1 What does Othello senior Natalie Ruiz have in store?

As a junior last year, Ruiz set a Class 2A state-meet record in the girls 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 51.43 seconds) after setting meet records in the 50 free (23.29) and 100 backstroke (55.70) in 2008.

2 The 3A and 4A favorites have company.

Newport and Bainbridge will be the top challengers to back-to-back state champions Skyline and Mercer Island in 4A and 3A, respectively. Bainbridge finished second to Mercer Island at last year's state meet.

"Aside from me trying to focus in on my girls as much as possible, definitely Bainbridge is keeping me up at night," Mercer Island coach Chauntelle Johnson said.

3 Skyline has yet another dominant swimmer.

Skyline's Katie Kinnear rejoins the team this week after participating on a national travel team that went to Japan. She won 50 free and 100 butterfly state titles in 2010, and set a state record in the 100 fly in 2009.

In addition, Kinnear was part of Skyline's 2010 state title-winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Three of four members of the 200 medley relay return, and all members of the 400 free relay are back.

"She'll have quite a future in swimming," Skyline coach Susan Simpkins said. "She's been very good since she was young. She's a natural swimmer."

4 Wold's world at Mercer Island.

Mercer Island junior Grace Wold won state titles in the 200 individual medley and 100 fly last year.

"She can swim anything," Johnson said. "I don't know what she is going to swim at the end of the season. She can swim anything and be competitive in those races. Her goal again this year is to win two events at state, regardless of what those events are."

5 How much longer can swimming survive?

It's expensive. Other sports pluck top athletes. Participation levels are being reduced. There are only so many pools. As school budgets continue taking hits, sports like swimming could be on the precipice of elimination. The University of Washington eliminated its swimming programs in 2009 as a budget cut.

"I know that that's a growing concern for coaches all over this area. Whenever we have coaches meetings, we're constantly bringing that up," Johnson said.

"On a personal note for me, I went to college on a swimming scholarship. Had I not had the opportunity to swim in high school, I don't know how I would have paid for college. To see kids losing opportunities to be able to swim at the next level is extremely sad."