Hoping to continue the success from their first sweep of team titles at the District 13-5A meet, the A&M Consolidated swimming and diving teams will compete in the Region 4 championships on Friday and Saturday.

The regional meet will be hosted by the University of Houston, with preliminaries scheduled for Friday and finals Saturday. The eight regional champions in each event, along with the eight competitors with the next-fastest times regardless of region, will qualify for the UIL state meet in Austin on Feb. 22-23.

Consol will send 26 swimmers and divers to the regional meet, while Bryan has 10 qualifiers.

Consol coach Ryan Goodwyn is looking to improve on last year, when the Tigers qualified two relay teams and two individuals for the state meet. Along with an experienced boys team, Consol will arrive at regionals with an improved girls squad that won its first district championship two weeks ago.

"I'm almost more excited about what the girls have the potential to do, because they have a chance to do things they've never done," Goodwyn said. "The guys have been to state before, and this is kind of what we've been expecting. The girls are seeded in the top eight [statewide] in all three relays. This will be the first time we've had girls swimming on Saturday in a long time."

Consol's boys won all 11 events at the district meet, and Goodwyn believes the Tigers could challenge for state berths across the board at regionals.

"We have the potential to get somebody out in every event," Goodwyn said. "I'd like to see us be represented in at least six events. We're right there in the mix on all three relays."

Based on their fastest times, the Tigers with the best chance of making state in individual events include Sean O'Shea and Oliver Horvat in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 breaststroke, Jack Burley in the individual medley and the 100 freestyle and Benjamin Jackson in the 100 butterfly.

The Consol girl whose qualifying times rank best among the regional entries is freshman Stacie O'Shea, who could compete for a state berth with "the swim of her life," according to Goodwyn.

Region 4 is one of the toughest in the state. Consol and Bryan will have to compete against powerful teams from The Woodlands, Round Rock and Round Rock Westwood as well as schools from the Klein school district.

A change in the qualifying format could benefit Consol and Bryan. In past years, the field for the state meet could include no more than four entries per region, but this year the eight best times after the eight champions in each event will advance regardless of region. Under that system, the Consol 400 freestyle relay team that finished fifth at regionals last year would have made it to state.

The Vikings are building their program under first-year coach Mike Ortiz. Bryan's top finisher at district was senior Megan Young, who captured one race and took second in another.

"My swimmers are going to be able to see what it's going to take to get to the next level," Ortiz said. "Hopefully one day my swimmers will be in the elite, and they have to learn how much hard work it takes to get there."

• Larry Bowen's e-mail address is larry.bowen@theeagle.com.