2 weeks Ago
St. Joseph's Lyla Roper speeds down the lane in the 200 freestyle at the Capital City Swim League championships on Saturday, November 2, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON Catholic’s Blake Talbert celebrates with teammate Miles Babin following the 100 yard backstroke at the Capital City Swim League championships on Saturday, November 2, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Could it be titles for two once again for St. Joseph’s Academy and Catholic High in Division I at the LHSAA State Swim Meet? It is the obvious goal. Both first-year head coaches stress process, not past history as competition with familiar New Orleans foes looms.
St. Joseph’s seeks its 14th Division I girls title in a row. In 2023, the Redstickers edged Dominican by a single point, 418 to 417.
Catholic seeks its second boys title in a row, third in five years and ninth overall. The Bears outscored Jesuit 426-316 a year ago The two-day starts at 9 a.m.
Friday with Division II preliminaries at Sulphur's SPAR Aquatic Center. Division I prelims begin at 4 p.m.
Saturday’s finals follow the same schedule. "We have all the individual spots filled in the meet, but those are just opportunities,” SJA coach Jimmy Roberts said. “We’ll see if we take advantage of those opportunities.
“The way this is scored, it’s not only important to see who makes it back for Saturday, but also to see who gets in that top eight. That will be the key tomorrow. Can we perform in prelims and put ourselves in position to win.
” Catholic’s Sion Cavana, a former Bear standout, knows the ins and outs of the meet and challenges Jesuit brings. “I feel really good going in,” Cavana said. “They boys are in a good place mentally going into the meet, which means more than anything.
"I think we’re definitely the team the beat, but we have to go in there and take care of business. Catholic and Jesuit is a dual meet within the championship. The psych sheet may say that they (Jesuit) are outside looking in.
Psych sheets don’t win meets ...
swimmers do.” Both teams rely heavily on depth. SJA did not have an individual championship in 2023.
Senior Lyla Roper, a key component of the last three years, has the top entry mark in the 100 backstroke of 58.16 seconds, just ahead of Dominican’s Kendall Jollands, the meet’s top performer in 2023. Catholic’s Noah Vargas has the top entry mark in the 100 breaststroke.
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