Eastern Independent School Championships

By Brian Savard

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, February 27. THE Baylor School men picked up their second championship in two weeks when they dominated the 108th Eastern Independent School Championships, a meet that is touted as one of the oldest and most prestigious high school meets in the country.

The Baylor School has accomplished more in one season than most schools have in their programs' histories. The Baylor School first broke onto the 2007-08 swimming scene by swimming a long-distance dual meet where its athletes got a chance to swim events swum in a collegiate meet in the fall. Then, they set nine short course meter national records in a dual meet in January. The team's next stop was the Tennessee State Championships, where both teams took home state titles and head coach Dan Flack was named Coach of the Year for both genders.

So when the Baylor School team traveled northeast 760 miles to Philadelphia, Pa., something magical was bound to happen.

Team Scores
The Peddie School battled with Germantown Academy for first place in the women's competition and won by a final score of 290-276. The Baylor School trailed well behind with a third-place showing (207).

The Baylor School men walloped the field, scoring a meet-high 312 points. LaSalle College High School took second with 156.5 points while the Peddie School placed third (139).

Flack said that he has some goals for his program in the short run as well as the long run.

"Immediately, we have some students who will be trying to make the Olympic Trials and the Olympic ‘B' cuts in the upcoming weeks," Flack said. "Long term, the goal is when people think of the independent schools and swimming programs, that the Baylor School of Chattanooga, Tenn., is the first name on the list."

Women's Individual Results
Kate Riefenstahl of Germantown Academy rocketed to two individual wins, adding her name to the nation's list of elite middle-distance freestylers this season. Riefenstahl darted out to a quick start in the 200 freestyle, splitting a 24.38. She turned at the 100 mark in an impressive 51.30 and then held on to clock a 1:46.60. Her performance lowered her meet record of 1:47.42, which she set last year. Despite the incredibly fast time, Riefenstahl's effort fell short of Kate Ziegler's national standard of 1:45.49. Riefenstahl demolished the field in the 500 freestyle as well, clocking a 4:47.40.

Spindrift Beck of the Hockaday School set a meet record in the 100 breaststroke, an event where she holds the national independent school record, clocking a 1:01.33 in finals. Her swim erased the mark of 1:03.07, which was swum once by Amy Balcerzak of the Peddie School in 1995 and again by Heather Holtom of Penn Charter last year. Beck also swam an event-best 1:59.78 in the 200 IM.

Teresa Crippen from Germantown Academy, a Swimming World five-star recruit who will head off to Florida in the fall, tied a meet record and broke a second. Crippen unleashed a quick 100 butterfly time of 54.60, tying the meet record that Anne-Marie Botek of McDonough set in 2005. Crippen returned in the 100 backstroke, posting a 54.16 time. Crippen's backstroke performance eclipsed the 1995 record of 55.05 set by Margo Diamond of the Peddie School.

Germantown Academy roped in two first-place finishes in the relay events. The 200 freestyle relay team of Riefenstahl, Liza McDevitt, Sarah Aemisegger and Crippen sprinted to a 1:34.41 time while Germantown Academy's 400 freestyle relay (Riefenstahl, McDevitt, Bridget Casey and Crippen) combined for a 3:26.34 time.

Men's Individual Results
Evan Reed of Delaware County Christian took the 200 freestyle and tied for first in the 100 freestyle. Reed used a strong back half of his 200 freestyle to propel him to a 1:39.37 win. Reed then tied Lawrenceville's Peter Geissinger, tapping in at 45.18. Reed is a Swimming World five-star recruit who will head down to Chapel Hill, N.C., in the fall to attend the University of North Carolina.

Geissinger shared similar success to Reed, taking first in another event as well. Geissinger stopped the clock at 20.53 in the 50 freestyle, placing first. Geissinger is a Swimming World three-star recruit who will attend the University of Virginia next season.

Brad Hamilton of the Baylor School tucked two individual event wins under his belt. Hamilton smoked the field, going a 50.36 in the 100 butterfly. He took the last individual event of the meet as well, covering the 100 breaststroke in 57.16. Hamilton is a Swimming World three-star recruit who, along with Reed, will attend the University of North Carolina next season.

Connor Signorin of the Peddie School swam his way to two individual event victories as well. Signorin used the breaststroke leg of the 200 IM to jump into first, finishing the event in 1:53.45. He also placed first in the 500 freestyle (4:30.98).

The Baylor School men claimed two of the three relay titles. Reese Shirey, Hamilton, Greg Roop and Michael Vredeveld let it loose in the 200 medley relay, cruising to a scorching time of 1:32.64. The time fell short of Mercersburg's legendary meet record of 1:31.10. The 200 freestyle relay quartet of Hamilton, Shirey, Josh Sosna and Vredeveld staved off Geissinger's Lawrenceville relay, clocking a meet-best 1:24.12.

Diving Results
Kyle Bonus of Penn Charter topped the women's competition, scoring a 341.25. Allison DeCamp of Notre Dame came in second (316.60) while Imogen Cain took third (308.85).

Jeff Cragg of Germantown Academy easily took the men's title, placing first with a score of 528.90. Jordan Mauney of the Baylor School took the silver medal (455.70) while Alex Marple from Malvern Prep placed third (401.55).

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