High School State Championships: North Carolina 4A Boys and Girls

PHOENIX, Arizona, Feb. 8. EMILY Allen of W.A. Hough High School set state records in the 50 and 100 yard free during the North Carolina 4A Swimming and Diving Championships Feb. 7 in Cary, N.C.

Allen, voted Most Valuable Performer among the girls, bettered both Lauren Perdue's state mark of 23.08 from 2009 and Hannah Lincoln's 23.26 from last year with her 23.02 in the 50 free. In the 100 free, Allen's 49.77 cleared Perdue's state and division record of 49.80, also from 2009.

Allen also contributed to state records in both the 200 and 400 free relays. W.A. Hough's quartet of Shannon Bauer, Heather Merritt, Jessica Merritt and Allen put together a 1:35.04, erasing the state record of 1:37.05 set last year by Charlotte Catholic and the divisional mark of 1:37.10 from Reagan in 2011. In the 400 free relay, Ally Dupay joined Heather and Jessica Merritt, plus Allen, for a state record 3:24.83. Last year's Hough relay went 3:25.69 for the state and division records in that event.

Green Hope's Hannah Moore took out Sabina Benson's 2010 state and divisional records of 54.40 with her 54.37. Moore also was first in the 500 free (4:47.66). Moore, along with Emily Etgen, Maddie Massey and Jenny Nusbaum, spoiled a W.A. Hough relay sweep with their first-place 1:47.56.

Also climbing to the top of the podium stand twice was South Mecklenburg's Alexandra Martelle with victories in the 200 IM (2:03.32) and 100 breast (1:03.21).

W.A. Hough's Jessica Merritt claimed first in the 200 free (1:48.84), and Megan Owens of Cary was first in the 100 fly (55.59). The diving title went to Western Guilford's Lily Armstrong (386.95 points).

Holly Springs' Colin Ellington, the boys Most Valuable Performer, put together a 44.87 in the 100 free, which took down Matt Donch's 2006 time of 45.09 (state and division marks). Daniel Le, from Northwest Guilford, set a state/division record of 55.14 in the 100 breast, ahead of Kurt Wohlrab's 55.63 from last year. Ellington was also tops in the 200 IM (1:49.29).

John Manchester of W.A. Hough was tops in both the 100 back (49.39) and 200 free (1:39.85). Other event champions included Jamison Hauser of Panther Creek (500 free, 4:34.53), Christian Caveness from Laney (100 fly, 50.02) and A. Daniels-Freeman (diving, 435.95 points).

Green Hope's team of Tad Spence, Ryan Cade, Chris Daniels and Seth Maslowski combined for a first-place 1:34.99 in the 200 medley relay. Jonathan Glavich and Stephen Hollinshead joined Daniels and Maslowski for a 1:26.16 win in the 200 free relay. J.H. Rose's squad of Trey Pofahl, Cameron Pou, Eyan Eagle and Philip Perdue combined for a first-place 3:09.19 in the 400 free relay.

For the ninth time in the last 12 years, a school from Charlotte-Mecklenburg won the girls team title. W.A. Hough scored 323 points to Green Hope's 236. Panther Creek came in third (182) with Providence fourth (167). Grimsley beat out Cary for fifth, 160-159.

Green Hope was the top boys team with 259 points. W.A. Hough was second (190), followed by South Mecklenburg (175), East Chapel Hill (168) and Providence, the defending champion (157). It marked the first time in four years that a Charlotte-Mecklenburg based team did not capture the state title.

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