AURORA | For the 28th time, four Aurora Public Schools girls swim programs — Aurora Central, Gateway, Hinkley and Rangeview — get together for the APS Championship meet.
The rotating city championship meet, which was held at Hinkley last season, moves to Rangeview this season, where it will be contested over two days.
Individual swim prelims are slated to begin at 5:10 p.m. Friday, while diving prelims are slated for 9:30 a.m. Saturday followed by swim and dive finals at 12:10 p.m. All relays will be contested only in finals.
Rangeview — which just finished an undefeated regular season in dual meets — seeks to extend its reign of dominance in the meet that stretches back for 14 seasons. Coach Peter Girard’s Raiders even took it up a notch last season by winning all 12 events on their way to a 171-point victory.
Rangeview returns all but one of its event champions from last season as only 100 yard breaststroke winner Sydney Comet graduated. Two-event winners Keaghan Banaitis (200 & 500 yard freestyles), Jasmine Johnson (200 yard individual medley & 100 butterfly) and Haley Zant (50 & 100 freestyles), plus single winners Sarah Mortenson (diving) and Lauren Graff (100 backstroke) all return for the Raiders.
Hinkley, Gateway and Aurora Central have finished 2-3-4 at the meet for three consecutive seasons.
The teams will also use the meet as tune up for the EMAC Championships, scheduled for Feb. 2-3 at the Veterans’ Memorial Aquatic Center.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
28TH AURORA PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS GIRLS SWIM MEET
Jan. 26-27, 2018, at Rangeview High School
Jan. 26 — Pool opens, 3:15 p.m.; Coaches & Officials meeting, 4:45 p.m.; Swimming prelims, 5:10 (15-minute break between 50 freestyle & 100 butterfly and 10-minute break in place of the 200 freestyle relay)
Jan. 27 — Pool opens, 7:45 a.m.; Diving prelims, 9:30 a.m.; Pool reopens, 11 a.m.; swim & dive finals, 12:10 p.m.