JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers EYES ON THE PRIZE—Westlake High senior Meagan Norling-Christensen is a standout on the Warrior girls' varsity swim team. WHS is considered an early-season favorite to win the league title. March has brought with it Marmonte League action in boys' and girls' swimming.

While the Westlake High girls' team and the Thousand Oaks boys' squad are considered oddson favorites to capture league titles, the Marmonte promises to feature a plethora of top swimmers who will battle it out for individual championships as well.

Here's a school-by-school breakdown of some of the league's top individual talent:

Agoura

The Charger boys, which finished second in the Marmonte last season, are one of the top contenders in league due to the return of senior David Sparks and sophomore Vatche Kazanjian. Sparks' specialties are the 50 and 100 free, while Kazanjian's best event is the 100 fly.

The girls' squad features senior captain Mikee Snyder, who excels in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke. Sophomore Shannyn Hultin, a league champion in the 100 fly last season, has made her mark this year by qualifying for CIF in the 200 free, and CIF consideration in the 500 free.

Hultin "is a very hard worker and is willing to do anything for the team," Agoura head coach Jason Rosenthal said. "Like Kazanjian on the boys' side, she can basically swim any event and be good at it."

Other top swimmers for Agoura include Savannah Fletcher, Christina Vournas and Emily Carson for the girls, while Sammy Wilson and Brendan Delear star for the boys' team.

Calabasas

The Lady Coyotes have shown early promise with convincing wins over Camarillo and El Camino. Stellar performances have come from senior Leia Marasovich, senior Sareen Hagopian and sophomore Lara Hagopian.

Both Marasovich and Sareen Hagopian have qualified for CIF consideration in the 500 free, while Lara Hagopian has qualified for consideration in the 200 free and 100 fly.

Top boys' swimmers at Calabasas include senior team captain Ryan Stern and freshman Patrick Kang. Stern competes in the 50 and 100 free, while Kang's best events are the 200 and 500 free.

"We have some seasoned swimmers on the girls' side, and I can see them finishing in the top four in league," Calabasas head coach David Hershman said.

"The boys' team is going to see a lot of improvement, and hopefully they can bring home some individual championships."

Other Calabasas swimmers to watch for include Lindsay Schwartz on the girls' squad and Brian Chaskes for the boys.

Moorpark

Top Moorpark girls' swimmer Alanah Bird has finally healed from last year's foot injury. Now she's looking to inflict pain on her opponents.

Bird, a junior, competes in the 100 breaststroke and 100 free events. Musketeer head coach Jason Nevis said Bird has enjoyed an injury-free season thus far.

"It's nice for her because she doesn't have to worry about pain anymore when she swims," Nevis said. "She can just go out and have fun."

Bird isn't the only Lady Musketeer putting up stellar times in the pool. Junior Samantha Maganini is one of the Marmonte's best in the 200 and 500 free, as well as the 100 fly.

The Moorpark boys' squad is led by junior Danny Lorch and freshman Beach Fogleman. Lorch's best events include the 100 fly and 100 free, while Fogleman excels in the 200 and 500 free.

Other top Musketeer swimmers include sisters Summer and Amber Bennett on the girls' side, and Tyler Nelson for the boys.

Newbury Park

The Panther boys should be in the hunt for a league title with Agoura and Thousand Oaks because of two outstanding swimmers—senior Cameron Hargitai and sophomore Alex AgopyanMiu.

Both excel in the back stroke, while Agopyan-Miu is also solid in the 200 free.

Freshman Anthony DeVetis along with seniors Aaron Flynn and Kyle Sobieski have also contributed for the NPHS boys.

The girls' squad is led by junior Morgan Barthmus and seniors Jenayl Peters and Carley McKee. All three swimmers compete in the freestyle events. Senior Cassandra Kobrin specializes in the IM events.

Royal Although the Highlander boys' team was blown out last week by Thousand Oaks, Royal head coach Steve Synder said his team is more motivated than ever.

"In the past, our boys' swimmers would finish the water polo season, and for whatever reason they would start to catch 'senioritis' and coast the rest of the year," Synder said. "This season, the boys have made it a priority to compete for a top spot."

Stars on the RHS boys' team include senior Lawrence Bardelli and freshman Cody Moore, who will both compete for a league title in the 100 free. Those two, coupled with Scott Synder and Felipe Tejaro, form a quick relay team.

The Royal girls' are led by senior Kacey Creek and sophomore Kelly McAleer. Creek is a versatile swimmer who excels in freestyle events, while McAleer's specialty is the 100 fly and 100 breaststroke.

Other top RHS swimmers include Olivia Barry, Amelia Castillo and Sevag Mehterian.

Thousand Oaks

Although Agoura will be a top foe, the TOHS boys' team has to be the early-season favorite for a league title due to its depth.

Junior Henly Ko and a trio of sophomores—Tyler Henry, David Armstrong and Spencer Boone— lead the Lancers. Senior Michael Fernandez has also contributed for the boys' team. According to head coach Mike Giles, all five are considered elite swimmers in Ventura County.

Henry excels in the 200 and 500 free, while Ko swims the freestyle events as well as the 100 fly. Armstrong competes in the 100 fly, as well as all the freestyle events.

On the girls' side, the Lancers are led by sophomore Veronica Lin and senior Lauren Barnett. Barnett has already received an automatic qualification for CIF in the 50 free. She's earned consideration for CIF in the 100 free.

Other top Thousand Oaks swimmers include Lauren Seybold, Dusty Holmes and Kathryn Irwin.

Westlake

In the Marmonte, nobody has a better girls' swim team than Westlake.

The Warriors are led by seniors Jackie Brousseau, Marissa De Wames and Meagan NorlingChristensen. Brousseau, who may be the league's top swimmer, competes in the 50 and 100 free, along with the 50 and 100 breaststroke. Brosseau has already earned an automatic qualification time for CIF in the 50 free.

"Right now (Brosseau) is so fast that when she improves it's only by tenths of a second," Westlake head coach Todd Irmas said. "With six school records, she may be the best swimmer this school has ever seen."

Juniors Sam Chen and Thomas Ziccardi fuel the Westlake boys. Chen's best events include the 100 backstroke and 200 free, while Ziccardi will contribute for the Warriors in the 100 fly.

Expect other Westlake swimmers such as Nora Darago, Ray Zhang and David Sommers to make big-time contributions throughout the year.