10 Records Fall as Churchill Boys, Sherwood Girls Repeat as Maryland 3A/4A State Champions

Photo Courtesy: Churchill Athletics Twitter (@DawgsSports)

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The 2019 Maryland 3A/4A State Swimming and Diving Championships took place on Saturday, Feb. 23 at the University of Maryland’s Eppley Recreation Center in College Park, Md.

For the second-straight year, Winston Churchill boys earned the team title with a final score of 312 ahead of Richard Montgomery (279) and Montgomery Blair (223). Sherwood also repeated as girls champions, winning with 285.5 points ahead of Bethesda-Chevy Chase (259) and Walter Johnson (192.5).

A total of 10 Maryland state records were broken at this meet:

Walter Johnson’s Timmy Ellett – 200 IM
Quince Orchard’s Catherine Belyakov – 200 IM
Churchill’s Steven Mendley – 50 free
Churchill’s Steven Mendley – 100 free
Wheaton’s Alex Colson – 100 fly
Walter Johnson Boys – 4×50 free relay
Walter Johnson Girls – 4×50 free relay
Churchill’s Noah Rutberg – 100 back
Churchill Boys – 4×100 free relay
Quince Orchard Girls – 4×100 free relay

Click HERE for full results.

Boys Meet

Top 5 Team Scores:

Churchill – 312
Richard Montgomery – 279
Montgomery Blair – 223
Walter Johnson – 219
Walt Whitman – 201

Richard Montgomery’s Andrew Eliason (24.36), John Clado (26.43), Connor Din (22.89) and Chris Ma (21.65) began the meet by winning the 4×50 medley relay in 1:35.33. Din later won the 500 free in 4:37.32.

Wheaton’s Alex Colson cruised to first in the 200 free, stopping the clock in 1:39.72 as the only swimmer in the field under the 1:40-barrier and was just shy of Ben Lawless‘ state record of 1:39.40. Colson then won the 100 fly, racing to the wall in 48.31 to break his own state record of 49.08 he set at this meet last year.

Walter Johnson’s Timmy Ellett stole the show in the 200 IM, winning by four seconds with a final time of 1:49.02 to destroy his own Maryland state record of 1:52.11 he set last season. Ellett then went on to win the 100 breast, getting his hands to the wall first in 56.37.

Churchill’s Steven Mendley splashed-and-dashed his way to a win in the 50 free, winning the event in a quick 20.98 to break Matthew Essing’s 2016 state record of 21.15. He proved his sprint talent by also winning the 100 free in 46.29 to eclipse Griffin Alaniz‘s state mark of 46.45 set three years ago.

Walter Johnson’s James Collishaw (22.20), Ellett (20.62), Henry Bagshaw (21.98) and Sean Keller (21.63) combined to win the 4×50 free relay in 1:26.43, just under Richard Montgomery’s state mark of 1:26.50 set in 2017.

Churchill’s Noah Rutberg powered home to a win in the 100 back, finishing in 50.03 to lower Mason Young’s state record of 50.10 set in 2018 by seven-hundredths. Sherwood’s Max Winrich dove to first on the 1-meter board with a final score of 490.15.

Churchill’s Ziad Bandak (48.56), John Nguyen (47.60), Rutberg (47.15) and Mendley (46.03) concluded the boys’ meet with a bang by combining to with the 4×100 free relay in 3:09.34, taking a second off their own 2017 state record of 3:10.33.

Girls Meet

Top 5 Team Scores:

Sherwood – 285.5
Bethesda-Chevy Chase – 259
Walter Johnson – 192.5
Quince Orchard – 191
Churchill – 189

Bethesda-Chevy Chase’s Samantha Smith (27.24), Jazz Barry (28.93), Christina Trnkus (25.50) and Ailey Gold (25.06) began the girls’ meet by winning the opening 4×50 medley relay in 1:46.73.

Walter Johnson’s Molly Benson cruised to first in the 200 free, stopping the clock in 1:50.95 to win by a full second. Walt Whitman’s Sophie Reilly flew to the top of the podium in the 100 fly, touching the wall in 55.91 for the victory.

Quince Orchard’s Catherine Belyakov lit the pool on fire in the 200 IM, winning by three seconds with a final time of 2:01.41 to crush her own Maryland state record of 2:02.36 she set last year. Belyakov then went on to win the 100 breast, getting her hands to the wall in 1:02.71.

Sherwood’s Amanda Wenhold splashed-and-dashed her way to the state title in the 50 free, posting a quick 24.23 to edge out Barry (24.24) for the win. Wenhold’s teammate, Sophia Ryan, powered home to a win in the 100 back with a final time of 56.66.

Montgomery Blair’s Alexandra Marney-Bell earned first place in the 100 free, sprinting her way to the win in 52.04 to hold off Magruder’s Natalie Dobrzykowski (52.05). Sherwood’s Kaitlin Gravell led the charge in the 500 free, winning in 4:55.59 as the first of only two swimmers to break the five-minute marker.

Walter Johnson’s Benson (23.70), Maya Drill (24.03), Jane Umhofer (23.84) and Lianna Rosman (24.56) combined to win the 4×50 free relay in 1:36.13, sneaking under Montgomery Blair’s state mark of 1:36.74 set in 2018. Linganore’s Jessica Buntman won the 1-meter diving with 413.10 points.

Quince Orchard’s Belyakov (51.32), Marisa Tozzi (54.29), Emily Mann (52.74) and Anastasia Belyakov (51.77) concluded the meet with a bang by combining to win the 4×100 free relay in 3:30.12, taking a half-second off Churchill’s 2017 state record of 3:30.74.

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