who qualified for the state tournament last season, will look to lead a Trojans team that Murray believes is deep and talented. Divers Wilhelm and Davis finished in the top 8 of the conference meet and Chmiko finished in the top 3. As his swimmers look to fill the roles of some of the athletes Owosso lost to graduation, Murray believes his squad will follow an upward trend.
WAVERLY/LANSING CATHOLIC
Last year: 2nd
Coach: David Hill (11th season)
Top returning athletes: Rita El Jbeily (jr. sprint), Marie Kohrman (jr. dist./free), Kelly Ray (jr. breast/back), Natalia Sudol (so. back/breast), Maggie Sanders (jr. free), Mary Sanders (so. free), Laney Nestor (so. breast)
Other contributors: Jacque Poland (jr. free), Ricka Laurich (so. free), Molly Sullivan (jr. free)
Outlook: Despite having no seniors on the roster, Hill believes his team can compete for the league’s top spot. El Jbeily is a two-time LSJ Dream Team selection and won four events at the CAAC Red meet a season ago. Kohrman placed second in the 500 free and third in the 200 free at the league meet. Hill added that he’s hoping his team can pick up off where it left off at the end of last season.
WILLIAMSTON/LANSING CHRISTIAN
Coach: Bob Oliver (3rd season)
Last year: 8-1 (1st)
Top returning athletes: Natalie Crandell (sr. dive), Megan Deal (sr. breast), Maia Guenther (sr. sprint/free), Madison Casteel (sr. free), Tori Manack (sr. IM), Abby Foss (so. fly), June Battjes (jr. fly), Kelsey McElroy (jr. sprint/free)
Other contributors: Katie Mueller (jr. dist./free), Sylvia Schotzko (sr. fly), Lexi Williams (so. back), Amy Anderson (jr. dist./free), Megan Janecke (fr. fly)
Outlook: With the loss of four-time all-state swimmer Allie Heineman to graduation, and eight other seniors, the combined team of Williamston-Lansing Christian will undergo a bit of a rebuilding season. However, Crandell, a senior diver, returns after earning a spot on the LSJ Dream Team and finishing 15th at the state meet last season. Oliver is the reigning LSJ girls swimming coach of the year.
Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.