SULPHUR, Louisiana, November 20. AT the SPAR Aquatic Center in Sulphur, La., swimmers competed in four divisions during the Louisiana State High School Swimming Championships Nov. 14-17. The first two days of competition featured Divisions 3 and 4, while those in Divisions 1 and 2 took to the pool Nov. 16-17.
Division 1
St. Joseph's Academy dominated the girls portion of the meet, scoring 492 points for first place. Northshore came in second with 288, followed by Mandeville (268), Dominican (162.5) and Fontainbleau (159).
St. Joseph set state records in all three relays. The Redstickers' 200 medley relay of sophomore Caroline Beene, senior Cameron Balkom, plus juniors Mary Katherine Miller and Lindsay Hagmann combined for a 1:48.57. Freshman Clayton Black, junior Victoria Padial, Balkom and junior Katelyn Rodriguez set a new standard in the 200 free relay with their 1:37.53. In the 400 free relay, Miller came on board with Rodriguez, Black and Padial to set the mark at 3:32.81.
Kara Kopsco wound up her high school career at Fontainebleau with a state record 55.43 in the 100 fly, taking down her mark of 55.70 from last year, and a division standard of 2:03.73 in the 200 IM which lowered her 2011 time of 2:04.88.
St. Joseph celebrated two individual victories as Balkom claimed the 100 breast in 1:05.76 and sophomore M.C. Beaver avenged her earlier defeat in the 50 free to Mandeville senior Jonna Frantz (23.93-24.22) with her triumph in the 100 free over Frantz (52.32-52.82).
Frantz' teammate, sophomore Megan Loop, was the 500 free champ (5:01.56). Loop finished just 8-hundredths out of first in the 200 free, just behind Dutchtown's senior Alyssa Dilldine (1:52.37-1:52.45).
The boys' team competition was much closer than the girls race. It took the final event to determine the team champion, with Jesuit emerging on top over Catholic, 393-373. An even closer battle gave Northshore a 1-point victory over Mandeville, 163-162. St. Paul's took fifth with 143 points.
Depth played a huge role for Jesuit–the team had no individual event champions, and only won one of the three relays. The 200 medley relay of senior Johnston Burkhardt, juniors Blake Robert and Brett Dipuima, and sophomore Francis Plough put together a 1:40.65.
Catholic squads took charge of the freestyle relays. Sophomore Brady Grenfell, juniors Graham Gardner and James Chastain, plus freshman Colin Bone combined for a 1:28.35; senior Casey Panepinto replaced Gardner on the victorious 400 free relay (3:14.52).
Bone picked up individual titles in the 200 and 500 free (1:44.26 and 4:46.02), as did Northshore senior Shawn Parette in the sprint free (50 free, 21.30; 100 free, 46.55). Grenfell's 52.73 gave him first place in the 100 fly.
Nathan Borel, a junior at Lafayette, came in first in the 100 back (52.70). Barbe sophomore Zach Stump was the only sub-1:00 swimmer in the 100 breast, going 57.70 for the win. Fontainebleau junior Andrew Knudsen put together a 1:56.68 in the 200 IM to claim the top spot.
Division 2
St. Scholastica dominated the Division 2 girls competition, scoring 479 points for the team trophy. The team won all three relays and had several individual event champions. Baton Rouge secured second with 222.5 points, with South Lafourche third (205), Cabrini fourth (181) and Caddo Magnet fifth (157).
St. Scholastica's 200 medley relay of juniors Kristen Jennings, Madeleine Rawls and Emily Prieto, with sophomore Madeleine Rawls swimming the third leg, combined for a 1:55.22 win. Junior Gabby Regard joined Rawls, Eckert and Prieto for a first-place 1:44.97 in the 200 free relay. Jennings combined with junior Carley Boyce, freshman Katya Stolin and sophomore Hope Winkler to give St. Scholastica the relay sweep with their 4:00.00 in the 400 free relay.
Prieto claimed the 50 free title with her 25.57 and settled for second in the 100 back (1:03.03) behind teammate Jennings (1:00.91). Jennings also posted a winning 1:01.24 in the 100 fly. Rawls also grabbed victories in both the 100 free (54.89) and 200 IM (2:16.03).
Marin Tichenor, a sophomore at Caddo Magnet, was the other double-event champion courtesy of her 2:02.20 in the 200 free and 5:30.99 in the 500 free. St. Thomas More senior April Aguilard, who came in second to Tichenor in the 200 free (2:09.08) came out on top in the 100 breast (1:11.39).
Ruston was the boys team champion, scoring 289 points to runner-up Holy Cross' 259. As with the girls race, South Lafourche was third (196). Caddo Magnet was fourth (192), followed by Alexandria (161).
Ruston was led by two-event winner Morgan Meyer. The sophomore claimed the 100 and 200 free (47.99 and 1:47.24), and anchored Rushton's 400 free relay of senior Jake Kyte, sophomore Austin Meng and freshman Robert Kyte to a winning 3:29.99.
Alexandria junior Tanner Hoyt led off their 200 free relay with sophomore Jeff Goodwin, junior Walter Lacroix and junior Zachary Harrison following to a 1:35.59 win. South Lafourche's squad of sophomore Cody Guidry, junior Nicholas Guidry plus seniors Bryant and Brody Eymard, cruised to a first-place 1:47.65 in the 200 medley relay.
Harrison's 50 free time of 22.26 gave him the win in the individual event. Natchitoches Central senior Zack Begnaud was the top 100 backstroker (56.60). Eugene Fortier, a senior at Shaw, captured the 100 fly (54.57). Hammond freshman Jack Cheng's 2:09.53 was good for the 200 IM victory.
The brother combination of sophomore Alexander McDonald (500 free, 5:32.11) and junior Anthony McDonald (100 breast, 1:04.21) gave Caddo Magnet two individual titles.
Division 3
By just six points–278 to 272–St. Charles Catholic claimed the boys team title. Episcopal finished third (227), with Vandebilt Catholic coming out on top ahead of Lusher Charter for fourth, 207-203.
St. Charles Catholic's 200 medley relay set a Division 3 mark of 1:42.47, wiping out Vandebilt Catholic's 1994 mark of 1:43.64. They also took charge in the 400 free relay, winning in 3:26.59. St. Charles Catholic senior Gage Alleman's 1:54.42 erased John Michael Moore's 2009 standard of 1:56.22. He earned a second title in the 100 back (53.66).
Parkview Baptist junior John Miller edged Clay Furr's 2011 division record in the 200 free of 1:45.53 with his 1:45.51. Vandebilt Catholic senior Elie McRae missed the division mark in the 100 breast by 4-hundredths, finishing in 59.81.
E.D. White prevented a relay sweep by St. Charles Catholic with its 1:33.21 in the 200 free relay. St. Charles came in second (1:33.94), with Vandebilt a hundredth behind (1:33.95). E.D. White freshman Jay Danos sprinted to a 50 free victory (22.49).
Two seniors closed out their careers with first-place swims: Episcopal's Patrick Danos (100 free, 50.05) and University's Weldon Furr (500 free, 5:49.75).
Episcopal had a much easier time in the girls race, amassing 307 points for the team title. St. Charles Catholic was second (231), with Vandebilt Catholic third (205.5), Academy of Sacred Heart fourth (193) and E.D. White fifth (153).
Episcopal claimed both freestyle races (200 free, 1:44.37; 400 free, 3:50.20) and finished third in the 200 medley (1:58.79) behind St. Charles Catholic (1:58.36) and Academy of Sacred Heart (1:58.44). The Knights had no individual event champions.
Notre Dame freshman Erin Trahan lowered the only girls D3 mark this year in the 50 free (24.51), erasing Lauren Nash's 2001 record of 24.74. Trahan's teammate, junior Sarah Simar, posted a winning 59.90 in the 100 fly.
Three swimmers put together two individual wins apieced: Emily Rush, a senior at University (100 free, 54.71; 100 back, 1:00.49); St. Louis freshman Laura Patrick (200 IM, 2:15.01; 100 breast, 1:09.74) and Parkview Baptist freshman Danielle Miles (200 and 500 free, 1:59.71 and 5:22.03).
Division 4
Isidore Newman's teams gained both the girls and boys team titles. Newman's girls scored 272 points to Dunham's 186, St. Martin's 177, Riverside's 169.5 and Ascension Episcopal's 169. The boys combined for a whopping 369 points, far ahead of Dunham (170), Cedar Creek (158), St. Martin (151) and Episcopal (141).
Newman senior Patrick Riess set a state record 45.84 in the 100 free and a division mark in the 100 back (50.62). Classmate Angele Cherbonnier missed a division mark in the girls 50 free by a mere 2-hundredths with her 24.36 victory. She picked up a second title in the 100 breast (1:09.76).
Newman also picked up wins from senior Helen Keys in the girls 100 back (1:01.06), plus juniors Harry Browne in the boys 200 free (1:52.31) and Aleksander Bahat in the boys 200 IM (2:02.80). Newman swept the boys relays (200 medley, 1:43.42, 200 free, 1:42.06; 400 free, 3:22.45) and took two of the three girls relays (200 medley, 1:59.20; 400 free, 3:52.93). St. Martin's picked up the 200 free relay win in 1:51.49.
Individual girls champions included Thea Martin, a freshman at Thomas Jefferson (100 free, 56.34); Ascension sophomore Victoria Barczyk (200 free, 1:58.03); Grace Perret, a McGehee freshman (500 free, 5:41.50); Metairie Park Country Day senior Brenna Weber (100 fly, 1:00.75) and Episcopal senior Anna Buttaci (200 IM, 2:15.79).
Westminster senior Silas Dejean claimed victory in both the 50 free (22.52) and 100 breast (58.27). Bennett Anderson, an Ascension sophomore, won the 500 free in 6:56.72. Northlake Christian freshman's 58.41 gave him first in the 100 fly.