New Hampshire Division II High School State Championships

By Brian Savard

DURHAM, New Hampshire, February 27. ST. Thomas Aquinas and Oyster River each snagged titles in the women's and men's competition, respectively, in New Hampshire's inaugural Division II Championships.

Prior to this year, New Hampshire had no classification divide at the swimming championship meet.

Team Results
St. Thomas Aquinas was the only school in the women's competition to crack 200 points, as the Saints tallied 204. Souhegan and Oyster River battled it out for second with Souhegan coming out on top by a 155-153 final.

Oyster River scored a meet-high 210 points and easily captured the men's title. Souhegan, who lost a battle for second on the women's side, proved victorious over Portsmouth in a similar fashion, scoring 137 to Portsmouth's 131.

Women's Individual Results
St. Thomas Aquinas nailed down wins in the first and last relay events of the meet. The Saints' 200 medley relay grouping of Jess Blais, Abby Whittaker, Acadia Tucker and Eileen Sipple dominated the medley relay event with a 1:57.98 time. At the end of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay quartet of Blais, Emily Kates, Tucker and Whittaker outswam Souhegan, clocking a 3:54.11.

Whittaker went a perfect four-for-four at the meet, adding wins in the 200 IM (2:17.78) and the 500 freestyle (5:33.98) to her two relay event laurels.

Stephanie Dill from Monadnock led during each leg of the 200 freestyle, winning in 2:03.81. Dill also placed first in the 100 backstroke (1:01.92).

Men's Individual Results
Oyster River topped the field of competitors in two relay races. The 200 medley relay containing Aaron Moss, Danny Duvall, Tom Duvall and Derrick Kotlus finished first in 1:47.79 and the Oyster River 400 freestyle relay (Danny Duvall, Aaron Moss, Brendan Kotlus and Derrick Kotlus) also took home hardware, snaring a first-place finish with a time of 3:35.17.

William Race of Stevens took two individual event wins, winning both the 50 and the 100 freestyle in times of 22.28 and 49.55, respectively.

J.P. Gorham of Hollis/Brookline emerged with two gold medals as well, taking first in the 200 IM (2:03.21) and the 100 breaststroke (1:02.97).

Zach Bowen from Campbell closed out his high school swimming career by snagging event wins in the 200 freestyle (1:49.36) and the 100 butterfly (54.73).

Diving Results
Reegan Carbone from Oyster River placed first in the women's diving event, scoring a 216.65. Her teammate, Krystin Vasile, rounded out the competitors in the event, taking second (176.65).

Oyster River placed one through three in the men's diving competition. Jack Lewis placed first with a score of 348.70, Tim Hartford took second with a 254.30 and Arturo Jaras Watts finished third (220.00).

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