MATTHEWS – Porter Ridge’s Molly Monago led the Pirates with a pair of fifth-place swims, but the Myers Park boys and girls dominated winning 23 of the 24 events at the Southwestern 4A swim championship, which concluded Jan. 11.
The Mustang girls were led by Liza Whitmore and Janie Smith, who both swam new conference meet record times.
Whitmore swam 2:07.86 to break the conference meet record in the 200-meter individual medley. She also won the 100 breaststroke. Smith set a new conference record in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.38 seconds, and also won the 100 butterfly.
The other Mustang girls who took first included Olwyn Bartis (200 freestyle and 100 freestyle), Rowan Bartis (500 freestyle) and Amelia Steffens (100 backstroke).
The Mustang girls also placed first in the 200 freestyle (Olwyn Bartis, Smith, Katherine Ku and Whitmore); in the 400 freestyle (Claire Russell, Alexandra Xerras, Carolyn Goins and Katelyn Powell); and in the 200 medley relays (Russell, Olwyn Bartis, Smith and Whitmore).
The Mustang girls also had a number of runners-up including Rowan Bartis (200 freestyle), Ryan Watts (50 freestyle), Steffens (100 butterfly), Xerras (100 freestyle), Goins (500 freestyle) and Russell (100 backstroke). In addition, the 400 freestyle relay team of Katherine Luh, Bronwyn Campbell, Steffens and Watts placed second.
Jack Walker swam 1 minute, 43.26 seconds to break the meet record in the 200 freestyle relay and also set the conference meet record in the 500 freestyle relay with a time of 4:34.23, which shattered the old standard by more than 16 seconds. Walker also won the 100 freestyle.
The other Myers Park boy individual winners included Benjamin Hager (200 individual medley and 100 butterfly) and Rocket Primm (50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke).
The Mustangs won the 400 freestyle relay (Alexander Wilhelm, Spencer Freeman, Hager and Walker) and the 200 medley relay (Wilhelm, Hager, Walker and Freeman). They also placed second in the 200 freestyle (Ben Champion, Wyatt Hanks, Graham Hohnbaum and Hamlin Williams-Tracy).
In addition, the Mustang boys also had a number of swimmers with runners-up performances including Connor Johnson (200 freestyle), Wilhelm (200 individual medley and 100 backstroke), Freeman (100 butterfly and 500 freestyle), Hohnbaum (100 freestyle).
“We were just really lucky this year and there was a crew of new freshmen and transfers who have really helped push us above and beyond,” Mustang coach Mary Goudes said.
Below is a team-by-team look at the best finishes for the rest of the conference.
Butler:
Butler’s 400 freestyle relay team of Tiesyn Harris, Jacob Phipps, Adam Hunt and Luke Harris earned a second-place finish to lead other area teams.
The Bulldogs got third-place finishes from Luke Harris (50 freestyle), Aidan Williams (500 freestyle) and the boys 200 freestyle relay (Luke Harris, Cole Schoolcraft, Tiesyn Harris and Hunt). The Butler girls and 400 freestyle relay team (Veronika Jordan, Adelynne Money, Shelby Koelz and Caroline Stowe) also took third.
Tiesyn Harris (50 freestyle and 100 freestyle) and Jordan (50 freestyle) both took home fourth-place finishes while the girls 200 medley relay team (Nadia Bogomolova, Chloe McVetta, Samantha Humphrey and , Adam Hunt (200 freestyle) and 200 freestyle relay (Veronika Jordan, Adelynne Money, Shelby Koelz and Elizabeth Kolodzley) also took fourth.
Luke Harris (100 freestyle), Samantha Humphrey (500 freestyle) and Caroline Stowe (100 backstroke) all took fifth place in their respective events.
Independence:
Orion Thomas led the Patriots by placing fourth in the 100 butterfly and also team with Miles Pauldin, Jack Lorick and Ethan Lannan to take fourth in the 200 medley and helped Pauldin, Ethan Dyer, and Lannan finish fourth in the 400 freestyle relay.
Cammie Thomas, Sydney Ross, Elizabeth Andrews and Ashton Bunn teamed to place fifth in the 200 medley relay.
Porter Ridge:
Molly Monago led the Pirates with two fifth-place swims including in the 100 butterfly and in the 100 backstroke.
Overall, the Myers Park girls scored 714 points to dominate the field. The Mustangs were followed by Hickory Ridge (381), Butler (296), Independence (219), East Meck (214) and Porter Ridge (133).
The Myers Park boys scored 676 points and were followed by East Meck (327), Butler (301), Hickory Ridge (288), Independence (283), Porter Ridge (77) and Garinger (21).