Local high school swimming will have a new look this season.
For 70 years, private and public schools swam under the banner of the Maryland Scholastic Association.
But the MSA has been dissolved, and now the private schools -- Calvert Hall, Loyola, Mount St. Joseph, Gilman, McDonogh, Archbishop Spalding and Severn -- are competing in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association.
The dozen city public schools that offer competitive swimming, including City, Poly and Western, which have been the most successful, will have a dual-meet slate and a season-ending championship meet Feb. 10 at Poly. The schools are now in the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association's District 9.
All the teams will be co-ed, with girls swimming against boys. Schools will have both varsity and junior varsity teams.
"This is a pilot co-ed program in an attempt to save swimming," said Poly athletic director Mark Schlenoff. "Programs have folded in the past because there weren't enough kids, boys or girls. By having them together, a team is more likely to remain intact through the end of the season."
Kim Williams, whose Lake Clifton team finished third behind Patterson and Southern in the MSA C Conference last season, regards City, Poly, Patterson and Western as the chief contenders.
"Even though it will be all-girls Western against teams with a lot of boys, I still think they're one of the teams to beat," Williams said. "Some of their girls also swim for a club team in the city."
The main rivalry still will be Calvert Hall-Loyola. The Cardinals and Dons dominated the MSA for 30 years; the last school other than Calvert Hall or Loyola to win the MSA title was Mount St. Joseph in 1964.
Calvert Hall ruled the last four years, capturing six of eight dual meets against Loyola and four MSA titles. Their only dual meet will be Jan. 30 at Loyola, with the MIAA championships Feb. 11 at Calvert Hall.
"We're one of the top two, but the probable favorite is Loyola," said Calvert Hall coach Reds Hucht.
"I don't know if they have depth, but I'm sure they have more than we do. I've had JVs that could beat my present varsity. We don't have the horses."
His main horses are T.J. Apicella, John Braxton, Greg Hillis and Brian Norris.
Loyola coach Murray Stephens' top swimmers are B.J. Brannan, David McDonnell, Jason Knauff, Sky King, Matt Andrews, Ryan Brannan and freshmen Joe Curreri, Omar Fraser, John Lurz and Scott Shimkaveg.
"One of the toughest competitions will be diving," Stephens said, noting that Calvert Hall's Jon Repetti edged Loyola's Jeff Harrison for the MSA title last season.
It irks Hucht that an MIAA rule states that if a team doesn't have a diving facility or divers, the event isn't scored. Divers will be considered to be giving exhibitions, unable to contribute points.
"That'll kill diving," Hucht said. "St. Joe, Loyola and us may be the only ones with divers. How are you going to interest a kid like Repetti in getting ready for just two meets?"
As usual, Gilman, Mount St. Joe and McDonogh will be the chief challengers to Calvert Hall and Loyola. Gilman and Mount St. Joe finished three-four in last season's MSA A Conference championships and McDonogh won the B Conference.
"We'll be solid," Gilman coach Shawn Fischer said, mentioning Doug Hamilton, Jeff Miller, Travis Brown and Lee Keenan as his leading swimmers.
McDonogh returns MSA B Conference champions Brett Rubin (200-yard individual medley, 100 breaststroke), Todd Disney (50 and 100 freestyles) and Dave Denrich (200 and 500 freestyles). Now that it will face Calvert Hall and Loyola, the competition will be stiffer.