If there is one can’t-miss swimming meet all season, it is Thursday’s Foothill League finals.

But ask longtime Hart head coach Steve Neale and Tuesday’s league prelims not only set the stage for the most important meet of the year, but the most dramatic one in his nearly 30-year tenure.

Despite many swimmers gliding into the finals and their respective times down as a result, Thursday’s finals still began to take shape with the Hart girls showing strong depth, and the Hart, Valencia and West Ranch boys continuing their tight push for a league title on Tuesday at the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center.

“I don’t think it has been this exciting in my whole career,” Neale said. “We’ve had two teams complete for a title, but we’ve never had three teams. And we’ve never had spoiler teams.”

The Wildcats come in with the early advantage, having finished first with a 5-0 recording during the league dual-meet season. The Indians were second at 4-1, followed by the Vikings with a record of 3-2.

Since every team automatically gets one team in the 200-yard medley relay, 200-freestyle relay and 400-freestyle relay, only the individual events were raced Tuesday.

Finals and consolation-finals participants all receive points, with 20 points going to the first-place finisher, scaled back to one for 16th.

As a result, every swimmer in Thursday’s finals will have a chance to shape the race.

On Tuesday, the Indians scored the most top qualifying times, though many of the day’s competitors were saving their energy for Thursday’s meet.

On the boys side, Hart’s Konrad Antoniuk qualified first in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 46.11 seconds, but added time to his 500 freestyle time for a fifth-place finish and an outside lane, away from West Ranch’s Riley Mita, who was second in 4:51.55.

Indians sophomore Mitch Johnson took first in the 500 freestyle in 4:45.45, while teammate Alex Ngan qualified first in the 50 freestyle (21.84) and the 100 backstroke (54.56).

For the Wildcats, Kyle Burke took the top spot in the 100 breaststroke.

“The boys seem to be good,” said West Ranch head coach Aaron Worby, who had a few swimmers bumped out of the top eight and into the consolation finals. “We missed a couple, which puts a little stress and pressure on the guys, which might work to our advantage as they begin to feel that pressure.”

Not to be outdone, Valencia’s Bob Hwang took the top qualifying times in the 200 individual medley (1:59.01) and 100 butterfly (51.66).

“We are still trying to prove a point — that Hart and West Ranch aren’t the only good teams,” said Vikings head coach Mike Bechtholdt. “We had a lot of good swims, which put us in a place to win the meet.”

Canyon’s Nui Harris took the top spot in the 100 freestyle with a time of 48.69, while his teammate on the girls’ side, Kearsten Livingstone, qualified first in the 100 butterfly (57.68) and 100 backstroke (1:00.04).

“Everything I wanted and even more is happening,” said Cowboys head coach Steve Himes. “Guys and girls that I didn’t think would get into the finals are in the finals.”

The girls will have a tough task with Hart entering the competition as the consensus favorite among the coaches to take the girls title.

Indians senior Maggie Hanson qualified first in the 200 IM (2:08.42) and teammate Nicole Antoniuk took the 500 freestyle (5:08.48).

Valencia’s Micaela Velasquez took first in the 200 freestyle (1:56.21) and 100 freestyle (54.23).

Golden Valley’s Michelle Duraj recorded top times in the 50 freestyle (24.40) and 100 breaststroke (1:05.88).

“She is probably going to make a run for the 50 freestyle league record,” said Grizzlies head coach Jenn Marsden, who also noted many of her swimmers’ time cuts, including senior Trevor Terpening, who dropped in the 500 freestyle to a season-best 5:56.63. “Pretty much everyone dropped time. Our training over the last few weeks really paid off.”

On the day, many swimmers followed suit with strong performances and personal-best times, including Saugus’ Luke Rowley, who took third in the 50 freestyle (22.75) and 100 freestyle (49.61), which earned him a CIF-Southern Section Division I consideration time in the event.

Come Thursday, every point will be crucial as the meet could come down to the final event of the day, as many dual meets did during the regular season.

“When it comes time for the 400-free relay, you’ll probably hear this place get the loudest it has ever been,” said Centurions head coach Vicky Donnelly. “I get goose bumps just thinking about it.”