20-5A meet coming up

The District 20-5A Swimming and Diving Championships, coming up Thursday and Friday at the Lamar Natatorium, are equal-parts exciting and predictable.

On one hand, no one figures to challenge Lamar's girls, who have owned the league for more than two decades.

"Lamar's girls will win — no question about it," said Bellaire head coach Kris Wingenroth. "The real competition is for second place between us and Westside."

But try to pick a boys' winner. Good luck with that.

Bellaire's boys are the two-time defending league champs, but the Cardinals could find themselves locked into a three-way battle with Lamar and Westside.

"If you take out the points from last year's seniors, Westside is the favorite," said Lamar head coach S.R. "Mac" McDonald.

However, McDonald's Redskins swept dual meets from both Bellaire and Westside earlier in the season. Could Lamar be the team to beat?.

ABOUT THE EVENT

• Matchup: District 20-5A Swimming and Diving Championships

• When: 6 p.m., Thursday, diving finals; 4 p.m., Friday, swimming finals.

• Where: Lamar Natatorium

• What's at stake: The top six individual finishers and relays at district qualify for the Class 5A-Region 5 Swimming and Diving Championships the following week, Feb. 4-5, at the University of Houston Wellness Center.

• Girls' athletes to watch: Danielle Brown, Lamar (100 and 200 freestyle); Amber Carter, Lamar (50 free, 100 butterfly); Angela Chang, Lamar (100 butterfly, 100 backstroke); Rachael Chin, Lamar (diving); Catalina Endo, Westside (200 individual medley, 500 free); Thea Hesson, Lamar (100 back, 200 IM); Tessa Holmes, Lamar (200 IM, 500 free); Bridget Ritter, Bellaire (200 IM, 100 breast); Kaleigh Ritter, Bellaire (200 and 500 free); Carmen Lindmoen, Westside (100 fly, 100 breast).

• Boys' athletes to watch: Niru Anya (100 Dexter Brown, DeBakey High School for Health Professions (100 breast, 100 free); Carter Craft, Bellaire (diving); Dominic Gillan, Westside (100 back, 100 free); Stephen Gowdy, Westside (100 and 200 free); Henry Knight, Bellaire (50 and 100 free); Jack Lyons, Lamar (50 free, 100 breast); Antoine Marc, Westside (200 and 500 free); Bac Nguyen, Bellaire (200 IM, 100 fly); Thomas Norman, Lamar (200 IM, 100 back); David Owens, Lamar (100 back, 100 fly); Sam Polisini, Bellaire (200 IM, 100 breast); Jake Ritter (200 and 500 free); Elliot Rohan, Lamar (50 and 100 free ).