MIAA A Conference Championships
- February 4th-5th, 2022
- Baltimore, Maryland
- SCY
- Full results: Available on Meet Mobile: “2022 MIAA A Swimming Championships”
Several of Baltimore’s top high school swimming programs met for the annual Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference Championships this weekend on the campus of Loyola University, Maryland and the McDonogh School boys emerged victorious for the fourth straight year with 539.5 points. McDonogh has now won in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 after the conference did not compete last season. Loyola Blakefield, which had won five straight conference titles before McDonogh’s streak started in 2018, finished runner-up with 488 points.
The star of the meet was McDonogh senior Alan Cherches, who won both the 200 IM and 100 breast with massive new lifetime bests in both. Cherches, who is committed to join the University of Pennsylvania Quakers next fall, started his day with a 24.21 breast split on McDonogh’s winning 200 medley relay. He joined with Will Cussimanio, Caiden Bowers and Langston Duncan to take the win in 1:30.54.
In his individual races, Cherches first won the 200 IM by nearly 4 and a half seconds, touching first in a new personal best of 1:48.10. He then returned to win the 100 breast by nearly three seconds, touching first in a blistering 54.11.
Cherches has made massive strides since committing to Penn last April, when his lifetime best in the 200 IM was 1:52.49 and his 100 breast stood at 56.03. He will join a very strong Quaker breast/IM group, which is led by current freshman and US National Teamer Matt Fallon.
Also impressing for McDonogh was sophomore Caiden Bowers, who won the 100 fly and finished runner-up in the 100 back. Bowers posted a new lifetime best in the 100 fly, touching first in 49.30 and followed it up with a new lifetime best of 50.62 in the 100 back as well. McDonogh’s other individual event win came in the 50 free, courtesy of freshman Langston Duncan’s 21.49.
Leading the way for Loyola Blakefield was senior Ryan Branon, who won both of his individual events for the Dons. Branon, who is committed to swim at Texas in the fall, won the 200 free in 1:40.46 and later returned to win the 100 free in 45.24. Branon’s lifetime bests sit at 1:36.70 in the 200 free and 44.37 in the 100 free.
Also winning individual events for Loyola was senior Cameron Shinnick and junior Patrick Branon. Shinnick, who is committed to compete for Loyola Maryland next fall, won the 100 back in 50.22, a new lifetime best. Patrick Branon won the 500 free in 4:39.36, off of his lifetime best of 4:36.65
Final team standings:
- McDonogh 539.5
- Loyola Blakefield 488
- Gilman 252
- Mount Saint Joseph 214.5
- Archbishop Spalding 147
- Calvert Hall 141
The MIAA Class B Conference Championships will take place on Wednesday at the McDonogh School.