Dave Ponte, Bishop Stang
		In 12 years at Bishop Stang, this was coach Dave Ponte's most successful season. His team produced a regular-season record of 12-1, won the South sectional championships with 195 points, and placed second at the Division 2 state meet. ``We have a great bunch of girls who truly care about one another,'' Ponte said. ``I am lucky to have such a group of hard-working, unselfish athletes.'' A 1986 graduate of New Bedford High School who attended Southern Connecticut State University, Ponte was a swimmer himself, both at the scholastic and collegiate levels. His career record at Bishop Stang is 76-63.

Caitlin Doherty, Andover  DIVISION 1
		Doherty is, hands down, one of the most versatile swimmers on the high school scene. As a freshman, she won a state championship in the 100 butterfly. She repeated that performance and added a 500-meter freestyle title as a sophomore. At this fall's state meet, she earned her third butterfly gold in 57.75 seconds, a 200 individual medley title in 2:06.36, and relay victories in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle. Doherty qualified for the state meet in every event this season and is already a three-time Globe All-Scholastic. She plans to swim in college and spends her offseason training with the Magnus Aquatic Group. She is an honor roll student and sings in a church choir.

Kara Ernst, Seekonk  DIVISION 2
		After taking second in the 100 breaststroke and third in the 200 individual medley at the 2003 all-state championship, this senior cocaptain stepped up and earned victories in both events at this fall's Division 2 state championship. Ernst broke the South sectional 100 breaststroke record at the qualifiers, swimming a 1:06, and holds school records in that event, the 200 IM, the 500 free, and all three relays. She has earned All-American consideration in the 100 breast and 200 IM, is a member of the Seacoast Swimming Association, and plans to swim at Rutgers next fall. Ernst is a high honor roll student and enjoys art and music.

Erika Fernandes, Bishop Stang  50 FREESTYLE
		With three state titles already under her belt and another three years left in high school, who knows how big this freshman's trophy collection will grow. This fall, she won Division 2 state titles in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events, in 24.53 and 54.86 seconds, respectively. Fernandes added a relay victory in the 200 medley, anchored a runner-up 200 freestyle relay, and was the top scorer for the Spartans, who placed second overall. She also led Stang to conference and South sectional team titles. Fernandes swims year-round with Southcoast Aquatics, takes all honors classes, and enjoys music and spending time with friends.

Monica Hubbard, Haverhill  DIVING
		In four years of dual meets, Hubbard finished someplace other than first only three times. This fall, in her senior campaign, she went 9-0 in the regular season and capped her career with North sectional and Division 1 state titles. With a score of 435.60 points at the state meet, Hubbard outscored her nearest opponent by almost 50 points and rebroke her own 11-dive school record. She also holds the school record for 6 dives, was the Merrimack Valley Conference champion, and is a repeat league all-star. A high honor student, she enjoys listening to music, spending time with friends, and being outdoors.

Katelyn Martin, Chelmsford  500 FREE
		Just a freshman, Martin made a splash at the Division 1 state championships when she won the 500 freestyle in 5 minutes 5.60 seconds and took second in the 200 freestyle in 1:56.56. She also anchored Chelmsford's third-place 200 medley relay and silver medal 400 freestyle relay teams at the meet, after qualifying to compete in all but one event. She swam the 1,650-meter freestyle at last summer's Super Speedo Championships, placing in the top 25, and has qualified for the US Sectionals in the 200-, 500-, 1,000-, and 1,650-meter freestyle events. Martin swims year-round with the Magnus Aquatic Group.

Laura Moriarty, Methuen  100 BREASTSTROKE
		Moriarty is just a freshman, but already she has her sights set on swimming at a Division 1 college. Given the way she kicked off her high school career this fall, she's certainly on the right track. Besides breaking eight school records, Moriarty won a Division 1 state title in the 100-meter breaststroke in 1 minute 7.82 seconds and took second in the 100 butterfly (59.24). She was named the Division 2 high school MVP of the Year and trains year-round with the New England Barracudas. Moriarty takes a full schedule of honors classes and enjoys spending time with her friends and family.

Alicia Negrotti, Central Catholic  100 BUTTERFLY
		With first-place performances in two individual events and two relays, Negrotti led Central Catholic to its first Division 2 state title. She won the 200-meter freestyle in 1 minute 57.08 seconds and struck gold again in the 100 butterfly with a time of 59.37. She also anchored the Red Raiders' victorious 200 and 400 freestyle relays. A three-time All-Conference swimmer and repeat team MVP, Negrotti owns school records in five individual events and all three relays. She is a high honor roll student who hopes to swim for a Division 1 college, and spends the offseason with the New England Barracudas swim program.

Katie Omstead, Acton-Boxboro  50 FREESTYLE
		Omstead won her first state championship this fall, capturing the Division 1 50-meter freestyle crown in 24.90 seconds. She also anchored A-B's state champion and All-Scholastic 200 freestyle relay, which clocked in at 1:39.6, placed second in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.16), and fourth in the 200 medley relay (1:54.68). She holds four school records and has twice earned All-American consideration as part of a relay team. Omstead plays varsity softball, where she is a shortstop and pitcher, and enjoys horseback riding. A junior, she is an honor roll student, is in the National Spanish Honor Society, and is a member of the Patriot Swim Club.

Danielle Parretti, Milford  DIVING
		After winning the South sectional diving competition with a school record 456.10 points (11 dives), this Milford junior captured the Division 2 state title with a 431.2 point performance. She also holds a school record for six dives (243.10 points) and was named a Southern Conference All-Star this season for the third year in a row after placing first at the league championships. Parretti has competed in diving at the Bay State Games, placed fourth in the Long Island Invitational, and practices with Boston Area Diving. She is an honor roll student and a standout gymnast and placed fifth in the 2003 Level Nine State Championships.

Candice Peak, Andover  100 BACKSTROKE
		Peak reached the summit of the state's backstroke ranks this fall, winning the 100-meter event at the Division 1 state championships in 58.86 seconds. She also anchored Andover's winning 200 medley relay and took silver in the 50 freestyle (25.02). She is a two-time All-American and a state record-holder in the 200 medley relay. At the North sectional meet, she won both the 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle titles. She was 27th in the prelimnaries in the 100 backstroke at the US Open Meet last week, competing against many college swimmers, and placed sixth in the 100 back at the 2004 Grand Prix Meet in Mission Viejo, Calif. She also competed at the 2003 and 2004 Junior Nationals.

Tiffany Petzold, Andover  100 FREESTYLE
		Like so many Andover swimmers before her, Petzold knows how to win at the state level, and she has started doing it early in her high school career. This fall, she won Division 1 state titles in the 100 freestyle (54.17 seconds) and the 400 free relay (3:37.97) and swam a leg of the runner-up 200 freestyle relay. As a freshman, she was a Globe All-Scholastic for her effort on the Golden Warriors' state champion 4x50 freestyle relay. This fall, Petzold made state cuts in every event, though she is primarily a freestyle and breaststroke competitor. She swims with the Magnus Aquatic Group in the offseason and is an honor roll student.

Casey Renner, Bishop Feehan  100 BACKSTROKE
		A senior captain, Renner led Bishop Feehan to third-place finishes at both the South sectional and Division 2 state championship meets. In her best event, the 100 backstroke, she won the sectional title in 1:00.73 and the state title in 1:01.11. At states, Renner added a bronze medal in the 200 freestyle and a silver in the 400 freestyle relay. At sectionals, she placed third in the 100 free and second in the 400 free relay. She is a four-time Sun Chronicle All-Star and academically, has received first honors in each of her four years. Renner enjoys dancing and is a member of the Magnus Aquatic Group.

Andover  4x200 medley
		No one's quite sure how she does it, but year after year, Andover coach Marilyn Fitzgerald produces some of the best relay teams in the state, no matter who graduated the spring before. This fall, the combination of captain Diana Harlow, Swimmer of the Year Caitlin Doherty, junior Candice Peak, and freshman Melissa Alois was just the 1-2-3-4 punch the Golden Warriors needed to defend their 200 medley relay All-Scholastic title and state crown. The quartet won the Division 1 meet in 1:52.62 and blew away the competition at the North sectionals with a 1:52.37. Also at states, Harlow placed fourth in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, and Alois took fourth in the 100 breaststroke. Harlow, the only senior on Andover's two All-Scholastic relays, will attend Denison University.

Acton-Boxboro  4x200 free
		Acton-Boxboro is one of the only teams capable of putting a real scare into Andover, and the Colonials do it year after year. This fall, as a precursor to breaking the North sectional record in the 200 freestyle relay, A-B swimmers swept the top three spots in the 50 freestyle at that meet, all but announcing their imminent victory in the 4x50 event. Junior Katie Omstead and seniors Cecelia Jenkins and Katie Niro swept the 50 free and teamed up with sophomore Justine Hughes in the relay to swim a 1:39.19. At the Division 1 state meet, the quartet notched another victory and Omstead again won the 50 free, in 24.90, with Jenkins and Niro both in the top seven. Hughes and Jenkins went 3-4 in the 100 free, and both swam on A-B's bronze medal 400 free relay. Niro and Omstead doubled-up on relays as well, both swimming legs of the Colonials' fourth-place medley relay.

Andover  4x100 free
		If there's one thing that Andover is never lacking, it's talent, and this 4x100 freestyle relay squad is a perfect example of the Golden Warriors' uncanny ability to add new talent to their ranks every fall. Case in point: freshmen Kristi Korsberg and Ellen Cody teamed up with sophomore Tiffany Petzold and junior Caitlin Doherty to win the 400 free relay at the Division 1 state championship in 3:37.97. The newcomers made their mark elsewhere at the state meet, as Korsberg took gold in the 200 free and Cody was runner-up in the 500 free and third in the 200 free. Petzgold and Doherty, both returning All-Scholastics, won three individual events between them. All four will return next season, and since they all train with the Magnus Aquatic Group, they'll have the entire offseason to plot the defense of their title in 2005.