With the state tennis tournaments for 5A, 4A, and 3A only days away, speculation regarding both teams and individual players is running rampant.
Coaches are frantically crunching numbers, trying to figure out what each of their players will have to do for a shot at the title. But in a sport where the outcome of a match depends on the bounce of a fickle green ball, predictions are practically useless.
With that in mind, here is a quick look at a few schools and athletes to keep an eye on this weekend:
5A
The last two months have done little to separate the contenders from the pretenders; depending on how the cookie crumbles, any number of teams could conceivably take home the title.
"Any team could win it all," said Viewmont coach Paul Baniewicz. "There is lots of parity in 5A this year."
Baniewicz's Vikings, who are coming off their first outright region title in more than 10 years, will certainly be in the mix. Senior Alicia Bills finished first in third singles play at the Region 1 tourney, and she will have to perform equally well for the Vikings to make a title run.
For Viewmont to have a shot at winning, they will have to survive a first-round showdown with Region 2, which includes defending champ Skyline and the upset-minded Alta Hawks. Seniors Elisabeth Orth, Katie Johnston and Christiana Pinburough lead a team of Eagles that is as deep and talented as ever.
"We have as good of a shot as anyone," said Skyline coach Joanie Daily. "The girls on our team have a lot of tournament experience, and I think that will be an advantage for us."
As good as those teams are, they hardly have a monopoly on 5A's talent. Bingham High established themselves as a legitimate contender by running away with the Region 3 crown, and Lone Peak features some of the top singles players in the West.
In addition to dominating the team competition, 5A's parity has also spilled over into first singles competition. Five different girls each have their eyes on the prize, and any of them could win under the right circumstances.
Kristina Doerr of Lone Peak is the defending champ, but she has also been playing with a giant red target on her back for the past year. In other words, every girl with a racket will be out to get her.
Region 2 is home to thee of the players with the best shot at dethroning Doerr; Ashley Tanner of Alta, Kimi Watts of Brighton and Skyline's Orth all have the necessary talent to beat the champ.
The most determined player, however, has got to be Kourtney Young of West Jordan. Young is every bit as talented as the other three, and her unshakeable confidence in her own abilities gives her an edge that the other girls might lack.
"I can beat her," said Young. "I've been playing really well lately, so I'm not too worried about state."
4A
While parity rules in 5A, the power hierarchy in 4A is already well in place. The Orem Tigers have the inside track in the title race, and the state tournament is looking more and more like it will be a family affair.
The Tigers boast a three-headed singles monster in Kaitlin, Callie and Kelsey Craig, all of whom will likely be favored to win their respective positions. Although there is some debate over who should play where, everyone in 4A agrees that the sisters Craig are the top trio in the state.
"Orem is going to be tough to beat," said Murray coach Crystal Spackman. "Those three girls are really something. I'd say that they have a pretty good chance of sweeping all three singles positions."
Spackman has a pretty good singles player of her own in Amanda Jensen, a junior who finished second in first singles one year ago. Jensen hasn't been challenged much this season, and is looking forward to a rematch with defending state champ Hailey Swenson of Woods Cross.
"Hailey is a really good player," said Jensen of Swenson. "It will be fun to see her again at state."
Although several teams have improved dramatically since the beginning of the season, it remains to be seen whether or not any of them have the combination of talent and depth needed to challenge the Tigers.
Olympus High came out on top of a very hotly contested Region 6, but the Titans were hardly dominant. They won only one position, a statistic that doesn't bode well for their chances at state.
Bountiful, East and Timpveiw will also be in the mix, but all of them will need to play extremely well if they hope to seriously challenge Orem. Make no mistake, this is the Tigers' title to lose.
3A
As long as Pineview remains in 3A, the rest of the division will be chasing their tennis team. This year, however, Judge Memorial, Park City and Juan Diego all have a shot at beating St. George's finest.
The heated rivalry between Judge and Park City will finally come to a head in the tourney's most interesting subplot. Emily Kennedy of Judge and Ali McMahon of Park City are the top players in Region 10, and both of them are capable of making a run at the title.
"I think that some of the strongest teams in Utah are in 3A," said Judge head coach Lani Wilcox. "Some of the bigger schools get a little more attention sometimes, but the kids in 3A can play with the best of them."
The two biggest names involved in this year's title race are singles aces Page Miles and Nina Nadakovic of Juan Diego. The Soaring Eagle's title hopes will live and die with the two seniors, both of whom have extensive experience on the national level.
"I think it will come down to the doubles teams," said Wilcox. "Most girls don't seem to play aggressive doubles."