Five State Records Fall as Green Hope Wins Second-Straight North Carolina 4A State Championships

Photo Courtesy: NCHSAA (@NCHSAA)

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The 2019 North Carolina High School Boys’ State Swimming and Diving 4A State Championships took place on Friday, February 7 at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, N.C.

A total of five North Carolina State and 4A records fell, including two each by Myers Park’s Jack Walker and Ronald Reagan’s Max Edwards. Edwards was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Swimmer.

For the second-straight year, Green Hope was named the team champions with a total of 267 points. South Mecklenburg (192) and Ardrey Kell (185) finished second and third, respectively.

Click here for full results.

Top 5 Team Scores:

1. Green Hope – 267
2. South Mecklenburg – 192
3. Ardrey Kell – 185
4. Athens Drive – 179
5. Cardinal Gibbons – 157

The meet began with a close 4×50 medley relay: Athens Drive’s David Wahlen (22.42), Daniel Baldwin (26.03), Ryan Silver (23.16) and Cameron Thomas (20.74) ended up taking first in 1:32.35, just ahead of Green Hope (1:32.62). Panther Creek finished third in 1:34.20. Athens Drive eclipsed the previous State and 4A record of 1:32.58 set by South Mecklenburg in 2016.

South Mecklenburg’s Luke Foster posted a final score of 516.75 on the 1-meter board to earn first place. His teammate and brother Ethan Foster was right behind him in second with 472.85 points while Leesville Road’s Devin Tibbs wound up third in 424.30 points.

Walker, a Virginia commit, dominated the 200 free by over four seconds, taking off six seconds from his seed time to post the winning time of 1:35.34. That time erased his own 4A mark he set last year and demolished the State record of 1:36.99 set three years ago. Walker’s teammate Hugh Svendsen also cracked 1:40 in 1:39.62 for second as Rolesville’s Hunter Young placed third in 1:40.74.

Walker also claimed victory in the 500 free in record-setting fashion. His winning time of 4:20.67 crushed the old State and 4A mark set by Charlie Houchin set back in 2006. Middle Creek’s Braeden Houghey raced to second in 4:29.98 and Olympic’s Jamis Rzepekci took third in 4:34.64.

Hopewell’s Markus Wennborg, who will attend NC State this fall, led the charge of the top three swimmers under the 1:50 mark in the 200 IM, taking the top spot in 1:49.54. His teammate Chase Allison was right behind him in 1:49.71 while South Mecklenburg’s Garrett Boone was two-tenths back in 1:49.91 for third. Wennborg also won the 100 breast in 55.01 followed by Reid Mikuta (55.08) and Allison (57.05).

Edwards splashed-and-dashed his way to first in the 50 free, stopping the clock in a swift 20.33. His time broke the 29-year-old NC State record of 20.44 set in 1990, and also broke the 4A mark. Green Hope’s Michael Ivy (20.87) and Page’s Craig Herndon (21.11) finished second and third, respectively.

Shortly after, Edwards found himself on the podium again the 100 fly after touching first in 47.01. He also got himself another 4A and State record, taking down the old mark of 47.33 set by Olympian Ricky Berens. Also under the 50-second mark were Green Hope’s Jessee Ssengonzi (49.82) and W. A. Hough’s Ethan Schneider (49.84).

After placing third in the 200 IM, Boone found himself at the top of the podium in the 100 free. He out-touched Ivy, who placed second, 45.51 to 45.52. Wahlen took third in 45.92. Wahlen then took gold in the 100 back as the only swimmer under 50 seconds, doing so in 48.75. Riverside’s Ryan Weaver (50.23) and W. G. Enloe’s Noah Hensley (50.57) rounded out the podium.

The Green Hope 4×50 free relay quartet of Ben Prucha (21.76), Mitch Curlee (21.42), Michael Cotter (21.37) and John Satterfield (20.79) won in 1:25.34 ahead of Cardinal Gibbons (1:25.37) and Page (1:26.27). Green Hope’s Ivy (45.78), Curlee (47.84), Cotter (46.60) and Satterfield (45.91) concluded the meet with a 4×100 free relay victory in 3:06.13 ahead of Cardinal Gibbons (3:07.59) and Ronald Reagan (3:08.58).

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Susan Skipper

5 years ago

Hey Swimming World, it’s Craig Herndon not Craig Gerndon. A little proofreading goes a long way.