Baylor School Boys Shoot Down 200 Medley Relay National Record On Way To Tennessee State Title

By Eric Finger

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, February 17. THE Baylor School boys’ swimming and diving team won the TISCA Tennessee High School Swimming and Diving Championships Saturday evening after finishing second to Montgomery Bell the year before, scoring 341 points and winning all three relays and six of the eight individual swimming events. Memphis University School came in second with 191 points and Webb School of Knoxville took third with 159.

In the first of the three relay wins for Baylor School, they boys broke the national independent record in the 200 medley relay. The relay team of Luke Kaliszak (21.81), Dustin Tynes (24.83), Sam McHugh (21.02) and Christian Selby (20.08) went a time of 1:27.74, shattering the previous state record set by Montgomery in 2012 and the former national independent record set by the Bolles School by three tenths of a second. Finishing in second and third, roughly ten seconds behind Baylor School, were Memphis Home Educators Association in a time of 1:37.29 and Memphis University School at 1:37.55.

Walker Higgins out of Smhea Flyers won the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:38.89, slightly ahead of Bearden’s Hayden Burns (1:39.17). Matthew Beach from Centennial went a 1:39.61 for third, the only other swimmer under the 1:40 mark.

In the 200 IM, Baylor School got back to its winning ways thanks to Sam McHugh, who broke the state record in a time of 1:46.29, five seconds faster than he went in prelims. McHugh broke Kyle Owens’ record set in 2009 by just under a second. Daniel Chang from Science Hill came in second, posting a time of 1:50.83, and Bryar Long from Bearden High rounded out the top three by finishing in 1:51.62.

Baylor School’s Luke Kalisak, broke the third state record of the evening, going a 20.43 in the 50 freestyle. The previous record was set by former Baylor School great Brian Lee in 2011. John Myhre from Webb School of Knoxville went a time of 21.07 and followed Kalisak in second. Third went to Will Arthur from Hardin Valley, as he finished in a 21.20.

Charlie Clifton out of Ensworth High School scored a whopping 531.10 points to win diving. Following him in second and third were teammates Jacob Siler and Paul Bretscher out of L&N Stem Academy, who scored 463.35 and 394.95 points, respectively.

In the final event on Friday night, the 100 butterfly, Matthew Beach from Centennial won the event in a time of 48.82. Bearden’s Ryan Burcham came in second after touching first in a blistering 22.52, but he could not hold off Beach and finished in 49.81. James Bretscher from L&N Stem Academy placed third in 50.34.

On the second day of competition, Baylor School got another win and another state record, as Christian Selby went a 44.76 in his 100 freestyle to break U.S. Olympian Gil Stovall’s 2004 record by .03. John Myhre from Webb School followed in 45.43, while Smhea’s Walker Higgins, winner of the 200 free earlier in the meet, picked up another top-three finish with a 46.45.

After breaking the 200 IM state record and 200 medley relay national record, Sam McHugh got at it again, shattering the state record in the 500 freestyle by five seconds and shaving 21 seconds from his prelims time with a 4:16.76. Sean Ryan held the previous record. Hayden Burns of Bearden got second in a time of 4:33.35, his second top-three finish of the meet. Will Barton from St. Georges Independent swam a 4:36.57 to take third.

For the first time in the meet, Baylor School won an event without setting a state record, the 200 freestyle relay. The foursome of Kaliszak, Chandler Hinson, Tynes, and Selby won with an Automatic All-American time of 1:23.23. Memphis University School and Webb School of Knoxville finished second and third in times of 1:26.39 and 1:26.40, respectively.

Luke Kaliszak broke his third state record of the meet in the 100 backstroke, going a 47.36 in prelims and 47.82 in finals to wipe out Michael Sheppard’s 48.00 from 2010. Second place went to Will Arthur from Hardin Valley, as he touched in 50.50, followed by Brentwood’s Jackson DeFore in 51.07.

In the final individual event of the evening, the 100 breast, Baylor School’s Dustin Tynes, also a part of the national record-breaking medley relay, won in a time of 55.77. He was followed closely by Daniel Chang of Science Hill, who earned his second top-three finish with a time of 56.58. Middle Tennessee’s Ethan Browne posted a 56.67 to take third.

The meet concluded in exciting fashion as Baylor School’s relay of McHugh, Hinson, Will Raines and Selby broke the state record by .01, going a 3:04.00. Baylor School also held the previous mark of 3:04.01, set in 2009. Second place went to Webb School of Knoxville in an All-American Consideration time of 3:09.08, while Memphis University School came in third in a time of 3:10.65. Baylor School finished the meet with one national record and seven state records.

Results For: Tennessee Boys’ High School State Championships

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