HOLLAND - The Pioneer and Saline boys high school swimming team wasted money on hotel rooms, buses and gas Friday. Both teams traveled to the Holland Aquatic Center for the Division 1 boys state championships when they could have just stayed at home and faced each other.

After the preliminary rounds, it's pretty much a two-team race, with one clear cut leader.

Saline is in prime position to capture its first ever boys swimming state title after taking up 17 championship heat slots and five consolation slots. The defending state champion Pioneers will have ten scorers in Saturday’s championship heats and 10 more in the consolation heats.

“We did a good job today,” said Saline coach Todd Brunty. “No surprises, our mindset all season has been to get us to the point we are right now.”

The top two teams in the state all year, Saline bested Pioneer in a dual meet and Pioneer got the best of the Hornets at the SEC Red Championships. On paper, it looks like Saline all but has the rubber match wrapped up.

Don’t tell that to Brunty.

“(Saturday) we need to make sure we swim like it’s a championship situation,” Brunty said. “We have a lot of work to do, we’re still talking about moving up one place in each event…the score is still zero, zero.”

“I’m happy with my team, proud of how they swam today, but Saline did really well,” said Pioneer coach Denny Hill. “We had a lot of kids making big drops today and I was happy with that.”

In diving, Pioneer’s defending state champion Nick Nemetz is just two points out of second place with 197.2 points. Clarkston’s Jordan Zendejas has a commanding lead with 221.45 points. Huron’s Jeff Camalo is in fifth while Saline’s Hank Remenapp is in 18th place. (Full Results)

More Division 1 Coverage: | Stories and Photos on MLive.com

MORE SWIMMING

DIVISION 2 Dreadnaughts to score in 10 events: There are 12 swimming events (and diving) at a swim meet and Dexter will score in all but one of them at the Division 2 state championships at Oakland University.

Ten individuals and two relay teams will score on the final day after posting times in the top 16 on Friday.

"This is shaping up to be our best meet in my four-year history with the team," said Dexter coach Mike McHugh. "It's going to be a dogfight between us and Battle Creek Lakeview for sixth place, it should come down to the the last races." (Full Results)

More Division 2 Coverage: Stories and Photos on MLive.com

DIVISION 3 Big Reds in top five: The Milan 200 medley relay team of Tyler Digesare, Aaron Marken, Tyler Fisher and Dylan Shearer recorded the top time in Friday's preliminaries at Eastern Michigan University.

After the first day, Milan is in fourth place.

"We swam fast for us today," said Milan coach Dan Heikka. "I have a relatively small team and they really came through." (Full Results)

More Division 3 coverage: Stories and Photos on MLive.com.