SQUALICUM

STORM

Coach: Steve Gibb

Last Year: Finished first in the Class 2A Northwest Conference standings with a league record of 8-0 and was 11-0 overall. ... Qualified nine swimmers or relays for the Class 2A State Swimming and Diving Championships and placed second at the meet. ... Carlee Bock won a state title in the 100 backstroke. ... Bock, Rylie Martin, Josephine Hegeberg and Camorah King won a state title in the 400 freestyle relay, and Bock, Martin, King and Maddi Dohm won a state title in the 200 medley relay. ... Bock was selected All-Whatcom County Swimmer of the Year, and King, Martin, Hegeberg, Dohm and Tori Franzen were All-Whatcom County selections.

Swimmers to watch: Josephine Hegeberg (jr); Abby Vonfeldt (so.); Maddi Dohm (sr.); Tori Franzen (sr.); Olivia Nielsen (fr.); Shaye Fowler (fr.)

Outlook: Year after year the Storm find themselves in contention for a Class 2A state title. All signs point to this year being the same story. Squalicum has lost key pieces to its second-place 2011 state squad. Camorah King and Rylie Martin graduated, and Carlee Bock opted to swim with her club team during what would have been her senior season this year, but the Storm have plenty of talent left on their roster. Josephine Hegeberg, Abby Vonfeldt, Maddi Dohm and Tori Franzen give Squalicum a wealth of returning state experience. Coach Steve Gibb also has two freshmen - Olivia Nielsen and Shaye Fowler - who he expects to contribute right away. "We have good team chemistry," Gibb said in a phone interview. "We are trying some new things this year, and the girls are really working hard." One of those new things is assistant coach Randy Elsner, who Gibb believes will be strong addition to the team.

2012 SCHEDULE

Sept. 7 NWC Relays (Arne Hanna) 3:15 p.m.

Sept. 11 Bellingham* 3:15 p.m.

Sept. 13 Archbishop Murphy 3:15 p.m.

Sept. 20 Burlington-Edison* 3:15 p.m.

Sept. 22 NWC Invitational (Fidalgo Pool) 1 p.m.

Sept. 25 at Lynden* 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 2 Sedro-Woolley* 3:15 p.m.

Oct. 4 at Anacortes* 2:30 p.m.

Oct. 6 District Dive (Fidalgo Pool) 3 p.m.

Oct. 9 Ferndale* 3:15 p.m.

Oct. 16 Sehome* 3:15 p.m.

Oct. 20 District Dive 3 p.m.

Oct. 26 NWC "B" Championships 3:30 p.m.

*NWC meet

Reach ANDREW LANG at andrew.lang@bellinghamherald.com or call ext. 862.