OUTLOOK: Jessica Lampkin, the Times Girls Swimmer of the Year and Florida Atlantic signee, graduated, but the Gulf girls are coming off their best season in school history - 11th in the Class 2A state meet - and still boast five state qualifiers. They are the girls team to beat and should put a halt to Land O'Lakes' four unbeaten Sunshine Athletic Conference seasons.
OUTLOOK: Hroma, the Times 2002 County Boys Swimmer of the Year, has returned to help coach his alma mater. The boys should improve, but the girls will sorely miss Brianne Finneran, who might miss most of the season while recovering from a broken wrist suffered in a car crash. Freshmen Abigail Campbell (100 breast, 100 free) and Syndi Barney (50 free, 100 breast) should contribute.
LAND O'LAKES GATORS
COACHES: Robin Hilgenberg, Barbara Hayes, Jeremiah Chavez.
LAST SEASON: Boys 8-0; girls 8-0.
KEY RETURNERS: Chris Obara, Sr., 100 fly, 200 IM; Adam Yanchunis, Sr., 50 free, 500 free; Tim Olson, So. 100 back; Ben Schultz, Sr., 100 free, 500 free; Laura Hayes, Sr., 100 breast, 200 IM; Laura Quintana, Sr., distance free; Amy Jacobs, Sr., 100 back; Kaleigh Bassett, Sr., distance free; Lauren Fries, Sr., 100 back, 100 breast; Caitlin Roberts, Sr., 100 fly, 200 IM.
OUTLOOK: For the first time in school history, both groups went unbeaten in the same season. The girls lost too much to repeat, but the boys have a handful of returners from last year's team that placed 15th in the state in 2A. Obara, Yanchunis and Olson might be the fastest boys in the county and should return to state.
OUTLOOK: Numbers are up at fifth-year Mitchell, which has a program high of 40 swimmers (27 girls, 13 boys). Drum, who coached at Ridgewood for a year and coaches club swimmers at the New Port Richey pool, is in her first year with the Mustangs. Keep an eye on freshman Caitlin McCaffrey (100 breast), Meghan's sister.
OUTLOOK: The Pirates are like the majority of county teams: a few standout swimmers, not much depth. There are strong bloodlines on this team with Clark, Coscia and Epperson following siblings who made state before graduating from Pasco.
OUTLOOK: Two coaching vacancies were not filled until last week, which leaves the Rams somewhat behind headed into their seventh season. Taylor ranks among the county's elite and should make her fourth trip to state as a distance freestyler, and she does plan to try her luck at several other events during the season.
OUTLOOK: Finney, 28, fills a void left by longtime coach Athena Graham (a River Ridge assistant in 1996 and '97 before becoming head coach in '98), who stepped down for health reasons. Most of the top swimmers will be back next season, so the Knights are expected to challenge teams for a while.
OUTLOOK: Prynn was the Wildcats' lone state qualifier, but the boys and girls should benefit from solid efforts last season. Welsey Chapel's girls placed fifth in districts and the boys finished seventh in Etienne's first season as head coach.
OUTLOOK: Mathews returns from a two-year absence to give the Bulldogs two experienced coaches. Donahue, a triathlete, and state diver Switzer are the standouts. Both squads are coming off stellar seasons, but lost too much to match last year's results.
