JACKSONVILLE - Clay High sophomore swim sensation Sara Stotler had a bit of a sniffle at Tuesday’s region 1-2A championships, but the less-than-full strength effort was far and away still way above the rest of the field as she crushed two events; the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly, to advance to the Class 2A swim championships in Stuart on Sat., Nov. 17 as top seed in both events.

“I sound like I’ve been smoking cigarettes, but I just wanted to get through this meet, rest and recover, then focus on the state meet,” said Stotler, who finished second in the 100 fly last year and third in the 200 freestyle in Class 2A with Hannah Sykes, a senior at Wolfson, not too far off Stotler’s shoulder in the butterfly; third in 2017.

“Hannah and Sara have a good, little rivalry there,” said Clay coach Carol McDougall. “I think it is good for both.”

Sykes, though, stuck to the 200 free at the region meet finishing second to Gulf Breeze senior Makayla Ludwick by just over a second and second to Stotler in the 100 butterfly by three seconds.

“Sara is much stronger in the individual medley and we are concentrating on that event this year,” said McDougall.

Stotler will have defending state champion Emily Cordovi of Gulliver Prep as her primary target though Cordovi’s region time of 54.99 was just a hair behind Stotler’s 54.92. Cordovi dropped to 53.86 to beat Stotler’s 55.12 for last year’s title. Sykes is ranked third in the region at 56.42.

“That will be an interesting final,” said McDougall.

In the 200 IM, Stotler is three seconds up on second-seed Nicole Rodriguez of Cape Coral; 2:03.74-2:06.87.

For Orange Park’s Jacob Coutant, who dominated the district and region 200 freestyle with a come-from-behind surge at districts to a front-running tactic at regions for a 1:44.19 split and a fifth seed, the target is a final with the top six swimmers under 1:46. Top state time is 1:41.91 from Merritt Island’s Lucas Kravchencko, last year’s runnerup with a 1:39.08 split.

Last year, Coutant finished 11th with a 1:44.83.

“Plenty in the tank,” said Coutant after his split won the region title by two seconds. “I wanted to go for it from both ends to see what I could do.”

Orange Park teammate Daniel Hinkle also got seeded in the 200 free with a 15th ranking at 1:48.23 and also a 15th ranking in the 500 freestyle at 4:53.97 after winning the region title.

Coutant returned to the start blocks after the diving break and took ninth in the 100 butterfly in a lightning fast field that went from 50.86 for region champion Paxon senior Tyler Watson, the defending champion, to Coutant’s ninth at 52.09. Coutant was ninth last year in 2A with a 52.12 split.

“That’s going to need a perfect execution race,” said Orange Park coach Susan Johnson, herself a University of Georgia butterfly specialist. “The start, the turn, the underwater will all factor in for the fastest time. Someone will go under 49 seconds.”

Clay’s girls, fourth in region behind champion Gulf Breeze after a second place district finish, will look to a relays for team points in search of a top five state finish.

“We have fast girls, just not a lot of them,” said McDougall. “Our young swimmers will be formidable next year.”

In the 200 medley relay, Clay is ranked third by four seconds to Gulliver Prep and Gulf Breeze.

In the 200 free relay, Clay is seventh ranked with Gulliver Prep on top by about four seconds.

In other events for Clay (region finish, state rank), Anna Stotler (4th in 200 free, ranked 12th; 4th 100 free, ranked 16th); Adam Montgomery (8th 200 free); Jessica Voigt (17th 200 free/19th 100 free); Samuel Bement (11th 200IM); Elysia Addison (5th 50 free/5th 100 breaststroke, ranked 12th); Jayde Dillevig (16th 50 free/22nd 100 back); Zach Eubank (7th 50 free/4th 100 free); Clay 200 free relay (8th); Kinsey Williamson (11th 100 backstroke); Kathryn Dziwulski (16th 100 back); Ryan Pritchard (12th 100 breast); girls 400 free relay (9th).

In other events for Ridgeview, girls 200 free (14th); boys 200 medley relay (11th); Craig Zacker (24th 200 free); Michael Johnson (12th 200IM/9th 100 breast); Michael Linton (20th 50 free/13th 100 breast); Carson Cain (6th 100 free/24th 500 free); Eric Kowal (23rd 100 back); girls 400 free relay (13th); boys 400 free relay (9th).

In other events for Orange Park, boys 200 medley relay (12th); Dorian Durig (22nd 200 IM); Keenan Restall (12th 50 free); A?idan Siebold (23rd 100 free); Daniel Hinkle (1st 500 free, ranked 15th); boys 200 free relay (5th, ranked 16th); boys 400 free relay (5th).