Gigi Johnson Hits 1:58.4 IM/53.1 FL, Westminster Crushes GA HS Record in Medley

2021 GEORGIA HS 1-3A STATE CHAMPS

• February 4, 2021
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
• Short Course Yards (SCY)
• Live Results on Meet Mobile: ‘2021 GHSA 1-3A State Swimming & Diving Meet’

The Westminster girls absolutely dominated this meet, taking down the 200 medley state record in the process. At the end of the session, they had won all but four events.

TOP TEAM FINISHES

1. Westminster – 589
2. Greater Atlanta Christian – 253
3. Lovett/Model – 190
4. –
5. Brookstone – 157

In the opening 200 medley relay, Westminster combined for a 1:40.65. Not only did they win by more than ten full seconds, but they shattered the old Georgia HS state record of 1:43.70 from 2016. Sadie Clayton led off in 26.49, followed by a 27.54 breast leg from freshman Katie Christopherson, a 23.94 fly leg from Gigi Johnson and a 22.68 anchor from junior Annie Jardina.

Johnson was a force today, continuing her unbeaten streak at this meet in the 200 IM. She hasn’t lost an individual event at the 1-3A meet since starting high school. In the 200 IM, she went a lifetime best 1:58.41, with Christopherson in second (2:03.59) followed by their junior teammate Mary Claire Anderson (2:10.33). Johnson took 1.5 seconds off of her old best, while Christopherson lopped six seconds off of her old best.

Johnson returned for a huge battle in the 100 fly, as the top three finishers were all under 54 seconds. It was Johnson with the best touch, breaking 54 seconds for the first time to go 53.13. She edged out Oconee junior and UGA commit Olivia Dellatorre (53.35) and Lovett senior and Auburn commit Avery Bargeron (53.63). Johnson raced the 100 breast as her second event in 2019 and 2020, but opted for the 100 fly this time around.

Holding the momentum for Westminster, Jardina was another double winner, clocking a 23.43 to take the 50 free and a 51.42 to claim the 100 free, winning the latter by a full second and change.

Christopherson, the star freshman, was back to win the 100 breaststroke for Westminster. Breaking 1:02 for the first time, she posted a 1:01.81, finishing ahead of Dellatorre’s 1:03.28, which was also a best.

Clayton, Westminster’s 200 medley lead-off, was 23.96 to lead-off the 200 free relay to a big win, as they clocked a 1:36.86 as the only team under 1:40. She’d later take third in the 100 back (56.36), edged out by Mt. Bethel Christian junior Hampton Gucky (56.02) and Aquinas senior Anna Summers (56.30).

In truly dominant fashion, Westminster won the 400 free relay by over a pool length, finishing almost 20 seconds ahead of the next-best team with a 3:24.45. Johnson was 49.86 leading off, followed by Samantha Bertschi (51.94), Christopherson (52.01) and Jardina (50.64). The relay was just off of the state record, a 3:24.44 from 2017.

OTHER WINNERS

• Mt. Paran Christian’s Emma Norton, a junior, swept the longer freestyle races. She was 1:51.24 in the 200 free and 4:59.64 in the 500 free.
• Elizabeth Kaye, a senior at Pace Academy, set the Georgia state record in the 1-meter diving, scoring a whopping 635.60 points.