The Prior Lake boys swimming team has finished in the top 10 at state three of the last four years.

But getting back into the top 10 in the Class AA team standings again this winter could be a little more difficult. Prior Lake's top-two swimmers are back in senior Henry Skinner and junior Sean Dwyer, along with senior diver PJ Lenz.

But to improve on last year's ninth-place finish at state, the Lakers will need other swimmers to step up.

Prior Lake opened the season Dec. 8 with a 104-51 South Suburban Conference dual win over Burnsville. The Lakers were second in their own invite the next day, finishing with 455 points. Shakopee won (588).

Farmington was third (322), followed by Watertown-Mayer (233) and Apple Valley (230).

Prior Lake is back in the pool Dec. 15 at Apple Valley and is at Shakopee Dec. 19. Both SSC duals start at 6 p.m. The Lakers close out 2017 competing in the Up North Invitational in Grand Rapids Dec. 27 at 9 a.m.

Meanwhile, last winter, Lenz ended up fifth at state in diving with 391.40 points. He was a first-year diver for the Lakers. He was a top-level gymnast at TAGS until a broken arm ended his career in February of 2016. So he gave diving a try and he'll compete at the Division I level next year at West Virginia University.

Lenz is one of just three Laker divers in program history to score more than 400 points in an 11-dive competition. He had score 472.70 in the Section 2AA meet last year. Judging at state tends to be more difficult.

Kirk Schaumann holds Prior Lake's diving record of 545.50 set way back in 1976. Schaumann also holds the six-dive school mark for dual meets at 312.30. Lenz had score of 286.75 in the dual win over Burnsville.

At the invite, Lenz also took first with a score of 427.20.

Dwyer had two top-six finishes for Prior Lake at state last year, taking sixth in both the 200 and 500 freestyles. He broke the school record in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:41.26.

Dwyer also holds the school mark in the 500 freestyle (4:40.28), which he set in the state prelims last year.

Skinner tied for seventh in the 50 freestyle at state last year and was 12th in the 100 freestyle. Skinner and Dwyer were both one half of the Lakers' 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams at state last year that ended up 10th. There were two other seniors on those relays last year, so they'll need to be replaced.

At the invite, Dwyer won both the 200 freestyle (1:46.43) and the 100 freestyle (47.74) for the Lakers' two other wins, other than Lenz in diving.

The Lakers' 200 medley team of Skinner, seniors Benjamin Johnson and Lucas Pearson and eighth-grader Malcom Jones was second (1:45.56), as was the 200 freestyle team of Skinner, Dwyer, senior Will Spencer and ninth-grader Tyler Buss (3:27.99). The 200 freestyle team of Dwyer, Spencer, Pearson and Benjamin Johnson was third (1:35.39).

Skinner was second in the 50 freestyle (22.58) and the 100 backstroke (57.92). Junior Erik Thompson was second in diving (320.35). Pearson was third in the 100 butterfly (56.73), while Will was fourth (58.40). Senior Jeremy Kalinowski was third in the 100 backstroke (58.93).

Other top-six finishes for Prior Lake: Benjamin Johnson in the 100 breaststroke (6th, 1:10.87) and the 50 freestyle (5th, 24.33), sophomore Jaden Chant in the 500 freestyle (6th, 5:28.23), Kalinowski in the 50 freestyle (4th, 23.77) and Will in the 200 individual medley (5th, 2:12.55).

In the dual against Burnsville, Dwyer won the 200 individual medley (2:01.09) and the 500 freestyle (4:54.03), while Will was tops in the 50 freestyle (24.52) and 100 freestyle (52.23). Buss won the 100 backstroke (1:04.86), while Kalinowski claimed the 100 breaststroke (1:08.95) and Malcolm Jones was victorious in the 200 freestyle (2:00.21).

Skinner, Dwyer, Pearson and Benjamin Johnson teamed up to win the 200 medley relay (1:46.77), as did Will, Kalinowski and Johnson brothers (1:37.00) in the 200 freestyle relay and Dwyer, Pearson, Will and Buss in the 400 freestyle relay (3:29.21).