The 2017 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Swimming & Diving Championships wrapped up its meets across all four classes on Nov. 11.
Among local schools, Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake displayed the strongest showings at the state event, held at Sailfish Splash Water Park in Stuart.
The Sunlake High School girls team placed fourth (out of 48 schools) in the Class 3A meet, marking the highest finish of any team in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.
The showing yielded six state medals and six school records.
Seahawks sophomore Chloe Grimme exhibited perhaps the most impressive performance, placing first in the 50 free (23.11) and second in the 100 free (51.18), earning All-American honors.
Grimme also teamed with Tori Eurell, Elise Ballash and Hanna Barton win the 200 free relay (1:36.88). She, too, teamed with Eurell, Barton and Audrey Ballash to finish third in the 200 medley relay (1:48.13).
Other Seahawks highlights included Elise Ballash’s seventh-place finish in the 100 breast (1:06.10) and Audrey Ballash’s 11th-place finish in the 200 individual medley (2:09.91).
On the Sunlake boys side, sophomore Dominic Ortanez placed fourth in the 50 free (21.63), and sophomore Jay Jay Fonnotto placed 19th in the 100 fly. His time of 53:43 is a school record.
Land O’ Lakes High School, meanwhile, thrived in the Class 2A swim meet.
The girls squad finished fifth (out of 47 teams), while the boys placed 10th (out of 39 teams).
Two-time defending state champion Jabari Ramsey earned his third straight gold medal in in the 100 breaststroke, with a time of 56:11.
The Land O’ Lakes senior became the first boy swimmer from Pasco County, and just the fifth from the area, to win three straight titles in the same event.
He tied former Mitchell standout Devin McCaffrey for the most career individual titles by a North Suncoast swimmer with three.
The hardware didn’t end there for Ramsey. He teamed with Patryk Pilkowski, Zachary Davis and Zuri Ramsey to win the 200 medley relay in 1:35.97, smashing last year’s school record of 1:39.09 — becoming the first ever Pasco County relay team to win gold at the Class 2A state championships.
Along with Jabari Ramsey, Pilkowski reached the podium as an individual with his third-place finish in the 100 backstroke. His mark of 51:75 broke the previous school record by a full three seconds.
On the girls side, junior Taylor Ward earned a pair of second-place finishes in the 200 free (1:50.27) and the 500 free (4:56.57).
Ward also teamed with Romina McCloskey, Margarita Czupryn and Ashley Schrader for third in the 200-yard free relay (1:39.71) and fourth in the 400 free relay (3:38.54) — both school records.
Another school record was set by McCloskey in the 100 free (53:07). The individual time was good enough for an eighth-place finish at states.
The FHSAA championships wrapped up an otherwise notable season for the Gators, historically one of the county’s top high school swim programs.
Both boys and girls squads won district and Sunshine Athletic Conference titles, and finished runner-up at regionals. The conference titles marked the 17th straight for the boys team and ninth straight for the girls.
Other schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area with teams or individuals represented in the state meet were: Academy at the Lakes, Freedom, Steinbrenner and Wesley Chapel high schools.
2017 FHSAA Swimming & Diving Championships results:
Class 4A
Boys
Steinbrenner High School (22nd place—26 points)
Notable(s): Kyle Stoker finished seventh in the 200 free (1:42.67) and with teammates Max Martino, A.J. Harkness and Bradley Stoker 11th in the 200-yard free relay (1:29.81)
Girls
Steinbrenner High School (14th place—63 points)
Notable(s): Freshman Lexie Mulvihill placed second in the 50 free (23.16) and with teammates Justine Answeeney, Taylor Holmes and Mackenzie Hall fifth in the 200 free relay (1:38.16) and ninth in the 400 free relay (3:36.83)
Class 3A
Boys
Sunlake High School (25th place—24 points)
Girls
Sunlake High School (fourth place—131 points)
Freedom High School (10th place—86 points)
Notable(s): Sophomore Abigail Leisure finished fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:07.35), third in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.30) and with teammates McKaley Goldblum, Genevieve Clark and Hannah Labohn seventh in the 400 free relay.
Class 2A
Boys
Land O’ Lakes High School (10th place—92 points)
Girls
Land O’ Lakes High School (fifth place—114 points)
Wesley Chapel High School (29th place—23 points)
Notable(s): Senior Brooke Duncan placed fifth in the 50 yard free (24.52)
Class 1A
Girls
Academy at the Lakes (23rd place—24 points)
Notable(s): Freshman McKenna Smith placed fourth in the 100 free (51.10)
Published November 22, 2017
