Northern Kentucky sends 11 returning individual Region 7 champions into the pool as the high school swimming and diving season opens this week.

Northern Kentucky placed three girls teams and three boys teams in the state top 10, according to LINK nky.

Notre Dame was the girls team runner-up at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) State Swimming and Diving Championships in February at the University of Kentucky's Lancaster Aquatic Center. Ryle finished third on the boys side. Highlands placed fourth in both the boys and girls standings, LINK nky reported.

Beechwood's girls finished 14th at state. St. Henry's girls placed 20th. Both the Dixie Heights boys and girls posted top-35 state finishes, per the report.

Notre Dame leads the girls field

Notre Dame coach Jamie Kelly, whom LINK nky identified as the 2025-26 Region 7 coach of the year, told the outlet his Pandas will lean on four experienced leaders.

Kelly said seniors Abby Carnes, Savannah Bien and Makayla Kleman, along with junior Clare Herfel, all posted strong results at last season's state meet. Carnes earned two top-eight finishes. Kleman posted one of the top six times in the 500 freestyle. Herfel won the state title in the 500 freestyle and added a top-eight finish in the 200 freestyle, according to Kelly's comments to LINK nky.

Herfel returns to defend regional crowns in the 500 and 200 freestyle. Carnes defends in the 100 backstroke. Bien, who Kelly said placed fourth in diving at state, defends in 1-meter diving.

Notre Dame won four consecutive Region 7 championships heading into the new season, Kelly told LINK nky.

Highlands, Beechwood bring depth

Highlands coach Kevin Kampschmidt told LINK nky his girls squad could be deeper than last season's group, which finished in the state top five for a second straight year.

Keira Kobida returns as the Region 7 champion in the 100 freestyle. Kampschmidt also pointed to returning state qualifiers Taryn Ripley, Morgan Ripley, Ella Kate Reynolds and Stella Kendon.

On the boys side, senior Luke Deegan defends his Region 7 title in the 100 backstroke. Kampschmidt said seniors Chanith Abeysinghe, Ryan Schaber and Charlie Golden all have state-meet experience. Underclassmen Elliot Meyers and Reed Spaulding also return from Lexington, he told the outlet.

Beechwood's Maddie Staley defends in the 100 butterfly. Teammate Gabrielle Lee returns as the 100 breaststroke region champion.

Boys race shapes up

Ryle sprint specialist Nash Parsons returns as the Region 7 100-yard boys champion and the runner-up in the 200. Covington Catholic's Andrew Boh defends in the 200 individual medley. Simon Kenton's Parker Davis holds the 50 freestyle title. Ryle junior Tyler Rice is back in the 100 breaststroke.

Covington Catholic hired former Scott High School standout Chris Seitz as its new coach in September. Seitz is a three-time state champion who swam at the University of Texas, LINK nky reported.

The KHSAA boys state results from February show Louisville St. Xavier won the boys team championship. Ryle was among the schools that claimed individual event titles at that meet.

Season opener

Several area teams open the season at the Simon Kenton Sprint & Dive Meet. Notre Dame also has a trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the McCallie Invitational later in November.

The regional and state championships conclude the postseason this winter.