As the high school girls swimming and diving season gets under way, area teams look to build on recent success. The IHSAA state championship meet is February 13-14, 2009.

Carmel: Carmel seems poised for a run at a 23rd consecutive state title with nine swimmers who placed in the top eight in last year's state meet. The Greyhounds topped second-place Hamilton Southeastern by more than 50 points.

None of Carmel's swimmers were alive when the streak began in 1986, but one more season of excellence will earn the Greyhounds a spot in the national record books. Last season, they tied Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou for the most consecutive state championships by a girls high school sports team. Punahou won 22 straight girls swimming titles from 1974-1995.

Center Grove: Center Grove coach Jim Todd enters his 20th season without Michelle McKeehan, an eight-time state champion now swimming at the University of Georgia.

As usual, the Trojans still will have one of the best teams in the state. Sophomore Ali Day, who finished third in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke, returns. Fellow sophomore Taylor Davis was sixth in the 500 freestyle. There are a couple of promising freshmen in Kristen Nunnelly (500 freestyle) and Emma Schoettmer (breaststroke events).

Hamilton Southeastern: The Royals lost 12 athletes from a team that finished second in the state and ended the season ranked fourth in the nation. Junior Carly Mercer is the defending state champion in the 100 freestyle and swam on the state record-setting 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. Mercer and juniors Paige Copeland, Aubrey Hertzler and Katrina Kain were first-team All-Americans.

Noblesville: The Millers return five of the six athletes who scored in last year's state meet, led by junior diver Meghan Potee, who finished eighth. Seniors Nora Brolsma and Mackenzie Imbro, junior Audrey Welklin and sophomore Marley Cripe also return.

North Central: Charlie Fry's teams are always competitive with the state's best and this year should be no different, although North Central will rely heavily on underclassmen. The Panthers took fifth in last year's state meet. "We've had a lot of success in the past with freshmen and we should have good depth this year, maybe more than we've had in the past," Fry said.

Megan Detro: The Ohio State recruit placed in four events in last season's state meet for Carmel, including the 200-yard freestyle relay (first); 50 free (second); 400 free relay (second); 100 free (fourth).

Jessie Hammes: The Stanford-bound swimmer placed in three events in the state meet last season, including second place in the 100-yard backstroke. In the summer, Hammes and junior Trish Regan participated in the preliminaries of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb.

Lauren Massey: Massey, a North Central senior and Ohio State recruit, was a difference-maker last year at the state meet, taking fifth in the 50-yard freestyle, sixth in the 100 freestyle and helped the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay teams to fifth-place finishes. Fry said Massey has been named a team captain and will lead a strong group that includes seniors Jessica Breymier (Akron), Brittany Kent (Eastern Illinois), Jennifer Massey (Ball State), Jennifer Miles and diver Ellis Walters (Utah).

Carly Mercer: The Hamilton Southeastern junior helped the Royals to a state runner-up finish last year by winning the 100 freestyle and swimming on the record-setting 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. She'll look to step out of the shadow of former teammate Lindsay Rogers, who graduated.

Meghan Potee: Diving is a second sport for the Noblesville junior, but her performances are first-rate. The All-State golfer won sectional and regional diving titles last winter and finished eighth at state. Her background as an elite-level gymnast and power tumbler gives her a big boost off the board.