Skyline swimmers stroke way to sweep

PROVO — Maybe Skyline's performance at the 2007 5A swim meet didn't have the showtime glitz or glamour that has defined some of the Eagles' previous title-winning teams.

When it comes to prep swimming, Skyline remains, well, Skyline.

Solid though unspectacular throughout the 5A meet, which concluded Saturday afternoon, Skyline's workmanlike effort — on both the boys and girls sides — yielded two more championship trophies to sit alongside the Eagles' swelling collection.

Skyline's girls team posted a 429 to 326 point win over Brighton, and the boys team beat West Jordan, 396-250. It was the sixth-straight title for the girls team and seventh-straight title for the boys team.

"I think — overall — the whole meet was off and on," said Skyline senior Nate Swallow, winner in the 200-yard IM and 500 free. "Some people did amazingly well. Blake Hill (fourth in the 200 IM and second in the 100 free) had an amazing meet. And some people had one good event, one bad event. Some people didn't have good events either way.

"Overall, I think most people are happy with it, and we were still able to win the state championship. So we did what we needed to do."

Far and away, the Eagles maintain the deepest boys and girls teams in the state. That was the key to their wins.

Swallow posted Skyline's lone individual win on the boys side Saturday, which came in the 500 free.

The senior, alongside Mason Childs, Josh Tanner and anchor Tom Ekstrom, also notched a win in the 400 free relay. The Eagles came excruciatingly close to breaking the state record in the event, finishing just .02 seconds off the mark.

"We were challenging (for the record) the whole time," said Skyline coach Joe Pereira.

Individually, West Jordan junior Jordan Fletcher (100 fly and 100 back) won twice, leading his squad to second place. The Jaguars, with Fletcher leading off, also won the 200 free relay.

Davis freshman Chad Sorensen set a 5A record in the 100 breast, and Kearns junior Adam Huff won the 100 free.

Meanwhile, Skyline's glitziest moment on the girls side came from senior Sara Nicponski. The UC Santa Barbara-signee knocked almost two full seconds off her previous state record in the 100 breast, setting a new mark at 1:02.10.