SETTING THE SCENE: One of the state’s premier swimming and diving events is on tap for this week as the Milford High School teams will take part in the Southwest Ohio Classic. Preliminary action is on tap for several venues on Saturday, before the best of the best, the top finishers from each site, converge on St. Xavier’s Keating Natatorium for Sunday night’s finals. The Eagles will take to the pool in the friendly confines of the Milford Natatorium with action getting underway at 9:00 a.m.

THE UPCOMING DOCKET: A look at Milford’s upcoming schedule:

• Swim Prelims: Saturday, Jan. 13, Milford HS, 9:00 a.m.
• Dive Prelims: Saturday, Jan. 13, Milford HS, TBA
• Swim Finals: Sunday, Jan. 14, St. Xavier HS, 6:30 p.m.
• Dive Finals; Sunday, Jan. 14, University of Cincinnati, 9:00 a.m.
• Click here for meet information
• Click here for Waycross Media TV coverage

THE BOYS REPORT: Jan. 4 vs. Loveland/Turpin: The Eagles picked up three relay wins and a pair of individual crowns as they finished second in a tri-meet against Eastern Cincinnati Conference rivals Loveland and Turpin. Juniors Tyler Babinec and Sam Leatherwood were the big winners of the day, as each swam a leg on all three winning relays, while also picking up an individual first place.

Milford picked up win number one early in the day as Leatherwood and Babinec joined with Dylan Vearil and Chase Fisher to win the 200 medley relay in 1:42.56. The same foursome put a bookend on the night, capturing the 400 freestyle relay in 3:26.97. Leatherwood picked up his win in the 50 freestyle, touching in 23.54, while Babinec’s mark of 54.74 was quickest in the 100 butterfly. The trio of Babinec, Fisher and Leatherwood also teamed with Branham Leavens to capture the 200 freestyle relay in 1:33.49.

Other Eagles to land on the podium during the event included: Seth Bennett (100 backstroke, 3^rd-1:11.98), Jan Rae Chavez (100 freestyle, 3^rd-54.60), Carter Ferguson (1 meter diving, 2^nd-134.35), Chase Fisher (500 freestyle, 2^nd-5:12.77), Tim Greenwell (200 IM, 2^nd-2:15.20), David Niehaus (100 breaststroke, 2^nd-1:09.45) and Matt Schnelle (200 freestyle-3^rd, 2:02.82).

Jan. 6 Milford Invitational: The Eagles bested a field of 12 squads to win the Milford Invitational. Chase Fisher was the star of the day for the host team, picking up four victories to give him a total of seven in a three-day span. Fisher led a 1-2 Milford sweep in the 50 freestyle, before moving on to win the 100 freestyle and a pair of relays.

Fisher began the day with a win in 21.97, besting teammate Branham Leavens who took second in 23.59. The 100 free also belonged to Fisher as he won in 47.88. The Fisher-Leavens tandem joined Tyler Babinec and Sam Leatherwood to go home triumphant in both the 200 free (1:29.45) and 400 free (3:18.74) relays.

Babinec also scored an individual crown, topping the 100 breaststroke field in 59.13. Carter Ferguson was the final winner of the day for Milford with a score of 142.50 in 1 meter diving. Other podium finishers for the Eagles were Babinec (100 butterfly, 2^nd-54.02), Leatherwood (200 freestyle, 2^nd-1:51.35 & 100 backstroke, 3^rd-55.28).

THE GIRLS REPORT: Jan. 4 vs. Loveland/Turpin: Milford used six podium finishes to score a second place finish in a tri-meet against Eastern Cincinnati Conference foes Loveland and Turpin. Junior Lauren Bell led the way for the Eagles, scoring a hand in half of the top finishes.

Bell scored the lone win of the event for the Eagles when she posted top time in the 50 freestyle in 27.18. In the night’s final event, the 400 freestyle relay, Bell swam anchor on the second place finishing team (4:02.65), joining Megan Krieger, Ellen Victory and Lauren Clark. Bell, Clark and Krieger were joined by Cora Striet on the 200 medley relay, finishing third in 2:02.68.

Individually, Krieger took second in the 200 freestyle (2:09.10), while Victory was runner-up in the 100 freestyle (1:00.98). Madison Reckman was the final podium finisher, taking third in the 100 breaststroke in 1:24.87.

Jan. 6 Milford Invitational: The MHS Natatorium was a bustle of activity as 17 girls teams battled for supremacy in the Milford Invitational. With top-three finishes in three relay events, the Eagles secured a second place finish in the team standings.

The best finishing relay of the day was the 200 free crew of Ellen Victory, Stephanie Karan, Madelyn Payne and Megan Hardewig who placed second overall in 1:53.64. Milford also enjoyed a runner-up finisher from Lauren Clark, who posted a time of 2:08.92 in the 200 freestyle.

Clark, along with Lauren Bell, Megan Krieger and Cora Striet took third in the 200 medley relay (2:03.21), while Victory joined the first three in taking third in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 4:01.21.

POLL WATCH: The boys team didn’t receive any votes in the latest edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer’s area Division I coaches’ poll, released on Jan. 8. Of the three coaches filling out ballots, all three voted St. Xavier No. 1. Sycamore, Mason, Lakota East and Moeller and Turpin in a tie for fifth completed the top-five. Also representing the ECC are Kings and Walnut Hills as part of a four-way tie for eighth, along with Anderson and others also receiving votes.

The girls team are one of a handful of teams making up the others receiving votes section of the Jan. 8 rankings. St. Ursula and Mason split the four first place votes with the former holding a small advantage. Ursuline, Turpin from the ECC and Lakota West round out the top-five. Also from the ECC are Kings in sixth, Walnut Hills in a tie for eighth and Loveland in a tie for 10^th.

The coaches’ poll is released every Monday at Noon at preps.cincinnati.com/coachespolls.