Fossil Ridge and Evergreen stand out on first day of girls swim championships

FORT COLLINS — The Fossil Ridge girls swim team boasts a trio of same name competitors that can rival anyone’s.

Bailey Nero and Bailey Kovac, defending state champions individually and winners of three combined events in prelims of the Class 5A girls swimming state championships on Friday, are an outstanding senior, sophomore tandem.

Add in Bayley Stewert, another Sabercat who earned her way to championship finals in two events, the trio comprise a core hoping to claim the school’s second 5A crown. They won it all in 2012.

“It’s ironic definitely that we have three Bailey’s and it’s kind of funny that we’re all in different strokes too,” Bailey Nero, an Auburn University recruit, said with a laugh. “It’s really fun on the medley relay, because we’re basically cheering for ourselves. I really do enjoy those girls on my team.

“Everyone is always saying Bailey, Bailey, and it’s really hard to figure out who they are talking to. We made nicknames. Bailey Kovac is ‘BK’, Bayley Stewert is ‘B. Stewart’, and I’m ‘B. Nero.’ It makes it more fun knowing that we’re all named Bailey and that we’re all giving a lot to the team.”

Giving a lot to the team as in providing the necessary firepower needed to make a run at the crown.

Fossil Ridge is undefeated in its last four years of dual meets. The Sabercats have won five-straight Front Range league titles. They’ve claimed several individual state titles.

By all accounts, the Fort Collins-based school has been a dominant force in the sport, but the ultimate achievement has eluded them the past two seasons as Regis Jesuit won the title.

One of the two powers will likely bring home the hardware on Saturday after a Friday prelims that saw the teams combine to earn the number one seeds in six of 11 events. Both squads also qualified individuals in bunches for either the championship finals, boasting the top-8 girls in each prelim, or the consolation finals featuring the nine through 16 finishers.

Fossil Ridge, who nipped Cherry Creek 244-243 in 2012, knows titles can be won by the slimmest of margins.

“Every point counts,” Nero said. “It’s really awesome that tonight we got some sneak-ins. We got some girls in 8th and 16th. They were right on the edge, but we got them in.”

“We need to be as good as we were today, if not better,” Fossil Ridge coach Tasha Marchant added. “We still have diving and we need to be strong in that. As a team we just need to stay united and stay supportive of each other and that’ll hopefully get us where we want to be.”
Fossil Ridge placed third in 2014 and second in 2013.

In prelims of Class 4A, the Evergreen Cougars set the tone for what could be their second consecutive state championship.

With five Division I signees in the senior class and four all-state returners, Evergreen placed second in the 200-yard medley relay, Lindsay Morrow and Anna McDonald placed first and second in the 200 IM, Katelyn Kenchel placed second in the 200 free and third in the 100 free, and Kate McDonald placed first in the 500 free.

Morrow and Kara Coughlin placed first and second in the 100 back and the Cougars earned the one seed in the 400 free relay, as well.

Evergreen is poised for another run at the title on Saturday, but Valor Christian also excelled in prelims as the Eagles earned the one seed in the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay.

Individually, Valor’s Brooke Stenstrom and Thompson Valley’s Eryn Eddy could both earn multiple crowns. Eddy nearly broke her own 200 free classification record in prelims.