2024 NCISAA Division I State Championships
- Feb. 13, 2024
- Mecklenburg Aquatic Center
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- SCY (25 yards)
- PDF results
Boys Team Scores
- Charlotte Latin – 462
- Ravenscroft – 266
- Charlotte Country Day – 244
- Cary Academy – 232
- Providence Day – 207
The 2024 NCISAA Division I Swimming Championships saw some epic distance freestyle battles last month at Mecklenburg Aquatic Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In the 200-yard free, Charlotte Latin junior Norvy Clontz (1:36.70) outdueled Charlotte Country Day sophomore Santi Alzate (1:38.02) to defend his state title, with both swimmers finishing under the 20-year-old meet record (1:38.09) set by future University of Texas standout Matt McGinnis back in 2004. Clontz dropped exactly half a second off his previous-best 1:37.20 from December while Alzate knocked more than two seconds off his previous-best 1:40.19 from November.
Alzate pulled off the upset in the 500 free, dethroning two-time defending champion Clontz (4:21.20) with a winning time of 4:20.62. Just like the 200 free, both swimmers reached the wall under Payne Montgomery’s NCISAA record (4:23.94) from 2009. Alzate lowered his best time from November (4:25.62) by exactly five seconds, moving up to 38th in the U.S. 15-16 boys national age group (NAG) rankings at just 15 years old. Clontz was slightly slower than his personal-best 4:19.43 from 2022.
Clontz, a Cal commit (‘25), also helped his Charlotte Latin team take down a pair of its own relay records from last year en route to a fifth consecutive Division I crown in dominant fashion, almost 200 points ahead of runner-up Ravenscroft. Alzate’s Charlotte Country Day squad placed 3rd in the team standings.
Clontz kicked off the meet with a 25.25 breaststroke split in the 200 medley relay (1:31.25) as Charlotte Latin toppled its NCISAA record from last year (1:32.79). The 17-year-old Junior National Teamer capped it off with a 46.02 100 free leading off Charlotte Latin’s 400 free relay (3:02.34) that crushed its own standard from last year (3:05.18), just a hair off his personal-best 45.99 from November. Alzate led off Charlotte Country Day’s 3rd-place 400 free relay (3:08.37) in 46.16, demolishing his previous-best 47.79 from last March.
The only double winner among the boys was Charlotte Latin senior Aidan Hill, a Tennessee commit (‘24) who took home titles in the 100 back (48.74) and 100 fly (48.26). Along the way, he broke the NCISAA record in the 100 fly (48.60) clocked by Kyle Barone in 2018. Runner-up finisher Connor Wickerham of Cannon also touched under Barone’s 100 fly record with a 2nd-place effort in 48.56. Hill also posted a 21.88 fly split and 45.35 free anchor on Charlotte Latin’s triumphant 200 medley relay and 400 free relay, respectively.
Charlotte Country Day School seniors Freddy Klein and Charlie O’Shea defended their titles with new NCISAA records in the 200 IM and 100 breast, respectively. Klein, a Cal commit (‘24), tallied a personal-best 1:49.07 in the 200 IM, lowering his own meet record of 1:49.46 from last year’s win. O’Shea shaved almost half a second off his previous-best 56.01 from last year’s 100 breast victory with a winning time of 55.59, erasing Matthew Kroll’s meet record of 55.86 from 2021.
Providence Day School junior Granger Bartee was slightly slower in the 100 free (45.11) than he was during last year’s runner-up finish (44.78), but it was still enough to secure the title. The UNC commit (‘25) also earned a runner-up finish in the 100 back (49.24) and added a blistering 20.01 free split to anchor Providence Day’s record-breaking 200 free relay (1:25.27). Bartee rallied past Charlotte Latin (1:25.42), who also finished under the old NCISAA record of 1:25.98 set by Cary Academy last year.
The 50 free came down to the wire as Ravenscroft sophomore Mattaus Rammel (20.71) held off Cannon junior John Kroll (20.75) for the win. Rammel sliced a quarter of a second off his previous-best 20.96 from January. Heading into this season, he had only been as fast as 21.92 in the 50 free.
Girls Recap
Team Scores
- Charlotte Country Day – 379
- Cary Academy – 336
- Charlotte Latin – 264
- Providence Day – 250.5
- Durham Academy – 171
The Charlotte Country Day School (CCDS) girls got a few huge individual performances from junior Elle Scott, sophomore Caroline Mallard, and sophomore Taylor Klein to carry them to the NCISAA Division I title, snapping Cary Academy’s seven-year winning streak at this meet.
Scott brought the meet record in the 100 breast under a minute with her winning time of 59.91, breaking the former mark of 1:00.46 set by NC State standout Abby Arens in 2020. The Cal commit (‘25) also repeated in the 200 IM (1:57.69), recorded a 27.69 breast split on CCDS’s 200 medley relay (1:42.27), and contributed a 49.18 free split anchoring the 400 free relay (3:26.81). The 200 medley relay crushed a 19-year-old meet record (1:46.36) by Cardinal Gibbons from 2005 while the 400 free relay broke Charlotte Latin’s meet record from last year (3:28.87).
Mallard emerged with two victories in the 50 free (23.58) in the 100 fly (53.70). She was just off her lifetime bests in the 50 free (23.17) and 100 fly (53.59) from December, but she still managed to take down Zetta Bartee’s 100 fly meet record of 54.44 from last year. Mallard also went 24.13 swimming butterfly on the 200 medley relay and 23.58 leading off the 200 free relay (1:34.12). CCDS was one of three 200 free relay teams that were faster than Cary Academy’s meet record from last year (1:36.12) along with Cary (1:35.17) and Providence Day (1:35.29).
Klein claimed the 100 back crown in 55.24, dropping more than half a second off his previous-best 55.79 from December. She added a personal-best 26.08 50 back leading off the 200 medley relay, dropping eight-tenths of a second, as well as a 23.70 free split on the 200 free relay. Scott, Mallard, and Klein should all be back for CCDS next season to seek their title defense.
Providence Day School junior Clarke Neace established a new meet record in the 500 free with her winning time of 4:50.94. The Georgia commit (‘25) lowered Mary Pruden’s standard of 4:52.57 from 2018, narrowly missing her personal-best 4:49.02 from December. Neace also earned a runner-up finish in the 100 back (55.96) behind Klein.
Providence Day School sophomore Zetta Bartee defended her 200 free title in 1:49.34, dropping almost a second off her previous-best 1:50.07 from last year’s victory. She went on to lower her lifetime best to 1:48.09 a month later.
Cary Academy senior Louisa Wendt triumphed in the 100 free (51.09), shaving less than a tenth off her previous-best 51.16 from last March. The Emory commit (‘24) got under 51 seconds for the first time at 50.91 a couple weeks later.