FLEMING ISLAND - With Fleming Island High defending 50 free Class 3A champion Maryn McDade a top choice for a region title at the Sat., Oct. 29 region swimming and diving championships at the Florida Aquatic Swimming and Training center in Ocala, look for the Golden Eagles and Oakleaf High to battle for state meet bids in a handful of events.

Note: Clay High will compete in their district 3-2A championship meet on Wed. Oct. 27 at Gainesville’s Northeast Pool. In district 2-1A, St. Johns Country Day School will compete Tues., Oct. 25 at Episcopal.

Fleming Island sophomore diver Ava Brinkman, who registered an astounding 505 score at last year’s district championship (478 won state title) before a season ending injury, is top ranked by a big gap with a 444.10 point total ahead of Gulf Breeze’s Emi Goto at 420.20.

With Nease and Ponte Vedra high schools dominating the top 10 selections in the region heat sheets, Fleming Island and Oakleaf will need strong swims to crack the top 16 that will be selected after all four region championships are completed. Only the top two finishers in each event automatically advance with the rest of the 16 swimmer field represented by the best times from all four regions.

In the relay events, only the top finisher advances automatically with times setting the rest of the state field.

Top drawers within the region 1-3A area include, in relays, Oakleaf’s girls 200 medley relay, third at 1:53.99 with Ponte Vedra and Niceville 1-2 at 1:49.87 and 1:53.80.

McDade, as expected, sits atop the 50 free region list with a 23.54 split on top of three Ponte Vedra swimmers starting at 24.42. Oakleaf’s Peyton Loving is at eighth at 25.25.

McDade also has the top 100 free split at 52.65 from her district final last week with Nease and Ponte Vedra chasing from afar at 53.73 and 53.95.

In the boys 100 free, Orange Park Sebastian Lopez is one of nine swimmers under the 50 second mark at 49.74 with top seed Gentry Rider of Chiles in at 47.90.

In the boys 50 free, Booker T. Washington’s Ian Malone is tops with a sizzling 21.42 with three swimmers under 22 seconds. Fleming Island junior Dylan Ducut is ninth at 22.83.

In the two distance swims; the 200 and 500 freestyles, Oakleaf senior Olivia Votava and Fleming Island freshman Elizabeth Loehr are neck and neck with Votava seventh in the 200 and Loehr eight while, in the 500, Votava is fifth and Loehr is eighth ranked.

In the 100 backstroke, Fleming Island senior David Goodwin is eighth ranked with a 57.12 split wiht 52.21 the top seed.

Loving is fourth ranked in the 100 breaststroke at 1:09.48 with 1:08.08 the top seed.

In the marquis relay event, the 400 free relay, Fleming Island’s girls are fourth with the boys seeing Orange Park and Fleming Island 15th and 16th.

Fleming Island, Oakleaf and Orange Park all have relays in the 200 free relay with Oakleaf’s girls sixth and Fleming Island ninth.