ELGIN — As routine as it may seem, going to the state swimming championships still makes Ellyn Rivers nervous.
The Elgin swimmer will take part in her third University Interscholastic League State Swimming and Diving Championships Friday at the Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin on the campus of the University of Texas.
This time, however, it might actually be a little different.
Rivers will be without her sister Kate Rivers, who has joined Ellyn at state championships in the previous two years, by her side.
“It’s just me and my coach now,” Ellyn said. “I won’t have someone there to swim along with me, so that will be different.”
Ellyn is a little more confident despite her sister not being by her side.
She enters the championships as the No. 4 seed in the 100 yard backstroke — Kate’s event the previous two seasons — and the No. 6 seed in the 100 butterfly.
Ellyn has swam in the 100 butterfly at the state championships in the previous two years, but has never finished in the Top 10.
If Ellyn would finish as she is seeded in both events, the junior would accomplish her goal — to get on the podium.
“I know how it goes now, so I know what I need to do when I get there and how I need to prepare,” Ellyn said. “Sleeping is the big thing. I didn’t get enough sleep my freshman year.”
Ellyn’s best chance for a medal will come in the 100 backstroke.
She placed second in the event at the Region V-4A Championships two weeks ago with a time of 58.77 seconds.
That time would have placed her in fourth place in the event last year.
Her main rival in the 100 backstroke is Region V-4A Champion Allie Sullins of Magnolia West, who beat Ellyn by six-tenths of a second.
What has Ellyn so confident in the 100 backstroke is the two second drop in her personal best time.
“I haven’t dropped that much time since I was 12,” she said.
Ellyn will also have to battle defending state champion Alex Buff of Frisco Wakeland and top seeded Kaitie Layne of Rosenberg Lamar for a medal.
Layne enters the event with a best time of 57.7 seconds.
In the 100 butterfly, Rivers has more experience, but says it’s the harder of the two events.
Her time of 59.07 seconds would have got her seventh place in 2009 and is a full second faster than her time in last year’s state championships.
Rivers will have to contend with 2009 silver medalist Emily Neubert of Waco Midway and Layne, who are the top two seeds, respectively.
The 2010 UIL Swimming and Diving Championships are scheduled to begin Friday at 10 a.m.

UIL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
When: Friday-Saturday; 4A preliminary heats begin at 10 a.m. Friday and 4A finals begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Where: Jamail Texas Swim Center, Austin
Tickets: Students: $5 per session; Adults: $10 per session. All-Tournament pass is $25.
Parking: $10 self pay at Manor Garage and Trinity Garage