AURORA – With the finalized state qualifiers and psych sheets for the 2024 girls swimming and diving state championships set to be released Tuesday morning, there could be eight individual champions across the three classifications returning from last year’s championships. Combined, they won a total of 11 different events in 2023.
Of the eight returning individual champions, three would be looking to repeat as state champions in multiple events.
In 3A, Evergreen’s Finley Anderson (100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly), Glenwood Springs’ Amelie Ogilby (500-yard freestyle) and St. Mary’s Academy’s Caitlyn Crysel (100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard individual medley) could return to defend their state titles from last year.
In 4A, Pine Creek’s Madison Mintenko (500-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle), Highlands Ranch’s Renee Burton (50-yard freestyle) and Longmont’s Jordan Bindseil (100-yard freestyle) may try to win consecutive titles in their events.
Finally, in 5A, Cherry Creek’s Charlotte Wilson (100-yard backstroke) and Regis Jesuit’s Charlotte Burnham (100-yard breaststroke) may have the chance to win consecutive championships.
There are also 17 swimmers returning that were members of championship-winning relay teams last season. Among those 17, St. Mary’s Academy and Pine Creek both returned the entirety of their 400-yard freestyle relay championship teams this season, while Evergreen and Monarch each have three members of their 200-yard relay championship teams that have competed this year.
Along with the returning champions, there are also 13 swimmers that have managed to hit the qualifying mark in all eight event this season. Although a remarkable feat, each swimmer can only compete in a maximum of two individual events and two relay events at the state championships. When the psych sheets are released on Tuesday, we’ll learn which events these returning champions and versatile athletes will elect to compete in.
Of the 13 swimmers have managed to qualify for all eight events this season, seven come from 3A, one in 4A, and five from 5A (as of Feb. 1). Those five eight-time qualifiers from 5A include Ella Drakulich, who recently became the first Cherokee Trail swimmer to become an eight-time qualifier in nearly two decades, and has a chance to become Cherokee Trail’s first-ever individual champion since its move to 5A.
“It would be an amazing experience,” Drakulich said of having this opportunity to be a trailblazer for Cherokee Trail’s program. “Cherokee Trail girls swimming is so talented, and the girls and coaches work so hard. There are also a lot of really good swimmers and teams in Colorado which makes the 5A State Championship super competitive. I can’t wait to compete at state.”
With so much at stake, this year’s CHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving State Championships should be an incredible event.
You can come see for yourself who captures a state championship by attending the state meet, Feb. 6-10 at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton.