FHSAA swimming: Northeast Florida high school district previews, Class 1A-2A
High school swimming district meets
District 2-2A
At Cecil Field (swimming), Bolles (diving)
Time: 2 p.m. Oct. 24 (diving finals), 2 p.m. Oct. 26 (swimming finals)
Teams: Bishop Kenny, Fernandina Beach, Paxon, Raines, Riverside, Stanton, West Nassau, Westside, White, Yulee.
Outlook: This should be among Jacksonville's most exciting districts. Class 2A state boys champion in 2021, Bishop Kenny is back. Zach Jones, Evan Larson, Maria Candelora, and Rachel Howard are among a multitude of top returners for a Crusaders team that should excel again. But the other storylines to watch are many. Florida State-committed Mehdi Elaoufir of Gateway Conference champion Stanton might be the strongest overall swimmer in the boys field, while Gabriella Marim and Audrey Sturm lead a deep Blue Devils girls team; Hampton Walker, Neriah Giedrys and Cora Foxwell-Jones are gaining ground fast on a Fernandina Beach team that looks like the school's best for many years; Cameron Watson and Brinkley Watson carry on Paxon's long tradition in the pool; and versatile Brody Singley leads the charge for West Nassau.
District 3-2A
At Northside Pool, Gainesville
Time: 10 a.m. Oct. 27
Teams: Baker County, Beachside, Clay, Gainesville Eastside, Menendez, North Marion, Palatka, Alachua Santa Fe, Suwannee, Tocoi Creek, Ocala Vanguard
Outlook: There's a bit of the old and the new in this district, with traditional powers like Clay as well as St. Johns County's newest programs. Kylie Elrod and diver Logan Siebold are among the swimmers carrying on a Blue Devils legacy built by the likes of Caeleb Dressel. But Tocoi Creek and Beachside have both shown they can make a splash, with the second-year Toros paced by Dylan Matthews, Alexander Kim and Brianna O'Neill, and the Barracudas getting solid performances from swimmers including Peter Manelis and Haylee Hite. Also on the list of swimmers to watch will be Menendez's Ryan McAnallen and Palatka's Mikade Harvey.
District 2-1A
At Episcopal (swimming), Bolles (diving)
Time: 2 p.m. Oct. 24 (diving finals), 10 a.m. Oct. 25 (swimming finals)
Teams: Baldwin, Bishop Snyder, Bolles, Episcopal, Florida Deaf, Hilliard, Jackson, Providence, St. Johns Country Day, St. Joseph, Wolfson
Outlook: Not much suspense in this district in the big picture: Bolles has swept the boys and girls state titles for 31 consecutive years, and with Will Heck, Carter Lancaster and Kate Meyers-Labenz among the stars on this year's edition, they should cruise through the district. But they're far from the only team with quality swimmers. Look for Wolfson's Nic Parnell, a double champion at the Gateway Conference meet, and Episcopal's Savannah Branon and Aubrey Finn to swim near the front of the pack.
Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school swimming: 2022 Jacksonville district meet previews, Bolles
