SOLDOTNA — Last season, the Wasilla Warriors edged the Kodiak Bears by just a single point to win the boys team title at the Region III Championships.

This weekend, there could be another race between the Warriors and the Bears for the conference crown when swimmers hit the water during the Region III Championships swimming and diving meet in Soldotna today and Saturday.

“We’ve got a pretty good rivalry going with them,” Wasilla head coach Matt Hanley said. “Kodiak’s always strong. I think it should be close.” Hanley said he has not gone as far as sit down and figure out potential team scores based on the swimmers current region rankings, but he does feel good about Wasilla’s potential to repeat as region champs.

“We’re feeling great,” Hanley said. “The kids are focused and looking strong.”

Last year, the Warriors rode what Hanley called his four horsemen — Jeff Frey, Charles Frey, Christian Long and Max Merriam — to a Region III crown and third-place finish in the state championships. Merriam and Charles Frey have since graduated. And while Hanley said he may not have a top-four the likes of the “horsemen,” he has a deeper squad to work with this year.

“Top to bottom, we’re a stronger team than last year,” Hanley said. “We’re not just relying on four super fast kids. We have more of a team feeling.”

Jeff Frey and Christian Long are seniors, and both are defending conference champions. Frey was the top swimmer in the 50 and 100 freestyle races last year, and is ranked among the state’s best in several events this season.

“He’s been gunning for these two meets,” Hanley said of Frey, referring to the region and state competitions. “He’s ready to do something special.”

Frey is the state’s top swimmer in the 50 freestyle, with a time of 21.53 seconds. He also has the region’s top time in the 200 individual medley, 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke this year.

Long is the defending region champ in the 500 freestyle, and also holds Region III’s top time in that event this season.

Another swimmer Hanley expects good results from is senior Dylan Spargo.

“Dylan Spargo has just been incredible,” Hanley said. “He’s been working his butt off dropping times in meets. We’ve seen a lot of good things from him.”

Hanley said Spargo has been particularly strong in the breaststroke and sprint freestyle races this season.

Members of the Wasilla girls squad are also in the running for region titles.

Senior Karina Barria holds the region’s top time in the 50 freestyle. Junior Mariah Schachle is the top diver of the region, according to the scores compiled this season. Senior  Rachel Kennedy has also returned from an injury to defend a pair of Region III championships in the 1-meter dive.

Alexander Deedy leads the Colony Knights as the region’s top diver entering the championships. Deedy finished third in the meet last year.

Katelyn Payne is back to lead the Colony girls after finishing as the runner-up in the 100 backstroke last season and third in the 200 freestyle.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Alaska state prep swimming

leaders

Boys top-five

200 medley relay — 1. Juneau 1:40.45; 2. Lathrop 1:41.97; 3. Petersburg 1:43.25; 4. Dimond 1:43.43; 5. South 1:46.10.; 200 free — 1. Cody Brunette, Juneau, 1:44.05; 2. Matt Summers, Dimond, 1:45.27; 3. Ryan O’Leary, Seward, 1:47.64; 4. Winter Heaven, Soldotna, 1:47.75; 5. Jeff Frey, Wasilla, 1:47.92. 200 IM — 1. Cody Brunette, Juneau, 1:57.48; 2. Matt Summers, Dimond, 1:59.31; 3. Keegan Severens, Lathrop, 2:02.15; 4. Jay Schultz, South, 2:02.46; 5. Jeff Frey, Wasilla, 2:02.55. 50 free — 1. Jeff Frey, Wasilla, 21.53; 2. Cody Brunette, Juneau, 21.97; 3. Ryan O’Leary, Seward, 21.99; 4. Winter Heaven, Soldotna, 22.08; 5. Nick Rutecki, Juneau, 22.19. Diving (six dives. — 1. Scott Wandersee, Kodiak, 339.85; 2. Dalton Haas, Service, 241.90; 3. Alexander Deedy, Colony, 239.20; 4. Bryan Haley, Bartlett, 238.15; 5. Cody Tate, Soldotna, 222.00. 100 butterfly — 1. Winter Heaven, Soldotna, 51.19; 2. Cody Brunette, Juneau, 51.92; 3. Ryan O’Leary, Seward, 53.56; 4. Tyler Mickelson, Juneau, 53.94; 5. Wyatt Adams, Service, 54.28. 100 free — 1. Cody Brunette, Juneau, 47.33; 2. Jeff Frey, Wasilla, 47.58; 3. Ryan O’Leary, Seward, 48.22; 4. Wyatt Adams, Service, 48.89; 5. Winter Heaven, Soldotna, 48.91. 500 free — 1. Matt Summers, Dimond, 4:47.01; 2. Wyatt Adams, Service, 4:54.55; 3. Cody Brunette, Juneau, 4:54.63; 4. Christian Long, Wasilla, 4:59.64; 5. Winter Heaven, Soldotna, 5:00.41. 200 free relay — 1. Juneau 1:31.09; 2. Lathrop 1:33.72; 3. Dimond 1:33.82; 4. Kodiak 1:33.93; 5. South 1:33.94. 100 backstroke — 1. Cody Brunette, Juneau, 53.52; 2. Jeff Frey, Wasilla, 55.82; 3. Matt Summers, Dimond, 56.17; 4. Winter Heaven, Soldotna, 56.40; 5. Drew Vandermeer, West Valley, 57.44. 100 breast stroke — 1. Jay Schulte, Service, 1:00.69; 2. Cody Brunette, Juneau, 1:01.08; 3. Keegan Severens, Lathrop, 1:01.14; 4. Preston Marsh, Petersburg, 1:01.39; 5. Adam Kowalewski, Dimond, 1:02.60. 400 free relay — 1. Juneau 3:20.15; 2. Dimond 3:24.10; 3. Kodiak 3:27.70; 4. Service 3:29.65; 5. South 3:30.50.

Girls top five

200 medley relay — 1. Service 1:52.85; 2. Ketchikan 1:53.10; 3. Kodiak 1:53.72; 4. Dimond 1:55.00; 5. East 1:55.27. 200 free — 1. Emilee Johnson, Ketchikan, 1:57.69; 2. Anne Goering, West Valley, 1:57.95; 3. Janelle Stacy, Ketchikan, 1:59.98; 4. Sam Wicks, East, 2:00.56; 5. Nikki Wray, Dimond, 2:00.99. 200 IM — 1. Janelle Stacy, Ketchikan, 2:13.21; 2. Sam Wicks, East, 2:13.62; 3. Olivia Bowen, Soldotna, 2:15.27; 4. Nikki Wray, Dimond, 2:15.76; 5. Elizabeth Bennett, Monroe, 2:16.24. 50 free — 1. Sam Wicks, East, 24.55; 2. Mary Uselmann, Service, 24.97; 3. Emilee Johnson, Ketchikan, 25.13; 4. Anne Goering, West Valley, 25.30; 5. Tessa Hasbrouck, Petersburg, 25.37. Diving (six dives. — 1. Renee Jordan, East, 226.85; 2. Savannah Craft, West Valley, 194.85; 3. Joanna Wallace, Monroe, 188.00; 4. Mariah Schachel, Wasilla, 187.35; 5. Sam Sharp, Juneau, 183.65. 100 butterfly — 1. Margot Adams, Service, 58.67; 2. Janelle Stacy, Ketchikan, 59.03; 3. Sam Wicks, East, 59.43; 4. Olivia Bowen, Soldotna, 59.50; 5. Elizabeth Bennet, Monroe, 1:00.89. 100 free — 1. Margot Adams, Service, 53.68; 2. Sam Wicks, East, 54.40; 3. Emilee Johnson, Ketchikan, 54.62; 4. Anne Goering, West Valley, 54.72; 5. Janelle Stacy, Ketchikan, 55.10. 500 free — 1. Sam Wicks, East, 5:18.36; 2. Margot Adams, Service, 5:19.92; 3. Shelby Perkins, North Pole, 5:21.80; 4. Nikki Wray, Dimond, 5:24.09; 5. Celeste Beck-Goodell, Kodiak, 5:25.17. 200 free relay — 1. East 1:43.14; 2. Service 1:43.30; 3. Kodiak 1:43.92; 4. Ketchikan 1:44.15; 5. South 1:44.78. 100 backstroke — 1. Sam Wicks, East, 58.68; 2. Margot Adams, Service, 59.92; 3. Michelle Hawkins, Dimond, 59.97; 4. Janelle Stacy, Ketchikan, 1:00.24; 5. Victoria Adams, Service, 1:00.87. 100 breast stroke — 1. Kendra Standley, Ketchikan, 1:08.87; 2. Laura Griffing, Kodiak, 1:09.41; 3. Myra Scholze, Kodiak, 1:09.97; 4. Nikki Wray, Dimond, 1:11.15; 5. Hannah Norris, Valdez, 1:11.90. 400 free relay — 1. Kodiak 3:46.33; 2. Service 3:49.80; 3. Ketchikan 3:50.94; 4. Dimond 3:51.01; 5. East 3:51.56.

Region III Championships

schedule

Diving at Soldotna High School

Friday: Girls warm ups, 7 a.m.; Girls semifinals, 7:30 a.m.; Boys warm ups, 8:30 a.m.; Boys semifinals, 9 a.m.; Girls warm ups, 10 a.m.; Girls finals, 10:30 a.m.; Boys warm ups, 11 a.m.; Boys finals, 11:30 a.m.

Swimming at Skyview High School

Friday: Preliminaries, 4 p.m.; Saturday: Finals, noon.

Order of final events (Girls’ competition will precede boys in each event):

1. 200 medley relay; 2. 200 freestyle; 3. 200 individual medley; 4. 50 freestyle; 5. 100 butterfly; 6. 100 freestyle; 7. 500 freestyle; 8. 200 freestyle relay; 9. 100 backstroke; 10. 100 breaststroke; 11. 400 freestyle relay.