Nevada high school swimming, track, boys golf postseason preview

Bishop Gorman boys golf coach Dusty Allen knows there are no guarantees in the postseason. Anything can happen in crunch time.

Nevertheless, Allen’s young squad is hungry and has progressed immensely this season. The Gaels feel they might just reclaim the 5A title Coronado took from them by one stroke in last year’s state match.

Regional action takes place Tuesday at Boulder Creek and Wednesday at Boulder City Municipal.

“We’ve got to focus on reducing mistakes more than making birdies,” said Allen, whose team enters as the Mountain League’s top seed. “Emphasis on proper strategy is where we’ll put most of our attention.”

Gorman’s advantage is depth. All six golfers are capable of stepping up, even though four are underclassmen.

“You’ve got to have enough players play well to advance,” Allen said. “Any one of our six players could be one of the four who scores. We’ve had five different players be our low man this year, and a lot of other teams are likely to be leaning on just four guys.”

Gaels Colby Hutton and Cameron Combado are the top-ranked individual golfers in the Mountain League. They lead a loaded squad, but second-ranked Faith Lutheran and third-ranked Desert Oasis are also strong.

Things will become more unpredictable when Coronado and Shadow Ridge from the Desert League get thrown in the mix. Shadow Ridge’s Bridger Johnson and Coronado’s Anderson Lee and Eli Marshall are strong contenders for the individual title.

“It’s going to be a battle,” Allen said. “That state championship is a prize everyone wants.”

There is no 4A regional tournament, but 3A action will take place Tuesday and Wednesday at Boulder Creek and Boulder City Municipal.

Top-ranked Desert League individual Cooper Harris will lead No. 1 Virgin Valley, while Coral Academy’s Grady Grant enters as the top individual from the Mountain League. Boulder City is the No. 1 seed in the Mountain League.

Boys swimming

Ten-time defending state champion Palo Verde looks strong heading into the regional meet Wednesday at Heritage Park Aquatic Complex.

“Our boys are in pretty good shape,” said Panthers coach Brent Gonzalez, who noted he views Coronado as a threat. “It could come down to those relays, where we’re maybe not as strong as in the past, but not weak either.”

Bishop Gorman and Faith Lutheran also should be competitive this season.

Four-time individual state champion Max Carlsen will lead the Panthers in the 200-yard freestyle and the 500 free, while Owen Robertson (backstroke, butterfly) and Aiden Longworth (freestyle, backstroke) will also play key roles at the regional meet.

In 4A, Sierra Vista will attempt to defend its 2024 state championship. Boulder City is the team to beat in 3A.

Girls swimming

Three-time defending state champion Coronado can be confident again this year. Addie Holmes (individual medley, breaststroke), Sophia Pinter (freestyle, backstroke), Ana Schulz (backstroke, freestyle), Grace Carrington (freestyle, breaststroke) and Alice Ciobanu (freestyle) have a chance to win their events.

The team’s relays could also play a decisive role.

Palo Verde will likely be the Cougars’ top challenger, though Arbor View and Liberty are in the hunt as well. Faith Lutheran is another team that could grab points.

In 4A, all eyes will be on Doral Academy, which ran away with last year’s state championship. Boulder City is a perennial favorite in 3A.

Boys track

Shadow Ridge, Liberty and Faith Lutheran will be among the top teams vying for berths in the 5A state tournament when they take the track Thursday through Saturday at Legacy and Durango.

The Mustangs, who won the state title last year in their first season in 5A, will be buoyed by the state’s top 4x800 relay team.

Desert Oasis ran away with last year’s 4A team title and will be led this season by distance runner Kenan Dagge.

Girls track

Centennial has won 11 of the past 12 state championships in 5A and will again enter as the team to beat at the regional meet, which takes place Thursday through Saturday at Legacy and Durango.

Individual favorites include Legacy’s Amaya Stepp (200 meters, 400 meters, 4x400 relay) and Palo Verde’s Berklie Ahlander (hurdles).

In 4A, Arbor View dominated last year and will look to repeat as state champions.

Jeff Wollard can be reached at [email protected].