Boys swimming: Scouting the Fox Valley

Bartlett-Streamwood co-opCoach: Jeremy Meserole

2013-2014 finish: Sixth place Upstate Eight Conference

Top returning swimmers: Seniors Matt Lee (Bartlett, breaststroke), Mike McGrath (Bartlett, 200, 500)

Outlook: Meserole, also the Bartlett-Streamwood girls coach, takes over the boys program this season. Lee is coming off a junior campaign where he won the breaststroke title at sectionals and advanced to state. "We have a large group of guys who are excited to work hard," said Meserole. "We have a good balance of experience and youth. We have some good leaders in our upperclassmen who do things the right way and will bring the lowerclassmen up to their level. Wewant to continue what we started last year, which was a resurgence." McGrath made major strides last year in the 200 and 500 and has increased his off-season workload. "Matt is in better shape than ever and looking to make huge strides," said Meserole.

District 300 Co-OpCoach: Rick Andresen

Top returning athletes: Seniors Caleb Knottnerus (Jacobs, sprint freestyle), Hayden Limbach (Dundee-Crown, sprint freestyle); juniors Francis Ogaban (Hampshire, backstroke, 100 free), Cole Guenther (Jacobs, distance), Kristian Van Wiel (Hampshire, butterfly, freestyle)

Key newcomers: Freshmen Reid Coyle (Hampshire, IM), Elijah Stuart (Hampshire, butterfly, backstroke), Lucas Becker (Dundee-Crown, freestyle)

Outlook: The District 300 co-op team features a true cross-section of the district with multiple swimmers from each of the three high schools. Ogaban is a returning state qualifier in the backstroke and just missed a state berth in the 100. The team also will benefit from an influx of swimmers that includes freshmen Coyle, Stuart and Becker. "It's very encouraging to have these kids come in with enough talent from their age-group team to jump into the varsity level right away," said Andresen. "We'll see how it goes. The kids all are working hard right now. We'll see how we develop. We're getting good leadership from Caleb and Francis and a couple others. It's still early, but after a week and two days of practice I'm pleased with how hard they work. We'll see how it all gels together." District 300 debuts Saturday at the Harlem invitational in Machesney Park. "Everybody will get a chance to swim," said Andresen. "We'll see what we have."

Elgin-Larkin co-opCoach: John Means

2013-2014 finish: 9th place Upstate Eight Conference

Top returning swimmers: Senior Eric Hernandez (Elgin, backstroke); junior Pablo Chavez (Elgin, 50, 100), sophomore Jakob Woerner (Elgin, IM, butterfly)

Key newcomers: Sophomore Ethan Densmore (Elgin); freshman Jonathan Porras (Elgin)

Outlook: Means is in his first season as head coach of the Elgin-Larkin squad. "We are still fairly young and we only have had a boys team again for three seasons so we have a long way until we reach a ceiling," he said. "A weakness is we are young on experience right now. Many of our swimmers have never swam competitive before. We just need to improve that club-level involvement. One good thing about inexperience is the boys haven't developed bad habits. We get to shape them the right way and coach and teach them to perform each stroke properly." Means would like to see the team improve on last year's conference standing. "We're still a growing program," he said. "We want to improve on last year's finish. The team goal is to always PR. It doesn't matter if you get your best time by a thousandth of a second or by five seconds, always push for your own personal best."

South ElginCoach: Tim O'Grady

2013-2014 finish: 8th place Upstate Eight Conference

Top returning swimmers: Seniors Matthew Rueger, Vince Bongiovanni, Perry Gottschalk; junior Josh Anderson; sophomore Adam Elmkinssi

Key newcomers: Freshmen Frank Niziolek, Ross Urso, Alan Romanowski, Sam Vassallo

Outlook: O'Grady likes where the team is headed due to several factors. "We're working on getting the yards and the hard work in everyday," he said. "They are a great group of kids who are eager to learn and are led by a strong group of leaders who are proud of what they started last year. We want to gain points for the team as well as look to move up in the conference standings." South Elgin also will benefit from a strong group of newcomers, O'Grady noted. "We have a very strong freshman class with both talent and determination," he said. "The freshmen are either coming in with great experience or they are coming in ready to learn and make a difference." O'Grady said Rueger is poised to make further time drops as a senior, while Niziolek is a freshman with plenty of potential. "Frank is a freshman with a strong possibility to make state," the coach said.

Cary-Grove District 155 co-opCoach: Rick Schaefer

2013-2014 finish: 1st place Fox Valley Conference invite

Top returning swimmers: Senior Mitch Robak (Prairie Ridge, IM); juniors Cooper Langanis (Cary-Grove, 200, 500), Corey Sheehan (Crystal Lake South), Scott Eibel (Crystal Lake South); sophomore Ethan Hare (Cary-Grove)

Key newcomers: Freshman Nick Jasinski (Crystal Lake Central, sprints)

Outlook: The Cary-Grove co-op team has won the last seven Fox Valley Conference invitationals and returns a solid nucleus from last year's successful squad. Robak was second in the conference in the IM, while Langanis was third in the 200 and fourth in the 500. Hare was the FVC newcomer of the year last season. "We do not have the top-tier state-qualifying swimmers most other teams in the Fox Valley already have," said Schaefer. "However, we are deep and this is the deepest team we have had in over five years. Our strength is our work ethic and that nobody is guaranteed anything. There is open competition daily and some have already risen to that competition. If anyone falters, there is someone working to get an opportunity." Cary-Grove is in a unique situation where it practices at two different pools (YMCA and Health Bridge) in four different time spots. JV and varsity split between two locations and the varsity splits at two different time slots. Schaefer said the team is focused on being at its best come IHSA postseason time. "We will not taper anyone for conference and will work toward having multiple state qualifiers," he said. "We want to qualify at least one swimmer in each event for state. It's a tall order, but that is what we are working toward."