Barbee, Hamblin Enter State Swim Meet as Top Seeds
Boulder Creek's Delaney Barbee and Dobson's Madelyn Hamblin hold the top times in their events heading into the Arizona state championships this weekend.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Swimming
Arizona's state swimming championships take place Friday and Saturday, with Division I and II races at Skyline and Division III at Phoenix Country Day. Senior Delaney Barbee of Boulder Creek and senior Madelyn Hamblin of Dobson enter holding leading times in their individual events.
Why it matters
The meet closes out the high school swimming season for Arizona's top athletes, with several competitors seeking one final strong performance. Barbee's 50 freestyle state record and her season-best times give the state's fastest sprinters a clear benchmark for the weekend.
Barbee holds the state record in the 50 freestyle at 22.74 and enters with a season-best 23.05, while leading Division I in the 100 freestyle at 51.05 and sitting second in the 200 freestyle at 1:52.23. Hamblin posts the top Division I backstroke time at 56.79, with final results not yet available.
The players
Delaney Barbee
A senior at Boulder Creek and state record holder in the 50 freestyle, who is headed to the University of Arizona after the meet.
Madelyn Hamblin
A senior at Dobson who enters the state meet with the top Division I backstroke time this season.
The details
Barbee, a senior at Boulder Creek, began swimming through rec swim after leaving gymnastics following an arm injury, then joined a club team. Hamblin, a senior at Dobson, started with the Dobson Dolphins at an early age and focused on the sport after her older brother Carson was injured playing with a toy helicopter.
Timeline
Wednesday: Division I diving at Phoenix Country Day
Thursday: Division II diving at Phoenix Country Day
Friday and Saturday: Division I and II swimming at Skyline; Division III swimming and diving at Phoenix Country Day
Season Trajectory
This weekend's meet caps the Arizona high school swimming season and is the final chance for seniors like Barbee and Hamblin to post their best marks before college. Barbee's planned move to the University of Arizona places her on the path from the state's high school ranks to the Wildcats program.
Fans following Arizona high school swimming can track the top seeds in each event across the Friday and Saturday sessions at Skyline and Phoenix Country Day. Barbee's and Hamblin's results will show whether their season-best times hold up in the state's most competitive heats.
The takeaway
Watching the top seeds in both divisions is the clearest way to see how Arizona's best high school swimmers finish their seasons. Barbee and Hamblin's results will show how close the state's sprint and backstroke fields are heading into the final weekend.
What happens next
Division I and II swimming at Skyline and Division III swimming and diving at Phoenix Country Day take place Friday and Saturday.
Further reading
For more on the event, see Swimming coverage across Arizona.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Azpreps365.
