Maui High School’s Aika Swanson heads to a win in the girls 200-yard freestyle at the MIL championships last month. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos

KIHEI — The Maui Interscholastic League hasn’t won a state swim or dive title since the K. Mark Takai/HHSAA state meet was last held at the Kihei Aquatic Center.

King Kekaulike High School standout Aniston Eyre won the girls 50- and 100-yard freestyle individual titles and anchored Na Alii’s 200 free relay to gold on Feb. 15, 2020, at the KAC, about a month before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down high school sports in the 50th state for the next 16 months.

The state meet returns to the KAC Friday and Saturday, and the MIL carries five top qualifying marks into the weekend.

Maui Prep senior Legend Storer is No. 1 in the boys 50 free (21.27 seconds) and 100 breaststroke (57.76), MPA sophomore Sacha Salem is No. 1 in the girls 200 individual medley (2:09.14), Maui High sophomore Aika Swanson is tops in the girls 200 free (1:53.24) and King Kekaulike senior Lily Barrett has the best qualifying score in girls 1-meter diving (498.75 points).

“Well, it’s a little bit of both, nerves and motivation comes along with it as well, but I want to go into that race with a good mindset and positive thoughts,” Swanson said at practice Tuesday at Kokua Pool at the Kahului Community Center. “I’ve been training hard for this, so I’m excited for it.”

Maui Prep’s Sasha Salem swims the breaststroke leg of her winning 200 IM race during an MIL meet on Jan. 19. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos

Swanson added, “I’m ready, yeah, I’m nervous, I’m really nervous, but I’ve been nervous before, so it’s nothing new. The nerves just kind of show that I care about it — it comes with every race and I’m excited. I’m ready for it.”

Swanson thrives when pressed and she has taken a look at the psych sheet. Kamehameha Kapalama’s Melia Lee is just 0.46 seconds behind on her qualifying time in the 200 free.

“I definitely think I could (win) that, second place is Melia Lee and she has been my competitor for a bit and I’m glad I have competition so that I can really use that to my advantage,” Swanson said.

The two sophomore MIL standout girls will face off in the 500 free, where Swanson finished third last year in 5:05.46, nearly five seconds in front of Salem, who was fourth in 5:10.17.

This season, Salem is seeded fourth (5:14.72) in the 500, one spot in front of Swanson (5:15.86). Both swimmers mentioned needing to go below 5 minutes to have a shot at winning the longest race on the high school docket — the top seed time is 5:01.33 by Punahou senior Leila Nasrallah.

Maui Prep’s Legend Storer cools down after winning the boys 50 free during last month’s MIL championships. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

“That still is the goal,” Swanson said of the 5-minute mark. “I’ve been having my eye on it for a while now and it’s within reach. … Coach Reid (Yamamoto) and I have been talking about it for a while now. We’ve been training towards it, along with the 200 goal and I feel like I’m pretty ready.”

Both Swanson and Salem expressed much respect for each other, both admitting that they are friendly rivals.

Salem trimmed more than 2 seconds off her 200 IM time at the MIL championships and is ready to go in the 500, mentioning the magical 5:00 barrier as well.

“I mean, a little bit, but I knew I could swim that and I feel like I still could swim better,” Salem said when asked if she surprised herself with her 200 IM personal record at MILs. “I mean, I know I have it in me, obviously. I’ve been working hard and training hard, but times have been really good. So, like, I know I can go faster than that.”

Salem added that she was a bit surprised that Iolani junior Sage Miller decided to swim the 100 butterfly and the 50 free, staying away from the 200 IM.

Barrett

“I’m super excited because I know the Oahu girls are super fast, but this is one of the first times I get to actually have competition, so I’m excited,” Salem said. “I think it’s going to be fun either way. … I’m a little nervous, but I’m excited, I’m ready. I’m looking forward to it because I want the walk-out song for Saturday (that is decided by the top qualifier from Friday’s preliminaries). So, if I get that walk-out song then I’m like, ‘OK.’ “

Salem said of Swanson in the 500, “We’re friends, but frenemies kind of. We’re both always battling it out for sure in all the races. She’s definitely one of my biggest competitors and she’s definitely someone that pushes me and I’m thankful for that because she definitely brings out a competitive side of me.”

Storer’s top times that were both achieved at the MIL championships are each USA Futures Championship qualifying times. The MPA senior has his eyes on swimming collegiately at the University of Concordia Irvine.

“I’m so excited, I wasn’t expecting to go those times,” Storer said. “Just to be able to be the top seed with those times is amazing.”

Storer finished seventh in the 50 last season in 22.22 and seventh in the 100 breast in 1:01.65. His seed times this season would have finished second in each race last year.

Home pool advantage will help all of the Maui competitors.

“Yeah, it really is awesome,” Storer said. “I mean, the pool here it’s going to be more of an advantage for me because it’s my pool and I know how to swim it. And if I place first as a senior, that’d be great, ending off senior year — that’d be awesome.”

Swimming preliminaries begin Friday at 2:30 p.m., while finals start at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Diving prelims are scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, with finals at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

Maui High School’s Aika Swanson heads to a win in the girls 200-yard freestyle at the MIL championships last month. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos Maui Prep’s Sasha Salem swims the breaststroke leg of her winning 200 IM race during an MIL meet on Jan. 19. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos Maui Prep’s Legend Storer cools down after winning the boys 50 free during last month’s MIL championships. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Barrett

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