PHOENIX, June 6. KEEPING with the tradition of honoring the nation’s top high school swimming teams, Swimming World Magazine announced today that the Germantown Academy (Germantown, PA) girls and Brophy Prep (Phoenix, AZ) boys have been named National High School Team Champions for the 2004-05 season.
Under the direction of legendary coach Dick Shoulberg, Germantown Academy (Pennsylvania) captured the female crown by scoring 120.5 points, just ahead of the 118 points tallied by Ann Arbor Pioneer (Michigan). Third place went to Arrowhead High (Wisconsin) and Naperville Central (Illinois) was fourth.
Firmly established as a national-power program, Germantown Academy captured its third consecutive Eastern Interscholastic prep title earlier this year and posted the nation’s fastest time in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:24.84). The Patriots also had the fourth-fastest mark in the 200 medley relay (1:45.15).
Individually, Germantown benefited from the talents of Alicia Aemisegger and Teresa Crippen. Aemisegger had the country’s third-fastest time in the 200 individual medley (1:59.48) and was fourth in the 500 freestyle (4:48.25). As for Crippen, the freshman phenom tied for the fifth-fastest time in the 100 backstroke.
On the male side, Brophy Prep rode the talents of Alex Righi and David Pursley to the team title. Brophy notched the country’s fastest time in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:23.86) and fourth-fastest 200 medley relay (1:33.70) and scored 133 points to outdistance Upper Arlington (Ohio) and Kingwood (Texas). Upper Arlington totaled 128 points for second and Kingwood accumulated 104 points for third place.
Righi, a Yale recruit and Swimming World’s Male High School Swimmer of the Year, boasted the nation’s top times in the 50 freestyle (20.31) and 100 backstroke (48.00). Pursley. meanwhile, ranked among the nation’s elite performers in the 200 I.M. and 500 freestyle.
In declaring its National Team Champions, Swimming World, with the help of the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA), takes the top 16 times in each event and scores the competition using the point system for major meets. Athletes are eligible in two individual events and two relays or one individual event and three relays.
The distinction of being named National Team Champion is a prestigious honor, as Swimming World Magazine is the only publication in the country that determines such awards. The official announcement of the team titlists will be made in the August issue of Swimming World in the form of articles and photographs.
ABOUT SPORTS PUBLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL: Swimming World Magazine has been published monthly since January, 1960 and is known as the most recognizable independent voice of competitive swimming for almost half a century. SwimmingWorldMagazine.com, launched as SwimInfo.com, in July of 1996, is considered the leading internet site in the world of swimming.