Albuquerque Academy, Eldorado hope to maintain success.
Lauren Burckel hopes to lead Eldorado to a repeat in 2015-16.
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It's very possible that the defending champions in New Mexico boys and girls swimming could repeat in 2015-16, according to a survey of several top coaches by MaxPreps.
That means Albuquerque Academy could retain the boys crown, while Eldorado (Albuquerque) could notch its fourth consecutive girls championship.
Legendary Academy coach Dave Barney, who will be 84 in January, is seeking his 36th state championship and returns the state's premier swimmer, senior Anthony Kim, a Texas A-M signee who broke state records last year while winning the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard freestyle. As a sophomore he won the butterfly and set the state record in the 100-yard backstroke. He also won the butterfly as a freshman.
Barney, who has a 968-74 record and made the National High School Hall of Fame last spring, noted, "I graduated a lot of sprint depth, but we certainly will be in the hunt."
Sandia (Albuquerque) should be a strong challenger in the boys division. Coach Chris Baker returns senior Ian Kingsolver, who won the 100-yard breaststroke, and junior Lee Moffett, who finished high last year in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle, plus seniors Estevan Romero and Patrick Hawton.
Hank Gullick, Eldorado
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Freshmen
Joseph Cecco and
Maxwell Hawton also will make major contributions. Hawton already has beaten some of Kim's age-group club records and Baker predicts that he will some day challenge the Academy star's high school records, too.
Eldorado and La Cueva (Albuquerque) are other solid contenders in boys swimming.
Leading Eldorado is senior Hank Gullick, who has signed with Columbia. He placed second last year in the 50-and 100-yard freestyle and coach Quint Seckler said he expects his star to challenge some state records, because "He wants to be the first New Mexico kid to go under 20 seconds in the 50-yard free."
Eldorado also will count on sophomore Ben Waterman, a butterfly and freestyle expert, who sat out last year, and greatly-improved senior diver DeWuan Parham. Seckler noted that Parham's "spring off the diving board is amazing."
La Cueva coach Vince Sanchez said, "Top three in the state is my goal for them."
Senior Michael Westerberg is the Bears' leader and will be at his best in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard butterfly. Sophomore Gabe Cuneo will compete in the same events, while freshman Jack Hoagland will specialize in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle.
Sanchez agrees that the Academy's Kim "could win almost anything he chose to swim."
The Clovis boys could be a sleeper team.
Individually, senior Kevin Benavidez returns at Albuquerque Academy to defend his state title in the 200-yard individual medley. He is an Arizona State University recruit.
Girls Division
Sara Vianco, Albuquerque Academy
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For Eldorado to repeat, sophomore
Lauren Burckel and senior Kelsey Robison will be important point winners. Burckel won the 100-yard breaststroke as a freshman, but she has been nursing a back problem recently. Robison did not swim as a junior, but was a state finalist as a freshman and sophomore in the breast and IM.
Sandia returns all top swimmers except for its breaststroker. TCU recruit Amanda Key, a senior, won the 100-yard backstroke last year. Seniors Aine Scholand and Jacqueline Matsko should be big point winners.
La Cueva will be led by senior Natasha Kinney, who swims the 50 and 100 free and the butterfly, but it will be especially dangerous because of an outstanding freshman class. Coach Sanchez calls it a "once-in-a-lifetime group. We have five or six freshmen who should be qualifying for state and scoring points."
Natalie Jones and Chrysten Pacheco are extremely versatile and Anita Sumali is a standout in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Academy will be led by sophomore Sara Vianco, who won the 100-yard freestyle and was second in the 50-yard freestyle as a freshman.
Las Cruces and Los Alamos also are expected to have strong girls teams, with Sarah Lott, who sat out last year as a sophomore, leading Los Alamos.
Volcano Vista (Albuquerque) junior Zofia Niemczak will be seeking her first state title after finishing second the last two years in the 100-yard butterfly.
