Fairport sophomore leads Section V swimmers at state swimming and diving championships

Kaleigh Lawrence had no clue there was a meet beyond sectionals during her eighth-grade varsity debut.

Fast forward two years later, not only does Lawrence have a few Section V titles to her name, the Fairport sophomore shined the brightest of Section V's athletes competing at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships last weekend at the Webster Aquatic Center.

Section V's fastest freestyler, Lawrence placed in all three events she participated in at states. In the eighth grade, Lawrence thought the Section V Championships was the final meet of the season until a senior got excited about qualifying for the NYSPHSAA Championships. Lawrence made it to states on a relay as a freshman, but came just short of qualifying in an individual event. A year later and Lawrence is one of the fastest swimmers in the state.

"Everything just kind of came together, which is nice," Lawrence said.

What it means

If you ask Kaleigh Lawrence, she overachieved by podiuming three events at the NYSPHSAA Championships. Individually, she placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle (24.03) and eighth in the 100-yard freestyle (52.98). Lawrence also swam a leg on the fourth place 200-yard freestyle relay (1:38.83) with freshman Charlotte Larzelere and juniors Mikayla Little and Alyssa Galley.

Fairport coach Mike Kennedy was not surprised by Lawrence's breakout season. Her intense practice habits and attention to detail turned the sophomore into one of Section V's best since the 2022 state meet.

"She really has had a tremendous 12 months," Kennedy said. "She's matured into a strong swimmer mentally and physically. Her belief in herself has taken off."

Swimmer of the Meet

Kaleigh Lawrence

Section V saw solid performances from girls like Victor's Meredith Hogan, Honeoye Falls-Lima's Natalie Gilbert and Sarah Kunze's Pittsford athletes, but the Fairport sophomore's podium appearances topped every other local finish.

Lawrence swam personal best times in all three of her events. She didn't expect to place individually but surprised herself.

"I don't talk about podiuming. We just talk about being the best we can be every single day," Kennedy said. "If you can build on that success will come. Smile, work hard, and take care of your body and academics."

Larzelere, Little and Galley joined Lawrence on the fourth place 200 free relay. Larzelere is the newcomer to the quartet that swam at states in 2022. Little and Galley embraced leadership roles as veterans of the crew. Every Fairport athlete swam personal bests at states, Kennedy said.

"We love relays. It feels like less stress than individuals. It's more of a team thing," Lawrence said. "It makes your attitude so amazing, so when you go to swim you swim so well. It's just a great, positive vibe."

Lawrence thanked her uncle for improving her technique. Lawrence refined her underwaters and perfected her turns with kick sticks to drop time. Improving her acceleration off the wall was another key to her personal best splits. Dropping field hockey and dance to focus more on swimming also helped Lawrence.

No too bad for a girl who tried her hardest to individually qualify for the 2022 state meet only to come up short.

"I just got back to practice and worked really hard knowing that I wanted to go to states individually," Lawrence said.

NYSPHSAA championship results for Section V competitors

While Section V athletes didn't come close to capturing a state championship this fall, many local girls were underclassmen who may vie for NYSPHSAA titles in the future.

"I like seeing people you don't usually swim against. … Everyone is so fast. You just have to focus," Lawrence said.

Here are the top Section V finishes from the NYSPHSAA Championships:

50 free: 5. Kaleigh Lawrence, Fairport (24.03).

100 free: 8. Kaleigh Lawrence, Fairport (52.98).

200 free: 9. Meredith Hogan, Victor (1:54.81).

500 free: 10. Natalie Gilbert, Honeoye Falls-Lima (5:11.78).

100 fly: 11. Meredith Hogan, Victor (57.57).

100 back: 13. Elizabeth Share, Palmyra-Macedon (58.06).

100 breast: 24. Marin Bedford, Webster (1:08.42).

200 free relay: 4. Fairport (Charlotte Larzelere, Mikayla Little, Kaleigh Lawrence, Alyssa Galley) 1:38.83.

400 free relay: 10. Pittsford (Sarah Kunze, Lexi Lombard, Isabella Huerta-Andrade, Molly Bennett) 3:38.65.

Diving: 12. Jamie Kotalik, Pittsford (432.85).

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Kaleigh Lawrence leads Section V at NY state swimming championships