Curzan Narrowly Misses 100 BK HS National Record; Green Hope Boys Defend Title

2020 NCHSAA NORTH CAROLINA 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 7, 2020
• Defending champs: Leesville Road girls & Green Hope boys
• Psych Sheets
• Preview
• Hosted by Cardinal Gibbons
• Results 

TOP 5 TEAM SCORES – GIRLS

1. Green Hope- 251
2. WA Hough- 229
3. Myers Park- 178
4. Apex Friendship- 162
5. Needham Broughton- 149

TOP 5 TEAM SCORES – BOYS

1. Green Hope- 319
2. Page- 210
3. Panther Creek- 206.5
4. Athens Drive- 195
5. WA Hough- 168

Cardinal Gibbons’ Claire Curzan put on a show tonight at the NCHSAA 4A Championships. Individually, she took down the National High School Record in the 100 fly, blowing it away by a second in 50.38. That was also a new 15-16 NAG Record. You can watch a video of that swim here.

In the 100 back, she became the 2nd fastest swimmer ever at a high school state meer. Before this season, Olivia Smoliga held the National High School Record, but Phoebe Bacon took down that record with a 51.32 just a couple of weeks ago.  With Curzan’s 51.38 win tonight, she’s now #5 in the 15-16 Age Group. Her best time, a 51.23 from 2019, is the 2nd fastest ever in the 13-14 age group. Curzan also put up a pair of fast relay splits tonight. She led off the 200 medley relay in 24.54 and anchored the 200 free relay in 21.71.

Green Hope came away with both team titles, successfully defending their boys’ title. The boys set a new State Record in the 200 medley relay with Colin Cotter (back- 23.40), Michael Cotter (breast- 26.26), Jesse Ssengonzi (fly- 21.90), and John Satterfield (free- 20.68) combining for a 1:32.24.

That relay had 3 men win individually as well. Michael Cotter went on to win the men’s 200 free in 1:38.58. Ssengonzi became the 100 fly champ in 49.09. Satterfield won the 100 free in 45.23. Teammate Michael Moore set the 4A Record in the 200 IM, clocking in at 1:47.83. He later won the 100 back in 49.22.

Myers Park freshman Kiley Wilhelm dominated the girls’ 200 IM. Her 1:56.77 clipped her lifetime best from this season’s Winter Juniors. It also blew away Brooke Zettle’s former State Record by over a second. WA Hough’s Grace Rainey was just 5 hundredths away from the State Record, which she set at 1:01.26 last season, as she won the 100 breast in 1:01.31.

Additional Event Winners:

• Girls 200 medley relay: WA Hough, 1:42.58
• Girls 200 free: Kensley Merritt, WA Hough, 1:47.34
• Girls 50 free: Maria Baric, Green Hope, 22.89
• Boys 50 free: Ryan Weaver, Riverside, 20.67
• Girls 100 free: Teresa Ivan, Ardrey Kell, 50.46
• Girls 500 free: Amanda Ray, Leesville Road, 4:50.48
• Boys 500 free: Braden Haughey, Middle Creek, 4:26.44
• Girls 200 free relay: Green Hope, 1:34.30
• Boys 200 free relay: Green Hope, 1:24.83
• Boys 100 breast: Reid Mikuta, Page, 55.02
• Girls 400 free relay: WA Hough, 3:23.65
• Boys 400 free relay: Green Hope, 3:06.22