The 2019 New York Federation Girls Swimming and Diving Championships took place on Nov. 23 at the Aquatics Pavilion on Ithaca College’s campus.
Pittsford used impressive depth to secure their sixth-straight championship title with a total score of 235, only four points ahead of runner-up Sacred Heart Academy (231).
Four NYSPHSAA Federation records fell during the meet:
- Sacred Heart’s 4×50 medley relay (1:42.21)
- Northport’s Chloe Stepanek 200 free (1:46.15)
- Pittsford’s Megan Deuel 100 fly (52.95)
- Sacred Heart’s Cavan Gormsen 500 free (4:46.75)
Click HERE for full results and team scores.
Top 5 Team Scores:
1. Pittsford – 235
2. Sacred Heart Academy – 231
3. Sleepy Hastings Edgemont – 156
4. Northport-Commack – 150
5. Horace Greeley – 142.5
The meet began as Sacred Heart’s Tess Howley (25.26), Ariana Brattoli (29.37), Gormsen (24.20), and Joan Cash (23.38) combined to win the opening 4×50 medley relay in 1:42.21, well over two seconds ahead of Pittsford (1:44.63) and Northport-Commack (1:46.31). Sacred Heart’s time crushed the NYSPHSAA record of 1:43.21 set by Long Beach in 2016.
Stepanek cruised to first in the 200 free, winning in a fast 1:46.15 for the third-straight year to break her own NYSPHSAA record of 1:46.73. Only a freshman, Gormsen also snuck under the 1:50-mark in 1:48.55 for second while St. Anthony’s Briana Gellineau (1:50.25) took third.
Port Jefferson’s Kyra Sommerstad, who has committed to Ohio State, successfully defended her 200 IM title, stopping the clock in 2:02.17 for the gold medal. Silver went to Horsehead’s Sophia Verkleeren in 2:03.22 while Sleepy Hastings Edgemont’s Ava Franks grabbed bronze in 2:03.33.
After placing second in the 50 free last year, Oceanside’s Catherine Stanford found herself on top of the podium this year in 22.84 as the only swimmer in the field under the 23-second barrier. Cash sprinted to second in 23.15 while 2018 champion Maggie Donlevy of The Mary Louis and Horace Greeley’s Sabrina Johnston tied for third in 23.49.
Notre Dame commit Deuel flew to first for the third-consecutive year in the 100 fly, getting her hands to the wall in 52.95 to break Kristen Romano’s 2016 NYSPHSAA mark of 53.13. Howley, only a freshman, took a close second in 53.08 while Scarsdale’s Joy Jiang raced to third in 55.78.
Future Texas A&M Aggie Stepanek’s second gold of the day came in the 100 free, where she defended her state title in a blazing 48.76. Stanford, a Penn State commit, also cracked the 50-second mark in 49.94 for the runner-up spot while Cash took third in 50.95.
After placing second in the 200 free, Gormsen led the charge in the 500 free to earn her first individual state accolade in 4:46.75 in record-setting fashion: she eclipsed Lindsay Stone’s old NYSPHSAA mark of 4:46.80 set in 2016. Eighth grader Alexa Reyna of WPHS was second in 4:47.80 as Herrick’s Sophia Karras finished third in 4:48.16.
Sleepy Hastings Edgemont’s Katie Wang (24.52), Kate Hoesterey (24.43), Franks (23.67), and Theresa Milio (23.20) combined to win the 4×50 free relay in 1:35.82 to hold off a charging Bethlehem who took second in 1:36.14. Penfield rounded out the top three in 1:37.15.
Brighton’s Alice Diakova dove to first on the 1-meter board, taking a 30-point lead over the field to finish with a final score of 527.85. Minisink Valley’s Madison Yager took second with 496.10 points while Scarsdale’s Maddie Seltzer placed third with a score of 483.25.
Not too long after winning gold in the 100 fly, Deuel found herself on top of the podium yet again after winning the 100 back to successfully defend her title for the third-straight season; she dropped nearly two seconds from her prelims time to win in 53.82. 200 IM champion Sommerstad finished second in 55.26 while 55.50 was fast enough for Kiara Kennedy of South Side to finish third.
Northport-Commack’s Denise Phelan got her hands to the wall the fastest in the 100 breast, stopping the clock in 1:02.33 for the win. Franks recorded her second top-three finish of the meet, clocking in at 1:02.99 for second ahead of F.D. Roosevelt’s Catherine Graham (1:03.35).
Cash (50.83), Catherine Dean (53.38), Gormsen (51.85), and Howley (50.40) gave Sacred Heart another relay victory, combining in 3:26.46 to win the 4×100 free relay to conclude the meet. Horace Greeley (3:29.11) and Pittsford (3:29.30) completed the top three finishers.