COACH: Chauntelle Johnson

NUMBER OF ATHLETES: 67, 42 returning

LAST SEASON: The Islanders won their third straight 3A state title, also winning the KingCo and SeaKing titles along the way.

STRENGTHS: “The depth we have, we haven’t had in a while,” said head coach Chauntelle Johnson. “We’ve had depth the last couple of years, but this is above and beyond that.”

“We have a really big team this year,” said senior captain Maddie Larkin. “We have a lot of new girls and a bunch returning, so there is a lot of depth.”

“I think we [the divers] all have a good chance of going to state,” said senior captain Meg Lindsay, one of five divers on the team. “We haven’t had more than two go to state for as long as I’ve been here.”

FOCUS: “We’ve spent a lot of this week talking about practice habits and respecting teammates in practice, which means working hard and continuing to push yourselves and move forward,” said Johnson.

“I think for these girls anything less than another state title would be a letdown,” said Johnson. “But in these first five days, they are already putting in the word to make it happen.”

CAPTAINS: Seniors Meg Lindsay, Grace Wold, Danielle Deiparine, Maddie Larkin, Kira Godfred, Christina Williamson.

MEET TO WATCH: “We’re taking a trip to Arizona for an invitational,” said Johnson. “It’s our third meet and I’m taking 28 girls. I’m very excited for that. They will be able to get away and to compete against girls they don’t know and don’t have any reference for. Then there are the usual suspects. Skyline is always a fun meet for the girls.”

“There are always the big meets against Bainbridge, Bellevue and Newport,” said Deiparine.

“But every meet is important,” said Wold.

 

Contact Mercer Island Reporter Reporter Megan Managan at mmanagan@mi-reporter.com or (206) 232-1215 ext. 5054.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.