The Temple girls team, along with Belton, defending champion College Station A&M Consolidated and Harker Heights, enter today’s District 12-5A Meet at Texas A&M’s Student Recreation Center Natatorium among the contenders for the league crown. Temple and Belton’s boys teams are expected to finish among the top four.
Today’s swimming preliminaries begin at 10 a.m. and finals start at 5 p.m. Diving finals are at 11 a.m.
The top six in each event qualify for the Class 5A Region III Meet on Feb. 13-14 in Mansfield.
Of the Lady Wildcats’ chances of bringing home another district title coach Trey Sullivan simply said: “That’s going to be really hard.”
Said Belton coach Mike Burt: “I don’t know that anybody can touch A&M this year.”
The Lady Wildcats used their depth to claim second place overall and 12 top-six finishes last season.
Seniors Erika Allen, Carrie Davis, Brittany Edens, Sarah Jane Robinson and Sarah Shaffell, and juniors Rachael Glenister and Sarah Alpini all return after qualifying for regionals last season.
Glenister claimed Temple’s only individual girls title at the Winter Classic, the team’s last competition two weeks ago, winning the 100 backstroke.
Allen, runner-up in the 1-meter diving last year, is this year’s top seed. The Lady Wildcats also should be within striking distance in the three relays (200-yard medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle).
When Sullivan tallied Temple’s points based on seed times, the Lady Wildcats tied A&M Consolidated for the title. But to do that, Sullivan admits Temple will have to rely on its deep roster.
“We’ll have to bring in those points,” Sullivan said. “The relays are really, really crucial for us.”
Belton’s girls team returns the area’s only district champion from last season, senior Sheryl Burt, who won the 500 freestyle. Burt also finished second in the 200 freestyle.
Also returning as regional qualifiers for the Lady Tigers are seniors Emma Zendt and Angelica Torija, junior Katie Booth and sophomores Samantha Horton and Faith Redus.
The Lady Tigers had nine top-six finishes last season and were third overall.
On the boys side, the Wildcats and Tigers hope to stake their claim to a top-four finish.
Temple finished second last year, 141 points behind winner A&M Consolidated, while Belton was fifth.
Belton’s boys return six regional qualifiers, seniors Jason Shuler and Trey Falsone, juniors Jason Ellis and Mike Presta, and sophomores Kyle Burt and Alec Dekeratry.
Burt claimed the title in the 100 butterfly at the Winter Classic. He also had the Tigers’ top individual finishes at last year’s district meet - fourth in the 200 and 500 freestyle.
Belton also had strong showings from Robert Soliz and Gustavio Gomez at the Winter Classic.
“We rely heavily on all their ablities,” Mike Burt said.
Temple senior Trent Arnold is the top seed in the 100 breaststroke. Fellow senior Joey Jaworski, junior Landry Wheeler and sophomore Jacob Stickney are all regional returners.
Jaworski, runner-up in the 100 freestyle last year at district, won the Wildcats’ only individual boys title in the 100 free at the Winter Classic.
Sullivan believes the Wildcats can also qualify for regionals in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.
