Local teams are preparing for the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference swim meets this weekend at the Bath YMCA. The Class B meet will be held Friday beginning at 5 p.m. and the Class A meet begins Saturday morning at 9. Morse, which dropped to Class B this season, is the favorite in that meet while the Brunswick boys and girls are favored at the Class A meet.

Morse has 24 boys on its team and will be able to put four swimmers in every event.

“That’s hard to compete with,” Winslow coach Dave Setchell said. “Numbers win championships.”

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Messalonskee coach Sara Rushton has the best breaststroker in the state in junior Kristy Prelgovisk, who last year won that event and the 100 butterfly at the Class A KVACs. She set the school record of 1 minute, 5 seconds in the breaststroke last year, but has yet to equal that time.

“She’s pretty much uncontested in the breaststroke,” Rushton said. “I’m hoping for some competition to push her along.”

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Ally Fischang (20 free, 100 breast), Emily Roy (100 back), Amber Sutherland (100 back), Macy Mansir (500) and Kenya Whitehead (500) are all seeded high in their events and should give the girls a strong meet,

“I’m thinking second place because we lost to Brunswick in the regular season,” Rushton said.

On the boys side, Ben Thibert (IM, back), Daeghan Elkin (100 fly, 100 breast), and Kyle Perkins (200, 500) should all score points for the Eagles. Lawrence sophomore Alex Bevier, who trains with Messalonskee, is seeded second in the 500 free and fourth in the 200 IM.

“We’re peaking right on schedule,” Rushton said. “We had multiple best times in a meet on Tuesday.”

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Waterville doesn’t have the numbers to stack up against Morse in the Class B meet but the Purple Panthers have some good swimmers, particularly on the boys side.

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“I’ve got a talented eight boys, but that isn’t going to be enough,” Waterville coach Bob Johnston said.

Seniors Adrian Rivas and Ben Wehry are the two best hopes for Waterville.

“Adrian’s a big meet swimmer,” Johnston said. “Last year he came out of nowhere and got second in the state in the breaststroke. He’s got a chance to win the 100 breast at the KVACs.”

Sophomore Alan Baez also has a chance to place well in the 100 fly and 100 backstroke.

“If we got third I’d be happy with that, after Morse and Camden,” Johnston said.

Best bets on the girls side are junior Margaret Reisert (200, 500 free) and freshman Olivia Jones (100 fly, backstroke).

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Winslow, like Waterville, doesn’t have enough swimmers to compete for a high finish in the Class B meet. But the Black Raiders do have talented individuals led by junior Harrison Clark and senior Logan Vashon.

“They’re the strength of our team,” Coach Setchell said. “I look for them to place a little higher than they did last year.”

Clark will compete in the 100 fly and 100 breaststroke while Vashon’s specialties are the 100 and 200 freestyle events.

Sierra Hopkins (100 fly, 100 breast), Bethany Winkin (200 IM) and Paige Smith (200 free, 100 back) lead the Winslow girls.

“Those three girls are starting to peak right now,” Setchell said. “They will determine how well we do.”

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638ghawkins@centralmaine.comTwitter: @GaryHawkinsKJ


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