The Sedona Red Rock High School swimming teams have more depth than most Division IV schools to make the state championship in November, but only three meets at which they can qualify.

After finishing second to Northland Prep out of four teams at the Wickenburg Invitational on Sept. 4, the Scorpions — with four freshmen, six sophomores and four juniors — will be led by 17 seniors into the first competitive test of their skills at the Sedona Community Pool at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, as Scottsdale Christian Academy visits for a dual meet.

“We have a strong team,” head coach A. Jay Bronson said. “Our high school swimmers are working hard with the end goal of dropping individual times in time for … November.”

With 22 boys and only 12 girls on the SRRHS teams, the Scorpions return many trained elements for a deep run and top five finish at State, but particularly with sprinters and relay swimmers, where Bronson can swim a lot of different athletes this fall who he hopes have coalesced in training this summer, he said.

“One of my major goals for high school swimming is to bond the team together,” he said. “The bonding of the team is the most important point [for] any high school team. In my years, I have noticed that the swimmers train better when they are not just swimming for themselves but for their team as well.”

For the full story, please see the Friday, Sept. 12, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.