Claire Curzan’s NAG Record Highlights North Carolina Girls 4A State Championships

Photo Courtesy: NCHSAA (@NCHSAA)

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The 2019 North Carolina High School Girls’ State Swimming and Diving 4A State Championships took place on Friday, February 7 at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, N.C.

A total of four North Carolina State and 4A records fell, including two by Cardinal Gibbons freshman and the meet’s Most Outstanding Swimmer Claire Curzan. Curzan set a new girls’ 13-14 National Age Group record in the 100 fly.

Click here for full results.

Top 5 Team Scores:

1. Leesville Road – 256
2. W. A. Hough – 241
3. Green Hope – 209
4. Myers Park – 198
5. Millbrook – 150

Leesville Road’s Mia Nordstrom (25.88), Ashley McCauley (28.78), Amanda Ray (24.80) and Samantha Muma (23.26) began the meet with a close victory in the 4×50 medley relay in, just edging out runners-up Myers Park 1:42.72 to 1:42.84. Third went to South Mecklenburg in 1:45.71.

Leesville Road’s Ashton Zuburg dove to first on the 1-meter board, finishing with a final score of 440.50. Northwest Guilford’s Samantha Gillis placed second with 404.10 total points and third place went to W. A. Hough’s Asia Wegh with a score of 388.70.

W. A. Hough’s Kensley Merritt, who has verbally committed to Auburn for 2020, cruised to a 1.5-second win in the 200 free with a quick 1:47.05. Also cracking the 1:50 barrier were South Mecklenburg teammates Katie Rauch (1:48.59) and Ellie Marquardt (1:48.67). Marquardt (4:48.18) and Rauch (4:48.95) also went 1-2 in the 500 freestyle, followed by Ray (4:50.44).

Apex Friendship’s Brooke Zettel dominated the 200 IM, winning the event by four seconds in 1:57.93 as the only swimmer in the field to crack two minutes. That time broke her own 4A and State mark of 1:58.31 she set last year. Second went to Myers Park’s Liza Whitmire in 2:01.42 and third went to McCauley (2:01.74).

Green Hope’s Maria Baric just snuck under the 23-second barrier for gold in the 50 free, doing so in a quick 22.99. Silver went to W. A. Hough’s Elizabeth Sowards in 23.06 while Myers Park’s Janie Smith grabbed bronze in 23.34.

Curzan flew to first in the 100 fly, getting her hands to the wall three seconds ahead of the field in 51.60. That time absolutely demolished the State record of 53.23 set by Alyssa Marsh as well as the 4A record set in 2017. She also set a new girls’ 13-14 NAG record. Ray took second in 54.97 and Smith finished third in 55.13.

Curzan was back in the pool again, this time to demolish the 4A and State record in the back. She won in 51.88, erasing Nora McCullagh‘s mark of 53.59 from 2014. Merritt was second in 54.73 and Leesville Road’s Mia Nordstrom was third in 55.26.

Myers Park’s Olwyn Bartis sprinted her way to the top spot in the 100 free, stopping the clock in 50.60 for first. Sowards again earned silver in 50.77 while Green Hope’s Lauren Medlin took bronze in 51.19.

Myers Park’s Smith (23.33), Whitmire (23.20), Maya Gendzel (24.08) and Bartis (23.26) combined to take gold in the 4×50 free relay in 1:33.87. Green Hope was second in 1:34.33 and W. A. Hough was third in 1:34.84.

McCauley, a Georgia commit, got her hands to the wall first in the 100 breast in 1:01.53 to just sneak under the State and 4A mark of 1:01.57 set by Lilly Higgs last year. Zettel was second in 1:01.89 and third went to Baric in 1:02.06.

Just like the meet began, Leesville Road’s Jessica Frank (52.92), Nordstrom (52.41), Brooke Morgan (51.32) and Ray (51.31) concluded the meet with a win in the 4×100 free relay in 3:27.96. Second went to Green Hope in 3:29.22 and third went to Millbrook in 3:29.89.

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