Cony’s Emily Kennard competes in the girls’ 100-yard freestyle at the KVAC Class A championship meet last season in Bath. Cony is the defending conference champion. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

The 2024-25 high school swimming season is underway – and Bob Johnston likes what he sees.

Johnston’s Cony girls’ team returns the majority of the squad that captured a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A title last year. There’s also plenty of talent on the boys’ side, and with the arrival of a potent newcomer, the Rams’ sixth-year head coach has reason for optimism.

“I’m really excited for this year,” Johnston said. “We have a lot of top swimmers and a really great group of boys and girls coming back. We have 10 girls and six boys, and I think we only had four boys last year, so that gives us some more options.”

Returning for the Cony girls are seniors Lilliana Choate, Emily Kennard and Annabella Orth, as well as sophomore Emily Foster. All four competed on victorious relay teams at the KVAC Class A meet last season, and Orth was the runner-up in the 100- and 200-yard freestyles.

Reid DeJongh (second in 500 free and fourth in 200 free at KVACs), Matteo Hardy (third, 500 free) and Raiden Ramkissoon (third, 200 individual medley) all return for the Cony boys. That team will also be boosted by the arrival of freshman Eli Burnham.

“He can swim any event,” Johnston said of Burnham, whose older sister, Addison, was one of the top swimmers for the Cony girls last year. “He’s going to be a real good swimmer for us over the next three or four years. I think he’s going to be one of the top swimmers in Class A this year.”

Waterville/Winslow Coach Justin Giroux said he has a top newcomer in Belen Farnham. Giroux, who also coaches the Waterville/Winslow middle school teams, said Farnham won nearly every race for his girls’ program at that level.

“I’d say she’s an all-around standout; she’s done club for a long time, and she’s going to be a very strong swimmer for us,” Giroux said. “She’s probably going to be doing a lot of fly and IM for us, but she can do it all. She was always out in front in the junior high races.”

Cormac Wilcox returns for the Waterville boys after finishing fourth in the 50 and 100 freestyles at last year’s KVAC Class B championships. The Purple Panthers also bring back junior Aaron Theriault, who took third in the 500 freestyle and fourth in the 200 IM.

Just as beneficial as any individual swimmer, though, is Waterville/Winslow’s overall depth. The Purple Panthers return 24 swimmers – 14 boys and 10 girls – which will provide Giroux’s team with ample opportunities to score points.

“We’ve been fortunate to have some good numbers the last couple years, really,” Giroux said. “You always wonder what’s going to happen whenever you graduate a great class of seniors, but we always seem to have these new faces come and fill in. It’s worked out really well.”

Messalonskee has some strong numbers, too. Beth Prelgovisk’s squad boasts nine boys and 14 girls, with many key swimmers returning from last season.

Of the returning swimmers, Pierce Coughlin claimed top-five performances in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM at KVACs last season for the boys. Cailyn Henning (second, 50 free; fourth, 100 free), Audrey Mihm (fifth, 50 and 100 frees) and Emma McDowell (fourth, 200 IM) return for the girls.

Messalonskee’s Cailyn Henning swims the backstroke during practice last season. Henning had two top-four finishes at least year’s KVAC championships. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

“I am absolutely thrilled (with the team we have),” Prelgovisk said. “Having Emma, Cailyn and Audrey back is really great for our girls’ team. Pierce, he’s maybe in the news more for his running, but he’s a very good swimmer, too.”

This year, Messalonskee is leading a co-op team that also includes Lawrence, Nokomis and Skowhegan. That means swimmers such as Joseph Branaugh, younger brother of former Nokomis standout James Branaugh, will now score points for the Eagles.

“He’s like a little mini-me of James,” Prelgovisk said of Joseph Branaugh. “He’s a very fast swimmer, and he’s extremely versatile in all four strokes. We’re really excited for him; he’s going to be a fantastic swimmer for us.”

The Gardiner/Hall-Dale girls return a top swimmer in Addison Pollis, who placed second in the 50 free and third in the 100 back at KVACs and fifth in the 50 free and sixth in the 100 free at states. Georgiana McCamish, Caylyn Pekins, Jenna Tremblay and Jessie Willey should also score well for the Tigers.

Like some of its counterparts, Gardiner/Hall-Dale will get a boost from some incoming freshmen in addition to the expected contributions from its veterans. Coach Rob Pekins expects big things from Robin Asch and Gudrun Ziemer.

“I’d say I probably have about seven girls that are going to be heavy hitters this year,” Pekins said. “I’m looking forward to watching them get better throughout the year. We have great depth because of our numbers, and they can all swim and are putting in the work.”

As for the Gardiner/Hall-Dale boys, Owen Munzing returns after competing in the Class B championships a year ago. The Tigers also bring back Ben Dillingham and Jackson Gray, who enjoyed successful seasons as first-year swimmers in 2023-24.

Elsewhere in the KVAC, Annabelle Fortier, Hannah Polley and Victoria Rancourt are among seven returning swimmers for the Erskine girls. Sawyer Livingstone is one of two returnees for the Erskine boys.