The reigning Sun Journal all-area swimmers of the year and the region’s lone defending state champion lead the Twin Cities contingent into this week’s Class A and B swimming and diving state championships.

Edward Little High School’s tandem of Melissa Paione and Tim Brodsky and St. Dominic Regional High School star Allie Lewandowski headline a total of 28 state meet qualifiers from Lewiston and Auburn.

State competition commenced Saturday with the Class B boys. Today’s docket features the Class A boys at Bowdoin College and the Class B girls at the University of Maine, with qualifying races starting at 10 a.m.

Class A girls have the final say Tuesday at Bowdoin.

Paione and her coach have some tough strategic decisions to make before then. She is seeded among the top 20 in a total of five individual events and three relays.

She ranks third in the 100-yard breaststroke behind Scarborough teammates Laura Flewelling and Samantha Couillard and seventh in the 500 freestyle.

“There’s only one event in which she failed to qualify (100 backstroke), and that’s only because she never entered it this year,” said Edward Little coach Scott Morrison. 

Based on seeding, Paione also is a favorite to make the finals of the 200 medley relay. Paione, Sam Goulette, Loren Lachapelle and Christine Bilodeau swam the eighth-fastest time in Class A this winter.

Goulette, a freshman, is a qualifier in eight total events, most notably the 100 backstroke and 500 freestyle.

Brodsky is a threat for the third straight year in the 50 freestyle. He’s seeded sixth in that pure sprint.

The senior also is eligible to compete in the 100 and 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.

“He’s accepted at Skidmore (in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) and is planning to play lacrosse, but there’s no question that he could swim in college,” Morrison said. “He’s a leader. He’s extremely dedicated. I could go on and on about him.”

St. Dom’s has four swimmers entered in the Class B girls’ meet, but that could be enough to get the Saints into the top half of the field.

Lewandowski enters the fray under the radar, if possible, seeded fifth in the 100 breaststroke after winning last year’s gold medal.

“There are a lot of freshmen and sophomores gunning for that title,” said John McGonagill, who co-coaches St. Dom’s with wife Teresa.

Greely’s Sarah Easterling and Ellsworth’s Cecilia McEachern, both ninth-graders, are ranked one and two, respectively.

Points are awarded to the top 16 swimmers in each race, making Lewandowski a threat to score whenever she’s in the pool. Her other top events are 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley.

Lewiston High School qualified the most individual swimmers among the three schools — nine boys and five girls. Potential scorers include Kurtis Stocker (boys’ 100 breaststroke) and Katie Tirabassi (girls’ 200 IM). Each could also help the 200 medley relay teams earn points.

Other qualified individual swimmers are Bilodeau, Lachapelle, Kenny Treadwell, Andrew Paione, Rachel Gagne, Hayley Barton, Claire Johnson and Megan Hussar of EL; Chelsey Provencher, Abby Blaisdell, Liza Sirois, Camille Dionne, Colby Miles, Brett Delawter, Nate Chaloux, Kyle Rousseau, Matt Reed, Brandon Waite, Dustin Morris and Alex Small of Lewiston; and Naomi McGonagill and Sarah Small of St. Dom’s.

[email protected]