FHSAA swimming 3A/4A finals: Can St. Johns County swimmers win 2023 state trophies?
High school swimming state championships
At Florida Aquatic Swimming & Training, Ocala
All qualifiers are as listed by the FHSAA. Additional swimmers could participate as alternates in the event of scratches.
CLASS 4A
Friday, Nov. 10
Local boys qualifiers
200 medley relay: Bartram Trail, Creekside. 200 free: Thomas Matheson, Luke VanDeusen (both Bartram Trail). 200 IM: Thomas Frost, Simeon Prosinski (both Bartram Trail); Hayden Sunman, Creekside; Matthew Ritchie, Tocoi Creek. 50 free: Lucas Spillers, Creekside. Diving: Trevor Haskins, Bartram Trail; Jiontez Everett, Mandarin. 100 fly: Aidan Wood, Bartram Trail; Lucas Spillers, Creekside. 100 free: Luke VanDeusen, Bartram Trail. 500 free: Thomas Frost, Bartram Trail; Rylan Sepulveda, Creekside. 200 free relay: Bartram Trail, Creekside. 100 back: Jack Graham, Bartram Trail; Ian Foulk, Hayden Sunman (both Creekside); Dylan Matthews, Tocoi Creek. 100 breast: Simeon Prosinski, Bartram Trail; Matthew Ritchie, Tocoi Creek. 400 free relay: Bartram Trail, Creekside.
Local girls qualifiers
200 medley relay: Bartram Trail, Creekside. 200 free: Jenna Frost, Bartram Trail; Brianna O'Neill, Tocoi Creek. 200 IM: Elle Fox, Bartram Trail. 50 free: Jayla Covington, Atlantic Coast; Anna Gavin, Danica O'Dwyer, Sophia Oldham (all Creekside). Diving: Zoey Moore, Mandarin. 100 fly: Elle Fox, Bartram Trail; Sophia Oldham, Creekside. 100 free: Brianna O'Neill, Tocoi Creek. 500 free: Jenna Frost, Bartram Trail; Makenna Bowen, Evie Henry (both Creekside). 200 free relay: Bartram Trail, Creekside. 100 back: Jayla Covington, Atlantic Coast; Danica O'Dwyer, Creekside. 100 breast: Leslie Dame, Anna Gavin (both Creekside). 400 free relay: Creekside.
Outlook: While the 4A state favorites are Windermere, Sarasota Riverview and Miami Braddock, Creekside and Bartram Trail are both positioned to gather plenty of points in Ocala. Bartram Trail has two strong podium contenders in the boys events in Luke VanDeusen and Thomas Frost, and should also score in the relays. For Creekside, the girls relays are the best chances for a first-place finish after their regional victory. Atlantic Coast's Jayla Covington is also in the mix to make Stingrays history in the 50 free and the 100 back.
CLASS 3A
Saturday, Nov. 11
Local boys qualifiers
200 medley relay: Beachside, Fletcher, Nease. 200 free: Alejandro Lopez-Romero, Beachside; William Shoesmith, Fleming Island; Brandon Gear, Walker Lanoue (both Nease). 200 IM: Will Turrentine, Fletcher; Nate Caswell, Luke Zardavets (both Nease); Chase Kendall, Ponte Vedra. 50 free: Michelangelo Porter, Fletcher; Declan Costello, Jack Mainville (both Nease); John Finnemore, Ponte Vedra. Diving: Reid Ashmore, Travis Hardy, Mason Putnal, Maxwell Shaver (all Fletcher); Aaron Storlie, Nease; Kellen Garth, Parker. 100 fly: Peter Manelis, Beachside; Declan Costello, Anatoli Monsalve (both Nease); Dean Batelli, Thomas Smith (both Ponte Vedra). 100 free: Michelangelo Porter, Fletcher; Jack Mainville, Walker Lanoue (both Nease); Sebastian Lopez, Orange Park; John Finnemore, Ponte Vedra. 500 free: William Shoesmith, Fleming Island; Brandon Gear, Nease; Dean Batelli, Chase Kendall, Aaron Yang (all Ponte Vedra). 200 free relay: Fletcher, Nease, Orange Park. 100 back: Alejandro Lopez-Romero, Beachside; Owen Williams, Fletcher; Nate Caswell, Anatoli Monsalve (both Nease); Thomas Smith, Ponte Vedra. 100 breast: Peter Manelis, Beachside; Seth Ayers, Fletcher; Luke Zardavets, Nease; Sebastian Lopez, Orange Park; Kellen Garth, Parker. 400 free relay: Fletcher, Nease, Ponte Vedra.
Local girls qualifiers
200 medley relay: Beachside, Fletcher, Nease, Oakleaf, Ponte Vedra. 200 free: Elizabeth Loehr, Fleming Island; Kate Cagle, Fletcher; Charlotte Driesse, Olivia Moore (both Nease); Lily Doyle, Valentina Fraga, Leighton Walters, Penny Zarczynski (all Ponte Vedra). 200 IM: Haylee Hite, Beachside; Anna Driesse, Charlotte Driesse, Jolie Nguyen (all Nease); Annabelle MacAdams, Sydney Player (both Ponte Vedra). 50 free: Maryn McDade, Fleming Island; Margaret Greenlaw, Jasmine Martin, Ryland Zuniga (all Fletcher); Alexis Petrosevich, Nease; Peyton Loving, Oakleaf; Sophie Fox, Ainsley MacAdams, Kate Pelot (all Ponte Vedra). Diving: Olivia Riegler, Beachside; Ava Brinkman, Caroline Croce (both Fleming Island); Leah Cox, Maizey Cox, Leila Jones (all Fletcher); Savannah Petrosevich, Nease. 100 fly: Jasmine Martin, Fletcher; Sophie Fox, Madelyn Tulloch, Penny Zarczynski (all Ponte Vedra). 100 free: Maryn McDade, Fleming Island; Olivia Moore, Nease; Valentina Fraga, Sydney Straub, Leighton Walters (all Ponte Vedra). 500 free: Elizabeth Loehr, Fleming Island; Maddison Barry, Lily Doyle (both Ponte Vedra). 200 free relay: Fleming Island, Fletcher, Nease, Ponte Vedra. 100 back: Haylee Hite, Beachside; Katie Key, Nease; Kate Pelot, Madelyn Tulloch (both Ponte Vedra). 100 breast: Ryland Zuniga, Fletcher; Anna Driesse, Alexis Petrosevich (both Nease); Peyton Loving, Oakleaf; Annabelle MacAdams, Sydney Player (both Ponte Vedra). 400 free relay: Fletcher, Nease, Ponte Vedra.
Outlook: The three-peat quest is on for the Ponte Vedra girls. Class 3A champions in 2021 and 2022, the Sharks hold the top seed in all three relays and own top-five seeds in numerous individual events: Lily Doyle (500 free), Sophie Fox (50 free and 100 fly), Valentina Fraga (100 free), Annabelle MacAdams (200 IM and 100 breast), Kate Pelot (100 back) and Penny Zarczynski (100 fly). That's a lot of potential points. But Ponte Vedra probably won't be the only area girls team celebrating: Fleming Island has the top-ranked 3A sprinter in Maryn McDade and a champion diver in Ava Brinkman, Nease's Charlotte Driesse and Olivia Moore are both top seeds and Beachside's Haylee Hite may contend in both of her events. Reigning boys champion Nease could defend its crown, too, but it won't be easy against the likes of Tallahassee Chiles, Tampa Jesuit, Pensacola Washington and St. Thomas Aquinas. Leading Nease's charge will be freshman Luke Zardavets, a Panther of great promise in the 200 IM and 100 breast, along with distance freestyler Brandon Gear, sprinters Walker Lanoue and Jack Mainville and diver Aaron Storlie. Finally, Fletcher's Maxwell Shaver is seeded first in his bid to become the Senators' first state champion in boys diving.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FHSAA swimming preview: Creekside, Nease, Ponte Vedra qualifiers
