Charlotte Catholic, South Mecklenburg Crowned North Carolina 4A State Swimming and Diving Champions

Agon is the proud sponsor of all high school coverage (recruiting, results, state championships, etc.) on SwimmingWorld.com. For more information about Agon, visit their website Agonswim.com.

CARY – The Charlotte Catholic School girls and South Mecklenburg High School boys took home the team trophies on Saturday at the North Carolina 4A State Swimming and Diving Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center.

Charlotte Catholic topped the field with 298.5 points, comfortably ahead of Cornelius W.A. Hough (254 points) and Greensboro Grimsley (167 points). The boys’ meet came down to the final event, with South Mecklenburg securing the team title by just two points thanks to a fifth place finish in the 400 free relay. South Mecklenburg tallied 232 points to top Green Hope (230 points) and Pfafftown Reagan (216 points) for the win.

Charlotte Catholic raced to a win in the opening 200 medley relay as Erin McCullagh, Sara Stranick, Nora McCullagh and Rebecca Postoll posted a 1:43.70, just off Hough, W.A.’s state and 4A record of 1:43.41 from last season. Amelia Gilchrist, Alexandra Kreager, Sarah Newell and Caitlin Cockcroft led Grimsley to a second place finish with their 1:46.55. Roberson, T.C.’s Camille Long, Alyssa Arwood, Mary-O Soule and Anna Newnam claimed third in 1:46.82.

In the boys’ medley relay, Reagan’s Levente Bathory, Paul Neil, Matthew Regan and Noah Medwin dipped under Providence’s 2010 state and class 4A record of 1:33.67 with a 1:33.51. South Mecklenburg almost broke the old record as well, with Nathan Murray, Jacob Rauch, Graham Cooper and Graham Weaver coming in at 1:33.82. Ardrey Kell’s Grant Murchison, Nick Spina, Jack Eudy and Connor Long came in third with a 1:34.83.

In the girls’ 200 free final, two swimmers snuck in under the state and 4A record, let by Hough, W.A.’s Erika Brown. Brown stopped the clock at 1:46.47 to take nine tenths off Jessica Merritt’s record of 1:47.37 from last year. Charlotte Catholic’s Rebecca Postoll also broke the record, finishing .03 behind Brown in 1:46.50. Corinne Martin of Northwest Guilford wrapped up third in 1:49.95.

Trey Poff of Hough, W.A. raced to victory in the boys’ 200 free final, dipping under 1:40 with a 1:39.65 for the win. Enloe’s Tom Gordon moved up from fourth to second with a 1:40.34, while East Chapel Hill’s Michael Wohl secured third in 1:41.20.

Middle Creek’s Julia Poole just missed setting a new state and 4A record in the girls’ 200 IM, coming up less than two tenths shy of Kirsten Smith’s 2:00.58 from 2008 with a 2:00.75. Poole still had plenty of cushion over second place, however, as Charlotte Catholic’s Sara Stranick touched at 2:02.06. Margaret Higgs of Hough, W.A. claimed third place honors with a 2:02.54.

In the boys’ race, Justin Ress of Cary clocked a 1:49.36 to leave the rest of the field in his wake and bring home his first state title of the day. Myers Park’s Jackson Smith held onto his second place seeding with a 1:51.59, while Tosh Kawaguchi gave Cary a 1-3 finish with his 1:52.48 for third.

After tying for first in prelims with High Point Central’s Rachel Brown, Charlotte Catholic’s Nora McCullagh separated herself from the pack in finals en route to a state title in the 50 free. She just missed her own state and 4A record of 22.88 from last year with a 22.93. Brown touched second in 23.06, just ahead of Leesville Road’s Grace Countie at 23.18.

Ragsdale’s Henry McGugan held onto his top position in the boys’ sprint final, stopping the clock at 21.00 to edge Ardrey Kell’s Connor Long (21.10) and South Mecklenburg’s Graham Weaver (21.25) for the state title.

In 1-meter diving, Panther Creek’s Kristen Hayden set a new overall and 4A state record with 507.55 points, with Hough, W.A.’s Jocelyn Porter (479.45) and East Chapel Hill’s Alyssa Wang (433.10) taking second and third. On the boys’ side, Panther Creek’s Connor Callahan posted a score of 533.05 to edge Riverside’s Aaron Daniels-Freeman (521.50) and Middle Creek’s Quinlan DeVal (517.95) for the win.

Four swimmers finished within two tenths of one another in a tight girls’ 100 fly final. Roberson, T.C.’s Mary-O Soule led the way in 55.73, with three others right behind. Ardrey Kell’s Carolyn Kammeyer picked up second in 55.91, just out-touching Charlotte Catholic’s Julia Menkhaus and Panther Creek’s Haley Bishop, who both swam a 55.93 to tie for third.

Myers Park’s Jackson Smith held off Ardrey Kell’s Connor Long for the boys’ 100 fly state championship, 49.63 to 49.99. Jared Martin of Page separated himself for third with a 50.15.

Hough, W.A.’s Emily Allen proved to be the top 100 freestyler in the state once again, just missing her own state and 4A record of 49.68 from last year with a 49.85. High Point Central’s Rachel Brown, the runner-up in the 50 free, finished second again in the 100 with a 50.02, while West Forsyth’s Ally Warnimont took third in 51.51.

Alexander Carson gave Green Hope its first win of the day in the 100 free as he hit the wall first in 45.54, the only swim under 46 of the day. East Chapel Hill’s Michael Wohl came in second with a 46.24, two tenths ahead of South Mecklenburg’s Graham Weaver (46.44).

Charlotte Catholic’s Rebecca Postoll swam away with the 500 free win, touching in 4:47.02 to easily out-distance Hough, W.A.’s Erika Brown (4:5163) and Middle Creek’s Sarah Giamber (4:53.82). Meanwhile, Cary’s Justin Ress picked up his second win of the meet in the boys’ 500, cracking 4:30 with a 4:29.08 for the win. Trey Poff of Hough, W.A. finished a second and a half behind in 4:30.47, followed by Broughton’s Colter Carman (4:33.33).

Charlotte Catholic claimed a second relay win in the 200 free relay with Julia Menkhaus, Sara Stranick, Rebecca Postoll and Nora McCullagh touching in 1:33.68, just outside their own state and 4A record of 1:33.22. Hough, W.A.’s Heidi Lowe, Lillian Higgs, Erika Brown and Emily Allen took second in 1:34.59, with Grimsley’s foursome of Caitlin Cockcroft, Sarah Newell, Alexandra Kreager and Emily Schoonhagen in third at 1:36.06.

The Green Hope squad of Chris Daniels, Henry Hollinshead, Seth Maslowski and Alexander Carson threw down a 1:25.02 to take home the boys’ 200 free relay victory ahead of Reagan’s Bryce Durling, Graham Spieler, Noah Medwin and Matthew Regan (1:25.71). South Mecklenburg took third with Jacob Rauch, Luke Johnson, Kellen Stillman and Graham Weaver posting a 1:26.11.

Charlotte Catholic’s Nora McCullagh returned to the pool minutes after the 200 free relay to win the 100 back in 54.19, slightly off her own state and 4A record of 53.59 from last year. Northwest Guilford’s Heather Sigmon edged Green Hope’s Kate Moore for second, 55.39 to 55.46.

In the boys’ 100 back final, the top four swimmers touched with .16 of one another in an exciting race for the state championship. Athens Drive’s Tyler Silver, the top qualifier from prelims, held onto his top position with a final time of 50.27, only .04 faster than runner-up Nathan Murray of South Mecklenburg (50.31). Reagan’s Levente Bathory finished .02 behind Murray in 50.33 to wrap up third.

Roberson, T.C.’s Alyssa Arwood sliced .07 off Torrey Bussey’s 2010 state and 4A record in the 100 breast final, clocking in at 1:02.10. Middle Creek’s Julia Poole, the 200 IM champ from earlier in the meet, moved up from fifth to second with a 1:03.14, a tenth ahead of Hough, W.A.’s Meghan Dupay (1:03.24).

Reagan’s Paul Neil brought home the boys’ 100 breast title with a 57.36, holding off South Mecklenburg’s Jacob Rauch (57.57) down the stretch. Apex’s Brayden Lauffer, the top seed after prelims, slipped to third with a 58.02.

Hough, W.A. dominated the final 400 free relay, with Heidi Lowe, Erika Brown, Meghan Dupay and Emily Allen crushing the field in 3:25.51. Grimsley claimed second as Caitlin Cockcroft, Emily Schoonhagen, Amelia Gilchrist and Sarah Newell stopping the clock at 3:30.46. Charlotte Watts, Emily Stringfellow, Sarah Giamber and Julia Poole gave Middle Creek a third place showing in 3:32.07.

Meanwhile, the Cary boys wrapped up the meet with a win in the 400 free relay thanks to Tosh Kawaguchi, Garrett Troxler, Will Atkinson and Justin Ress, who posted a 3:07.22. Green Hope secured second with John Healy, Henry Hollinshead, Jonathan Roach and Alexander Carson putting up a 3:09.00. Hough, W.A.’s Coleman Manchester, John Matysek, Evan Heldman and Trey Poff swam a 3:09.22 to finish third.

North Carolina 4A State Swimming and Diving Championships – Results

Submit Your All-America Application

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Name*

Email*

1 Comment

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Dana Kenner Johnson

9 years ago

Rod Johnson