Ryle swimming coach Jeff Floyd gets more nervous than his athletes.
Covington Catholic senior diver Jake Larkin said he’s “prepared for anything.”
The state meet begins with boys 1-meter diving at 10 a.m. Thursday at the University of Kentucky’s Lancaster Aquatic Center. The girls 1-meter starts at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Boys swimming preliminaries start at 10 a.m. on Friday, with the finals at 6 p.m. Girls preliminaries begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with the finals at 6 p.m.
What seems certain: St. Xavier and Sacred Heart winning the boys and girls team title, respectively. The Tigers have taken every one since 1989 and are going for their 60th altogether, and the Valkyries seek their 35th overall and 12th straight.
Floyd is most excited about the Combined team title, in which boys and girls team titles are added.
“They are told to stay in their process and do whatever they need to do to be successful,” Floyd said Tuesday. “My mind, it’s racing more than theirs.”
Ryle’s boys, who finished third last year, appear strongest in the 200-yard medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays. The Raiders are seeded fifth in all three.
“Our boys depth is pretty great,” Floyd said. “We have a lot of versatility, a lot of flexibility.”
Ryle sophomore Chase Knopf won the state First Round 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke, and teammate Andy Pleiman won the 100 freestyle and placed second in the 50 freestyle.
Floyd said junior Reese Yauger is Ryle’s leader, “but our relays are really consistent, really solid.”
Yauger, sophomore Gabriella Stephens, senior Hanna Panko and senior Mackenzie Denigan finished second to Highlands’ Sarah Jones, Keira Kobida, Ella Kate Reynolds and Clare Herfel in the 400 freestyle relay.
Yauger also finished second in the 200-individual medley.
“Gabriella Stephens is becoming a star, and Hannah Panko – those are our three stars,” Floyd said. “Reese, Hannah and Gabriella lead the way.”
But Ryle’s combined fate could be determined in Thursday’s boys 1-meter diving final. Senior Landon Isler is seeded second behind Covington Catholic senior Jake Larkin, who are the top two seeds.
“Landon Isler may be the difference,” Floyd said. “Landon’s worth anywhere from 16-20 (points). If we finish second in state, it will be because we have diving points, and Trinity and PLD (Paul Laurence Dunbar) don’t.”
At the Region 7 meet Feb. 2-3 at Scott, Larkin’s 607.75 points obliterated the old record of 571.35 Justin Youtsey set in 2012. He’s been working on two dives – the Reverse 2 ½ tuck and Back 1 ½.
“With the reverse 2 ½, it’s mostly timing on the board,” Larkin said. “On a reverse 2 ½, good timing is keeping your arms up as long as possible and then staying on the board and letting it push you up all the way. (With the Back 1 ½), it’s basically the same thing, just backward.”
Jones, Kobida, Herfel and Ragan Moore finished second to Madison Central in the 200 medley relay.
Notre Dame finished third a season ago. Duplicating that is a challenge, mostly because 2023 alumna Lainy Kruger is a freshman at Florida.
“I think we have a good shot at being in the top five,” Pandas coach Jamie Kelly said. “If things fall right, there’s a chance that we could potentially get as high as state runner-up.”
Notre Dame was third in the state last year, and the Pandas and Ryle tied for this year’s Region 7 team title with 380 points.
Elizabethtown, Ryle and Lexington Catholic are Notre Dame’s likely state challengers. The Pandas’ Sadie Hartig has the strongest shot at individual gold – she won the First Round 200 and 500 freestyle, is seeded fifth in the state 200 and second in the 500 freestyle to Sacred Heart’s Carlie Tyler.
The girls diving competition features two familiar foes – Cooper’s Peytton Moore vs. defending champion Reagan Patterson of Madison Southern, who edged Moore by two-tenths of a point last year. They are seeded 1-2 this week.
Floyd needed just two letters – “No” – when asked if any team would dethrone St. Xavier, while Kelly took four words when asked about Sacred Heart.
“Everybody’s shooting for second,” Kelly said.
For information on state meet seedings, visit khsaa.org (bit.ly/49m3Xqi).