With representatives in 11 of the 12 events, Aberdeen is eyeing a top-five team finish in state swimming.

The District IV champion Bobcats will compete in the State 2A Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday and Saturday the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

The 2A classification will occupy the graveyard shift at state this year in a meet in which the 4A, 3A and 2A classes rotate starting times on a three-year cycle. Preliminaries begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, with the finals set for 7:10 p.m. Saturday.

Despite Aberdeen’s domination of district competition, Bobcat coach Jan Simons isn’t particularly optimistic about cracking the top three in the state team standings. North Kitsap, Port Angeles and Liberty of Issaquah are the team favorites.

“At district, our quality depth plays a big part,” Simons said. “When you get to state, you’ve got to be up there (with top-three finishes in several events). We’ll probably be in the top six. We’re a good, solid team.”

The top eight qualifiers in each event advance to Saturday’s championship finals. The next eight qualifiers will swim in the consolation finals Saturday.

Aberdeen freshman Anna Weber is seeded second in the 100-yard breaststroke. Her best time of 1:06.77 is less than one-tenth of a second behind top-seeded Abby Russell of Liberty.

Simons believes Aberdeen’s Kayleia Sias also has an outside shot at a state 100-yard backstroke title. Sias is seeded eighth, but Simons noted “the difference between first and eighth is two seconds.”

Aberdeen’s 200 medley relay team of Mackayla Waltee, Weber, Sias and probably Karli Heikkila is seeded fourth. Mary Lang, one of three Bobcats to qualify in diving, is seeded sixth and the 200 free relay team of Heikkila, Katie Lewis, Melissa May and Sias is seeded seventh.

May, Heikkila and Lewis will also compete in individual swimming events, with Trudy Butcher and Tatum Heikkila taking part in diving.

The Bobcats, in fact, came close to having participants in all 12 events. Karli Heikkila was offered a wild-card berth in the 50 freestyle (the only event in which Aberdeen did not muster a top-three district finish). Simons declined that bid, however, to keep Heikkila eligible for three relays.