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Provo • It wasn't exactly the start the Mountain Crest boys' swim team had hoped for. The Mustangs' top-seeded medley relay team had to settle for third place. Across the board, the Mustangs were letting the big day weigh on their nerves.

But anchored by William Watts' come-from-behind win in the 200 IM and Timmy Bates' state title nightcap in the 50 freestyle, the Mustangs took a dominant 111-87 lead over second-place Springville after the first day of competition at the Class 4A state swim meet at BYU on Friday night. Sky View sits in a comfortable third place following a thrilling second-place finish in the 200 medley relay.

"I don't want to downplay what we accomplished today," Mountain Crest coach Yolanda Bates said, "But I hope we'll have a better day tomorrow."

Meanwhile, the Woods Cross' girls' team made it one step closer to its first-ever state swim title, earning three of the top four spots in the 50 freestyle to take a 127-105 lead over region rival Olympus after Day 1.

Saturday's competition will feature top-seeded swimmers from both teams, which should make for a close finish.

"We have the drive and motivation to make it happen," Olympus' three-time state champion, Rachel Spencer, said following her win in the 50 freestyle. "But it's going to be a battle to the end."

Park City boys, Juan Diego girls lead 3A • After the first day of 3A state swimming championships at BYU, Park City's boys took a slim lead over Desert Hills and Wasatch. For the girls, Juan Diego leads Judge Memorial and Park City heading into Saturday's final.

Juan Diego's Kelsey Leeson was the star of the day for the Soaring Eagle. The junior edged Desert Hills freshman Amelia Draney in the 200 freestyle and then ended her day in style with a victory in the 50 freestyle.

In the 200, Leeson said she was so focused on cutting through the water, she didn't realize she was in the lead. "It was awesome," she said. "I guess I was ahead of her by a lot, but I didn't even notice — I was just focused."

The Park City boys' swim team took second place in the 200 medley relay and Dusty Ragland won the 50 free. Park City coach Mike Werner said his team swam great, but expects several teams to step up and give them a run for their money.

"It's so wide open, I never look at the scores on paper, because you never know who's going to show up and swim. If things keep going [the way they are], it could be good, it could be really good."

Oakley's Ben Branham scored a mild upset over the field, with his victory in the 200 individual medley. —

Highlights

R Mountain Crest boys and Woods Cross girls take early leads in 4A.

• Park City's boys and Juan Diego's girls are tops so far in 3A.