ORLANDO, Florida, November 10. PEOPLE will be talking about the Bolles School's boys performances for some time to come after tonight's domination by the Jacksonville school during the Florida 1A High School Swimming and Diving State Championships.
All the Sharks did was turn in five national high school records (one set in prelims earlier in the day) and a state record to amass 512 points and the championship title. Lake Highland Prep finished a distant second with 200.5 points, followed by St. Andrew's (179), American Heritage (166) and Pine Crest (155).
Senior Ryan Murphy began the attack on the record book with his 45.34 prelim swim in the 100 yard back. That erased Alex Lim's independent school mark of 46.82 from 1999–and the 45.49 national mark posted by David Nolan of Hershey (Pa.) from last year. Nolan still holds the public school record. Ryan claimed the title in finals with a 48.08.
Joseph Schooling, a junior, cruised to a 46.50, flying past both Montgomery Bell's (Tenn.) Maclin Davis' 46.64 from earlier this year and Madison's (Va.) Sean Fletcher's 47.08, to set a national record in the 100 fly. Fletcher is still the record holder for public school boys.
As if that weren't enough, Bolles swept the relays in national record-setting times. Murphy and Schooling were joined by junior Josh Booth and senior Santo Condorelli for a 1:28.02, taking down Bolles 2009 effort of 1:29.79. Emiro Goosen, a senior, joined Murphy, Schooling and Condorelli to lower the 200 free relay mark to 1:19.27, cruising past the 1:20.88 the team had set earlier in the season. Another record the team had set earlier this season went by the boards (2:58.58), as Murphy, Condorelli, Booth and Schooling combined for a 2:54.43.
Condorelli set a state record in the prelims of the 50 free, and equalled it in finals, with his 19.88.
Quinn Cassidy, a senior at St. Andrews, captured wins in both the 200 IM (1:49.64) and 100 breast (56.87). American Heritage senior Daniel Spas topped the field in the 100 free (44.55). Taking charge of the distance events were Tampa Prep junior Rasmus Skjaerpe (200 free, 1:38.20) and Cardinal Mooney senior Matt O'Donnell (500 free, 4:29.51). Briada Herrera, a senior at Gulliver Prep, turned in a combined 569.25 points for the diving championship.
Bolles enjoyed another sweep–its girls team claimed the combined team title witih 408.5 points. St. Andrew's finished second with 251.5 points with Pine Crest a close third at 245. Ransom Everglades was fourth (134), and Lake Highland Prep emerged in fifth (115), just ahead of Bishop Kenny (111).
Tasija Karosas, a senior at St. Andrews, set the only individual state record on the girls side. Her 53.62 in the 100 back took 2-tenths off Aubrey Peacock's (who also swam for Bolles) 2009 time of 53.82. Karosas ledoff St. Andrews' state record-setting 400 free relay with junior Brenna Ruth plus sophomores Rachael Bradford-Feldman and Megan Moroney (3:23.43). That erased American Heritage's 2011 time of 3:23.94 from the books. The quartet also placed first in the 200 medley relay (1:42.77).
Moroney was a double event champion with her 1:48.02 in the 200 free and 54.46 in the 100 fly; and Bradford-Feldman earned her way to the top of the podium with her winning 2:00.40 in the 200 IM.
Bolles sophomores Kasey Schmidt and Claire Rasmus each captured a state title. Schmidt cruised to a 23.09 in the 50 free, while Rasmus picked up the 100 free victory in 50.49. Ellen Berducso, a sophomore at St. Stephen's Episcopal, was first in the 500 free (4:47.17). Booker junior Bethany Leap's 1:02.61 put her on top in the 100 breast.
Pine Crest's 200 free relay of seniors Kaelah Chaney, Casey Francis and Brittany Hammond–with junior Hannah Veale taking the third lap–were the first to finish in 1:36.38.
In a tight battle for first in the 1-meter diving competition, Pine Crest's Carollyn Chaney emerged victorious over Pine School senior Dakota Toner, 481.35-475.90.