MESA, Arizona, November 9. CATALINA Foothills High School, from Tucson, swept the team titles for the first time since 2010 at the Arizona State Swimming and Diving Championships, Division 2. The meet was held at the Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa.
Girls
The Falcons scored 256 points for the victory, followed by Notre Dame Prep (205.5), Salpointe Catholic (189), Campo Verde (170) and Shadow Mountain (164).
Catalina Foothills was led by senior Krista Duffield, who will be attending North Carolina State this coming fall. She finished first in the 50 yard free (23.77) and swam on the Falcons’ two winning relays. Duffield anchored the 400 free relay (3:35.38) with classmates Bonnie Diamond and Hannah Orbach-Mandel plus junior Samantha Andrade. Duffield and Diamond were joined by sophomore Alexis Hansen and junior Samantha Saul on the winning 200 medley relay (1:50.70).
Preventing a Catalina Foothills sweep was Verrado High, whose quartet of freshmen Sieara Kling and Olivia Bender plus seniors Nicole Kosowski and Picabo Bender combined for a 1:41.69 in the 200 free relay. Bender earned her second straight Division 2 victory in both the 200 (1:51.21) and 500 free (4:59.46).
Samantha Getzen, a senior at Notre Dame Prep, also collected wins for the second consecutive year in the 100 free (52.60) and 100 fly (55.52). Sabino sophomore Taylor Nations, who finished a close second to Getzen in the 100 free (52.72), powered her way to a winning 57.63 in the 100 back.
Shadow Mountain junior Hannah Holman was the third swimmer to finish first in two events with her 1:05.81 in the 100 breast and 2:06.13 in the 200 IM.
Baylee Stipp from Campo Verde was the diving champion, scoring 402.20 points.
Boys
Catalina Foothills’ 280 points earned them first in the boys race. Queen Creek placed second with 203 points. Campo Verde squeaked by Lake Havasu by just two points, 171-169, for third. Notre Dame Prep squeezed out Saguaro for fifth, 132-131.
The only swimmer to earn first-place points for Catalina Foothills was junior Matt Lujan, who claimed the 200 IM title in 1:55.58.
Queen Creek earned valuable points with their victorious 200 medley and 400 free relays. In the 200 medley, seniors Cason Flygare, Braxton Bartlett and Colton Flygare were anchored by junior Anthony Wokasch for a winning 1:39.99. The Flygare brothers and Wokasch were joined by senior Gavin Turley to complete the 400 free relay in 3:18.71. Cason Flygare posted a winning 4:41.74 in the 500 free.
Notre Dame Prep senior Joe Starkweather dueled Saguaro senior J.J. Osborn in the 50 free to a 20.85-20.96 finish. Osborn, who will be swimming for Arizona after graduation, turned the tables on Starkweather in the 100 fly. He held on for a 50.01-50.16 triumph. Starkweather’s 50 free win made him the only repeat individual champion on the boys side.
Osborn led off Saguaro’s winning 200 free relay with junior Josh Paone, sophomore Nick Grossman and senior Chase Andrews (1:29.20).
Walden Grove senior Trey Cashion closed out his high school career with wins in both the 200 free (1:39.90) and 100 back (50.09).
Austin Baker, a sophomore at Gilbert Classical Academy, posted a winning 48.20 in the 100 free, as did Casa Grande junior Grant Sugarski in the 100 breast (58.98). The diving title went to Cody Rankin of Shadow Mountain, who put together 475.40 points.
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