The Valparaiso Vikings Girls Swimming and Diving team is heading to the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis this weekend with one goal in mind: leaving their mark on the 2026 IHSAA State Championship. --The Front-Runners: 200 Medley Relay-- The Vikings sent a shockwave through the state psych sheets by claiming the #1 seed in the 200 Yard Medley Relay. With a blistering seed time of 1:41.65, Valparaiso leads a powerhouse field that includes traditional giants Hamilton Southeastern and Carmel. The quartet of Evangelina Papachronis (10), Maddie Moreth (12), Abby Lee (11), and Amiah Sparks (12) will take the blocks in Heat 4, Lane 4 on Friday night. Their precision in the transitions and Moreth’s dominant breaststroke leg make them one of the favorites to bring home the gold. --Individual Spotlight: Maddie Moreth-- Senior standout and Florida recruit Maddie Moreth arrives in Indianapolis with a target on her back as the defending state champion in the 100 Yard Breaststroke. Moreth is seeded #1 overall with a time of 59.91, the only swimmer in the field to break the one-minute barrier. Moreth is also looking to score in the 200 Yard Individual Medley, where she is seeded 15th (2:06.69). --Key Individual Qualifiers-- The Vikings' depth is on full display with several athletes positioned to score major points: • Abby Lee (11): Lee is seeded 6th in the 200 Yard Freestyle (1:51.05) and 10th in the 100 Yard Butterfly (55.32). She will be looking to move into the top 8 during Friday's prelims. • Evangelina "Evie" Papachronis (10): The sophomore standout is seeded 21st in the 100 Yard Backstroke (58.35) and She is looking to move up into the top 16 to score for the Vikings. • Amiah Sparks (12): The senior sprinter is ready for a big finale, seeded 9th in the 50 Yard Freestyle (23.67) and 4th in the 100 Yard Freestyle (50.87). • On the boards, Sydney Brown (10) endured the regional round and is poised to challenge the field during Saturday morning's preliminaries. --Championship Relay Depth-- In addition to the top-seeded Medley, Valparaiso’s freestyle squads are poised to make their mark: • 200 Yard Freestyle Relay (Seed: 1:38.42, 13th): Expected to feature Maddie Moreth, Ava Hearn, Marin Anderson and Libby Vatthauer. • 400 Yard Freestyle Relay (Seed: 3:29.27, 6th): A podium-contending group likely consisting of Amiah Sparks, Evie Papachronis, Marin Anderson, and Abby Lee. • Relay Alternates: Supporting the squad in Indianapolis are Reese Anderson, Kate Douglas, Nia Smith, and Makala Cronch. --Meet Schedule-- Friday, Feb 13 (6:00 PM ET): Swimming Preliminaries Saturday, Feb 14 (9:00 AM ET): Diving Preliminaries & Semifinals Saturday, Feb 14 (1:00 PM ET): Championship Finals Follow Valpo Athletics for live updates as the girls look to bring state hardware back to the Region. Go Vikings!