School: Clovis West High

He's qualified because: Guided the Golden Eagles girls to a 14th consecutive title scoring 454 points. Baxter also produced seven individual and four relay champions.

He said it: "It's getting tougher and tougher. With new schools being built, we're getting smaller and smaller. We have not had a real large group come out in many years. But our goal is to take [the winning streaks] as long as it can go." — Baxter

For a coach who has presided over the Central Section's premier swimming program for the past 14 years, the 2010 season will stand out for Clovis West coach Steve Baxter.

Consider some of the reasons:

The Golden Eagles extended their streaks of section championships to 14 straight.

Clovis West had seven individual and four relay section champions May 22 in Bakersfield, pushing the totals to 80 individual and 49 relays that have won titles during Baxter's 14 years at the helm.

And to top it off, Baxter had the pleasure of watching his youngest child, daughter Tristin, win the 12th through 15th gold medals of her nearly unmatched four-year career before sending her off to Arizona State, one of three seniors who will swim for Division I colleges next season.

Combine those achievements and you have what three-time Bee Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year Baxter called "the Camelot of swimming years at Clovis West."

"In the past, we've had kids who worked hard and kids you had to battle every workout," Baxter said. "This year, the chemistry started right off the bat. Everyone worked hard. For all the coaches, it was our favorite year."

While acknowledging the cupboard is far from bare, Baxter said it's getting tougher and tougher for the Golden Eagles to stay on top despite outscoring second-place Buchanan 454-203 at the section meet.

During his tenure at Clovis West, Baxter has seen the size of his team dwindle from as many as 120 swimmers and divers to 70 last season, the smallest group he's coached.

But if the quantity of swimmers is dropping, the quality remains as strong as ever. Baxter said 40 of his 62 swimmers achieved Central Section Championships time standards, which has been a key to the program's continued success.

"We have kids who make the cut and they are No. 8 here," Baxter said. "But they still work hard and are a part of this whole spirited thing."