Meet the 2023 Providence Journal All-State Boys Swim Team
The Providence Journal, with the 2023 All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards program and presented by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, is proud to announce the nominees for Boys Swimmer of the Year. The winner will be announced during the live show on Tuesday, June 27, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
During the live show, these nominees will be honored, along with the Athletes of the Year in 29 other sports as well as Coaches of the Year and Team of the Year.
Nominated athletes may register for their free ticket to the show here, thanks to sponsors: Nominee Registration for the 2023 All State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards (smartsheet.com)
Tickets for the general public are on sale here: 2023 All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards Tickets (enmotive.com)
Vote for your favorite school for the Spirit Award here: 2023 Show Your School Spirit (gannettcontests.com)
More information about the show, including other nominees, can be found here: All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards (usatoday.com)
The All-State Rhode Island High School Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country. Last year’s show can still be viewed here: 2022 All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards — YouTube
More: Projo's All-State Athletes: Here are the best winter high school athletes in RI
Nick Andrews
Hendricken, Senior
Andrews ends his career the same way he started it — with a spot as an All-Stater. His final state meet wasn’t a bad way to go out, as Andrews set a state record in the 100-meter freestyle and also won gold in the 200 free. He closed his career with six individual golds and will move on to swim at Bryant.
George Groves
Classical, Sophomore
A second-team selection as a freshman, Groves earned his spot on the first team this season. At the state meet, Groves finished first in the 200 individual medley, becoming the first Purple swimmer since 2017 to win gold at the state meet. He added a silver in the breaststroke and will be one to watch next winter.
Keith Hartman
Barrington, Sophomore
The Eagles’ distance expert was a second-team selection as a relay swimmer last winter, but earned his way on to the first team this season. Hartman was instrumental in Barrington’s team title, finishing second in the 500 and third in the 200 and will enter next season as a gold-medal favorite.
Lucas Jauregui
Barrington, Senior
A crucial piece of the Eagles’ relay victories last year, Jauregui added two more gold medals to his collection this winter and found some individual success as well. With two relay golds in the medley relay and 200 free relay, Jauregui finished second in the 50 and 100 free to help Barrington win a second straight state title.
Max LaRoche
Barrington, Senior
LaRoche earns his second straight first-team appearance and the gold around his neck after the state meet was the reason why. The senior was instrumental in the Eagles’ victory in the medley relay, then picked up individual gold with a 0.36-second victory over Classical’s George Groves in the backstroke. He’ll swim at Colby College next season.
William McClelland
Barrington, Senior
After a dominant junior season, McClelland ended his career in perfect fashion. The Dartmouth-bound senior showed off his power with wins in the 50 free and 100 butterfly and also took part in two relay victories as well. His leadership off the deck was also instrumental as the Eagles cllaimed their second straight state title.
Jordan Mowad
Moses Brown, Junior
Mowad went into this year’s state meet as the defending champion in the 500 and will retain the title heading to his senior year. After a second-place finish in the 200, Mowad dominated the field in the 500 and won by nearly 10 seconds. He’ll be one of the top swimmers in Rhode Island next season and should find a home at the Division I college level.
Zach Szabo
North Kingstown, Junior
A first-team selection as a freshman and second-team choice last season, Szabo got the one thing he really wanted this winter — a gold. The Skippers’ star finished fourth in a loaded 50 freestyle field, but came back to win the 100 backstroke and to earn his first career gold medal with a good chance at a second next season.
Matt Walden
Hendricken, Senior
Walden earned first-team honors as a freshman as part of a relay and was a second-team performer last year, but more than earned his first-team selection this winter. Walden had second-place finishes in the 200 individual medley and the backstroke and won gold in the 400 free relay.
Barrington 200 Medley Relay
Lucas Jaregui, Senior; Max LaRoche, Senior; William McClelland, Senior; Jared Lesk, Sophomore
Might be time to change the name of the event because it’s belonged to Barrington for nearly a decade. The Eagles added Lesk to the lineup and didn’t lose a beat, finishing in 1:34.33 — 3:83 seconds ahead of Hendricken — for the program’s seventh straight win in the event.
Barrington 200 freestyle relay
Jared Lesk, Sophomore; Alex McClelland, Junior; Lucas Jaregui, Senior; William McClelland, Senior
The Eagles returned three from last year’s quartet that won the event and the addition of Lesk only helped. This foursome finished the race in 1:26.86, beating Hendricken by 1.60 seconds in a win that proved helpful in the team’s state title win.
Hendricken 400 freestyle relay
Damon Buchanon, Junior; Ryan Kornacki, Senior; Matt Walden, Senior; Nick Andrews, Senior
With half of last year’s winning team back, Walden and Andrews, the Hawks still found gold. They closed the state meet with a perfect swim, finishing in 3:14.97, which was 9.03 seconds faster than runner-up Barrington. It was Hendricken’s fourth straight state title win in the event.
2023 Providence Journal All-State Boys Swim Second Team
Tim Andrews, Hendricken, Senior
Holden Brown, Lincoln, Freshman
Damon Buchanon, Hendricken, Junior
Jackson Chiappetta, Blackstone Valley Prep, Freshman
Damien Figuet-Kossyrev, Classical, Sophomore
Ryan Kornacki, Hendricken, Senior
Zach Proulx, North Kingstown, Sophomore
Jarrett Zito, Cumberland, Freshman
Hendricken 200 medley relay (Matt Walden, Senior; Aidan Curry, Junior; Tim Andrews, Senior; Tristan Jordan, Sophomore)
Hendricken 200 freestyle relay (Tristan Jordan, Sophomore; Aidan Curry, Junior; Tim Andrews, Senior; Nick Andrews, Senior)
Barrington 400 free relay (Alex McClelland, Junior; Max LaRoche, Senior; Keith Hartman, Sophomore; Jared Lesk, Sophomore)
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: The 2023 Providence Journal All-State boys swim team
