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Photo by Theo Tate

Alton's Noah Clancy competes in the Springfield Sectional last year. Clancy and the Redbirds will compete in the Edwardsville Sectional on Saturday.

A year ago, Noah Clancy became the first Alton swimmer since Maddie Monroe in 2012 to earn all-state honors.

Now, he's looking to become the first Alton swimmer since Monroe to receive an all-state medal in back-to-back years.

But first, the Alton senior will have to qualify out of the Edwardsville Sectional on Saturday at the Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center. Alton, Marquette Catholic and Granite City are the only AdVantage area teams in the 14-team event, which starts at 9 a.m.  

There is a total of 18 swimmers between the three teams. Granite City has eight swimmers, while Alton and Marquette have five apiece.

Clancy, Caden Akal, Jack Criter, Wesley Dugan and Brandon Mahnesmith make up the Alton team, coached by Garth Akal. Clancy plans to swim in the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard breaststroke and Akal will compete in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle.

Last year, Clancy and Akal helped the Redbirds qualify for the state meet in a school-record seven events and win sectional titles in four of them at the Springfield Sectional.  Clancy was first in the 100-yard backstroke. He and Akal helped the 200-yard medley and freestyle relay teams place first.

Clancy competed at state for the second year in a row in '18. He placed ninth in the 100-yard backstroke in 50.68 seconds at the IHSA state meet in Evanston High School, becoming the first Alton boy swimmer to receive all-state notice.

Monroe is the only Alton girl swimmer to earn all-state honors. She placed ninth in the 100-yard freestyle in 2011 and third in the same event the next year.

Clancy was one of four Alton swimmers who competed at the state meet a year ago. The others were Caden and Cole Akal and Matt Daniel. Daniel and Cole Akal have graduated.

Noah Cain, Dawson James, Griffin James, Jacob Kahn, Wyatt Loftus, Ryan Mihu, Bennett Smallie and Matt Wilson make up the Granite City swimming team, coached by Linda Ames and Paige Eavenson. Last year, Cain, Wilson, Smallie and Dawson James earned a medal in the 400-yard medley relay at sectionals after the team finished fifth.

The Warriors finished second to Edwardsville in the Southern Illinois High School Championships on Feb. 7 at Edwardsville. Cain finished first in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 100-yard butterfly.

Sophomores Luke Daniel and Jake Roth and freshman Luke Schwegel, Jacob Graves and Logan Randazzo are the Marquette swimmers. Daniel and Roth are competing in sectionals for the second year in a row.

Alton, Marquette and Granite City are ineligible in the team scoring since they don't swim all year around.

The top finisher in each event at sectional qualifies for the state meet on Feb. 22-23 at New Trier High School in Winnetka.