Bainbridge High School will send 16 girls to the state 3A swimming and diving championship meet at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way this weekend.

The state meet is Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16.

It’s been a stellar season for the Spartans, who went undefeated this year and bested not only Mercer Island, the defending 3A champions, but also defending 4A state champs Newport.

The Spartans also prevailed against many of the top teams in the Puget Sound region.

The team heads to state after competing in the District 2 Championship meet, considered the toughest district for girls swimming in Washington.

The Spartans will be defending their back-to-back state championship titles in the 200-yard medley relay. Bainbridge’s Mikelle Ackerley, Natalie Ackerley, Shayla Archer and Amanda Comeau are scheduled to swim in the third heat of preliminaries Friday.

They have the best time of any team in the event, 1:49.82.

Swimmers McKenzie Bell, Carina Laukaitis and Candice Rosen will also be defending the school’s two-time title in the 500-yard freestyle, as set by Sarah Grundman in 2011 and 2012.

The BHS state swimmers include McKenzie, Laukaitis, Rosen, Ana Bucy, Melinda Carr, Ani Duni, Julia Lapin, Allison Murphy, Zora Opalka, Cammie Rouser, Amanda Sellman and Erin Williams.

Additional events the team will be competing in include the 200-yard freestyle, the 200-yard individual medley, the 50-yard freestyle, one meter diving, the 100-yard butterfly, the 100-yard freestyle, the 100-yard backstroke, the 100-yard breaststroke and the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Bainbridge finished as the number 2 team in the state at last year’s meet.