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The Arizona DI State Championships took place on Friday, Nov. 6 at the Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa, Az.
Chaparral swept the meet as the girls clinched their seventh-straight title with a dominant final score of 452.5. Brophy Prep, the powerhouse that has won 32 straight state championships, was forced to pull out of the meet this weekend due to a COVID-19 cluster, and Chaparral won the boys’ meet with 302 points.
Chaparral’s Ashley Strouse was named the Women’s Athlete of the Year while Sunnyslope’s Tate Bahti earned the honor of Men’s Athlete of the Year.
Full meet results can be found on Meet Mobile – AIA D1 Swim & Dive Championships.
GIRLS MEET
Top 5 Team Scores:
1. Chaparral – 452.5
2. Xavier College Prep – 267
3. Red Mountain – 208
4. Mountain View – 156
5. Desert Vista – 139
Chaparral began their winning ways as Greer Pattison (25.61), Riley Courtney (29.26), Morgan Brophy (24.50), and Strouse(23.37) won the opening 4×50 medley relay in 1:42.74. Courtney (23.91), Ava Cunningham (24.62), Grace Dunn (24.32), and Samantha Krew (23.74) also won the 4×50 free relay in 1:36.59.
For the fourth-straight year, Strouse found herself on top of the podium in both the 200 free and 500 free. The U.S. National Junior Teamer and Northwestern commit stopped the clock in 1:47.15 in the 200 free as the only swimmer under the 1:50-mark. She also dominated the 500 free, winning by 13 seconds in 4:46.20.
Pattison, who is off to North Carolina next fall, successfully defended her state title for the third-straight year in the 50 free in a quick 23.64. After winning the 100 back last season, she grabbed silver this year in 55.21. Brophy, who has committed to Texas, repeated as champion in the 100 fly, getting her hands to the wall in 54.79 to win by nearly two seconds. She also took third in the 200 IM (2:03.28).
In Millennium’s first year in DI, junior Kennedy Noble cruised to first in the 200 IM with a final time of 2:00.70. Noble, who recently sent her verbal commitment to NC State, also won the 100 back in 52.95 – just off her state record of 52.73 from last year.
O’Connor’s Caelle Armijo sprinted to the top of the podium in the 100 free, stopping the clock in 52.13 to edge out runner-up Kelly Scott (52.17) of Xavier College Prep. Future Ohio State Buckeye Mia Rankin of Xavier College Prep finished second in both the 200 IM (2:00.70) and 500 free (4:59.57).
Mountain View’s Emma Becker won the 100 breast for the second-consecutive season, touching the wall in 1:03.94 for the win. Desert Ridge’s Alexandra Robertson dove to first on the 1-meter board, posting a final score of 476.70.
Chaparral made it a relay sweep and extended their win even more as Strouse (50.70), Krew (51.86), Brophy (51.93), and Pattison (51.58) dominated the 4×100 free relay in 3:26.07.
BOYS MEET
Top 5 Team Scores:
1. Chaparral – 302
2. Desert Vista – 285
3. Boulder Creek – 171.5
4. Pinnacle – 157.5
5. Sunnyslope – 156.5
The opening 4×50 medley relay went to Pinnacle as the quartet of Benjamin Scott (26.19), Luca Gissendaner (25.18), Reagan Dresser (23.86), and Aaron Rosen (20.76) won in 1:35.99.
The 200 free proved to be a close race as Perry’s Evan Nail nailed his finish to win in 1:41.77, edging out runner-up Rosen (1:41.86). Cibola’s Ayden Dusek powered home to a win in the 100 back, clocking in at 51.26 to take the title ahead of Chaparral’s Ethan Mindlin (51.74).
Bahti, who will stay in-state and swim for the Wildcats, handily won the 200 IM in 1:51.77 – five seconds ahead of the field – in his team’s DI debut. He was back in the water to earn his second state title, this time in the 100 breast after getting his hands to the wall the fastest in 56.42.
Boulder Creek’s Rick Popper splashed-and-dashed his way to the top of the podium in the 50 free with a quick time of 21.15. He proved his sprint prowess by also claiming the 100 free in 46.66 ahead of runner-up Maxwell Nielsen (46.95) of Desert Vista.
Desert Ridge’s Essias Smith, who will suit up for the Sun Devils next fall, defended his state title in the 100 fly as the only swimmer to crack the 50-second barrier, doing so in 49.91. The 500 free state title went to Desert Vista’s Jack Luken in 4:34.05, just under one second faster than Dobson’s Carson Hamblin who took second in 4:35.01.
Luken (22.18) combined with teammates Nielsen (21.55), Caleb Stanley (21.34), and Evan Bushko (21.61) to claim the 4×50 free crown in 1:26.68. Desert Vista also won the 4×100 free relay with Nielsen (47.28), Luken (47.41), Ryne Davenport (48.09),Tres Mungia (47.09) joining forces in 3:09.87.
