The Messalonskee High School girls swimming team won all nine of its meets this season, many in convincing fashion.

The Eagles are also healthy and peaking at the perfect time, coach Tom Sheridan said.

“This is our most experienced and deepest team we’ve ever had,” Sheridan said.

On Saturday morning at the Bath YMCA, the Eagles will try to make history by winning their first Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A swimming and diving championship. The meet gets under way at 9:30 a.m.

The KVAC B meet is today at 4:30, also at the Bath YMCA. The Belfast boys and Lincoln girls enter as favorites to win titles.

“We’re really looking forward to the KVACs,” Sheridan said. “We’ve never won it. We’ve come in second the last three years. We think we have a good shot at it this year.”

The Eagles are seeded first in all three relays and are loaded across the board.

The top five swimmers — Lindsey Prelgovisk, Sammy Mathieu, Amanda Joy, Kristy Prelgovisk and Sam Briggs — are poised to score plenty of points Saturday.

“Our expectations are pretty high,” said Joy, who is seeded first in the 500 freestyle and third in the 200 individual medley. “We want to see what we can do.

Lindsey Prelgovisk is seeded first in the 200 freestyle and 400 backstroke. Mathieu is second in the 200 IM and third in the 100 free. Briggs (500, 50) and Kristy Prelgovisk (100 butterfly, 100 backstroke) also come in as a top-three seed in their individual events.

“We’re very excited,” Lindsey Prelgovisk said. “We have a good chance at winning but we are nervous, too. You never know what can happen. We’re all keeping our fingers crossed. We don’t want to be over-confident. When you are over-confident, bad things can happen.”

Added Cony coach Jon Millett: “It’s theirs to win. Messalonskee is just too deep. We can give them some races, though.”

Cony senior Victoria Weber should challenge Lindsey Prelgovisk in the 200 free. Weber is seeded second in that event. She is also second in the 100 free, which could also be a tight race. Celia Ouellette is seeded first while Mathieu is third. All three are separated by hundredths of seconds.

“There should be some great races,” Sheridan said. “We’re coming in with the attitude that we have something to prove. We hope to get this done.”

Messalonskee junior Arthur Conover should also score well. He’s seeded first in the 200 free and 500 free.

Mitchell Cooper, of Lawrence, is seeded second in the 50 free and third in the 100. Cony’s Adam McNeff is third in the 500 free as well.

“I’m hoping I might get a first in the 50,” Cooper said. “It may be a stretch but that’s what I’m hoping for. I’m very excited to be swimming people who are up there in times.”

“Arthur owns just about every school record but the 50,” Sheridan said. “We’re excited about his chances.”

At the KVAC B meet, the Belfast boys are seeded first in nine of the 12 events. The Lincoln girls are seeded first in eight events.

However, Waterville should score well.

Sam Zarfos is seeded first in the 500 free and second in the 200 IM. Will Hoffman is second in the 100 backstroke and Adrian Rivas is second in the 100 breaststroke. Ben Wehry should also score well in the 200 free and the 100 free.

Winslow’s Griffin Davis is second in the 100 butterfly while teammate Gabe Smith is third in the 100 breaststroke.

Sarah Ringer and Brianna Bernier lead the Waterville girls. Bernier is second in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. Ringer is third in the 100 free and 100 breaststroke.

Bill Stewart — 621-5640

bstewart@centralmaine.com

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