Westminster Boys, Marist Girls Take Home Georgia 1-5A State Swimming and Diving Championship Titles

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ATLANTA – The Westminster boys and Marist girls each took home the team title Saturday at the GHSA 1-5A State Swimming and Diving Championships, held at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center.

On the boys’ side, Westminster scored 309 points to edge Marist (293.5) and Chamblee Charter (269). The Marist girls secured the team title by 61.5 points, earning 264 points to top St. Pius X (202.5) and Oconee County (193).

Marist opened the meet with a seven-tenth victory in the boys’ 200 medley relay as Christian Lorys, Joe Dillard, Nathan Maulding and Matthew Haertel stopped the clock in 1:35.16 for the win. Westminster’s Owen Downs, Zack Saffran, Derek Cox and Joseph Rodriguez touched out McIntosh’s Tan Dunn, Chipper Machemehl, Marty Stange and Maalik Nixon for second, 1:35.86 to 1:36.09.

Anne Locker, Hannah Lagod, Elizabeth Bailey and Tori Lauterbach made it a sweep for Marist in the medley relays as they touched first in 1:47.12 in the girls’ final. Oconee County’s Emily Weimer, Danielle Della Torre, Grace Williamson and Annie Williamson passed four other teams on the final leg to take second in 1:47.88, just ahead of St. Pius X’s Sara Gilbert, Julia Durmer, Sarah Schantz and Anna Nowak (1:48.12).

After qualifying fifth in prelims of the boys’ 200 free, Chamblee Charter’s John Mitchell charged to the state title in finals, dropping almost three seconds with a 1:40.43. Heritage Catoosa’s Jon Lancaster, the top seed from prelims, took second in 1:40.87, followed closely by North Atlanta’s Niko Stines in 1:41.05.

The girls’ 200 free final came down to the touch, as Riverwood’s Lila Claire Best and Allatoona’s Caitlyn McHugh went stroke-for-stroke on the final 50. At the finish, Best got the better of McHugh by just one one-hundredth of a second, 1:50.44 to 1:50.45. Pace Academy’s Grace Ferry cut three seconds off her prelim time to finish second in 1:51.80.

Westminster’s Derek Cox was the class of the field in the boys’ 200 IM final, as he moved up from third to first with a 1:48.77. Gainesville’s Colin Monaghan held onto his second place seed with a 1:49.10, while top seed Brennan Pastorek claimed third in 1:50.03.

Oconee County sophomore Danielle Della Torre had a huge swim in the final of the girls’ 200 IM, dropping four and a half seconds to take home the state title in 2:01.07. Westminster’s Katie Christy, who had qualified fifth in prelims at 2:07.13, also dropped a huge chunk, moving up to second with a 2:03.46. Marist’s Elizabeth Bailey rounded out the top three in 2:03.62.

North Hall’s Ty Powers sprinted to victory in the boys’ 50 free, overtaking the first and second seeds in the process with a 20.47. Paideia’s Dean Farris slipped to second with a 20.57, while Marist’s Alex BeMiller rounded out the top three in 20.86.

Starr’s Mill sophomore Donna Blaum led a group of five swimmers under 24 in the girls’ 50 free final, as she stopped the clock in 23.36 to take home the state title. Darby Wayner of Savannah Arts Academy (23.54) and Annie Williamson of Oconee County (23.57) also finished on the podium.

Harris Moncino of Pace Academy recorded the highest point total in the boys’ 1-meter diving competition, amassing 578.60 points to dominate the rest of the field. Kell’s Anthony Musciano finished almost 100 points back at 482.60, while St. Pius X’s Grant Summers placed third with 463.00 points.

In girls’ diving, Abby Gardner of Wesleyan topped the field with 474.40 points, ahead of Marist’s Ellie Crump (453.45) and Greenbrier’s Ayanna Woods (444.15).

There were plenty of close finishes at the meet, but none as close as the boys’ 100 fly final. Dalton’s Ethan Young and Marist’s Christian Lorys both touched in 48.92 to share the state title after Young staged a major comeback on the second 50 to pull even. Derek Cox of Westminster wound up third in 49.06.

Donna Blaum of Starr’s Mill earned her second individual state title of the day in the girls’ 100 fly final as she flew to a 54.66, good enough to top Marist’s Elizabeth Bailey (55.20) and Sequoyah’s Kamryn Carter (56.91).

Four swimmers cracked 46 in the boys’ 100 free final, led by Marist’s Alex BeMiller in 45.12. Ty Powers of North Hill finished a tenth behind in 45.22, followed by Chamblee Charter’s John Mitchell in 45.55.

Savannah Arts Academy’s Darby Wayner raced to a win in the girls’ 100 free with a 51.09, about half a second in front of Riverwood’s Lila Claire Best, who posted a 51.67. Lindsay Wallace of Davidson Fine Arts secured third with a 52.10.

Jon Lancaster of Heritage Catoosa ran away with the boys’ 500 free state title as he stopped the clock at 4:32.32 for the win. Starr’s Mill’s Nick Palmer punched the wall second at 4:36.21, followed by Oconee County’s Robert Wylie in 4:36.68.

Allatoona’s Caitlyn McHugh finished on the podium for a second time at the meet, this time taking the top spot in the 500 with a 4:54.25. Pace Academy’s Grace Ferry also broke the 5:00 barrier, taking second in 4:58.35, while St. Pius X’s Julia Durmer rounded out the top three in 5:01.99.

Westminster’s Derek Cox, Patrick Leonard, Erek Cox and Joseph Rodriguez edged Marist’s Webb George, Matthew Wathen, Matthew Haertel and Alex BeMiller for the 200 free relay title, 1:24.87 to 1:24.94. Chamblee Charter wasn’t far behind, with Jacob Jordan, Wesley Cheung, Patrick Lindstrom and John Mitchell posting a 1:25.11.

The girls’ 200 free relay final turned out to be just as exciting, with Oconee County’s Danielle Della Torre, Emily Weimer, Gabbie Filipov and Annie Williamson out-touching Westminster’s Katie Christy, Alex Clark, Mary Tucker and Taylor Penn, 1:37.80 to 1:37.85. Sequoyah’s Rachel Pelzek, Sophie Roy, Kamryn Carter and Kristina Friedrichs finished in third at 1:38.23.

Dalton’s Ethan Young eclipsed the state record in the 100 back final, lowering his own mark of 47.54 from 2014 with a 47.47. Young had plenty of clean water with no competitors finishing within nearly three seconds. Tristan Taylor of Chestatee (50.21) and Christian Lorys of Marist (50.67) picked up second and third place honors.

St. Pius X senior Sara Gilbert closed out her high school career on a winning note, winning the 100 back in 55.85 over Morgan County’s Mary Cardwell (56.18) and Starr’s Mill’s Johanna Goldblatt (57.31).

Another state record tumbled in the boys’ 100 breast final, as Gainesville’s Colin Monaghan crushed Brennan Pastorek’s state mark of 55.79 from prelims with a 55.03. Pastorek, a sophomore at Savannah Country Day, wound up second in 56.13, while Mitchell Petras of Evans claimed third in 57.67.

Oconee County’s Danielle Della Torre continued her impressive meet with another win and a near-state record in the 100 breast. Della Torre cruised to a 1:02.94, not far off Layne Brodie’s 1:02.12 from 2008. Allie Reiter of Dunwoody claimed second place honors in 1:04.14, while Hannah Lally of Providence Christian grabbed third in 1:04.86.

Chamblee Charter wrapped up the meet with a win in the boys’ 400 free relay thanks to Jacob Jordan, Nicholas Oh, John Mitchell and Noah Oh, who touched in 3:07.72. Marist’s Christian Lorys, Matthew Wathen, Jack King and Alex BeMiller finished second in 3:09.17, followed by Westminster’s Erek Cox, Owen Downs, Philip Stith and Patrick Leonard (3:13.27).

Starr’s Mill claimed the girls’ 400 free relay with Donna Blaum, Kylee Bogumill, Sarah Phinney and Johanna Goldblatt combining efforts to post a 3:31.88. Dunwoody’s Laura Spratling, Hannah Robison, Allie Reiter and Kaleigh McGrady wound up second in 3:33.18, while St. Pius X wrapped up the meet with a third place finish from Julia Durmer, Sarah Schantz, Anna Nowak and Sara Gilbert (3:34.89).

Georgia 1-5A Swimming and Diving Championships – Results

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