2020 South Carolina (SCHSL) Championships – Boys
- Saturday, October 10, 2020
- Boys 3A: 10 AM
- Boys 4A: 2 PM
- Boys 5A: 6 PM
- Short course yards (SCY) format
- Live video (paid subscription required)
- Heat Sheets (all classes)
South Carolina will host its high school swimming state meets this week, believed to be the first of the school year across the country. Many states have postponed or adapted fall sports seasons amid the coronavirus pandemic.
South Carolina is no exception to the adapted season. The state meets will be held with no spectators, and the boys and girls meets have been separated to different days, rather than running co-ed meets for each class (3A, 4A, 5A) over a two-day span.
The state has also seen one team removed from the state meet over a positive coronavirus test this week. That’s Fort Dorchester, a 5A team that finished 26th last year on the boys side.
We look at some of the races to watch from the boys meets:
3A (Small Schools)
St. Joseph’s Catholic will look to defend its 2019 title here, returning a good number of its top scorers.
Jack Doyle won the 200 IM (1:58.75) and finished third in the 100 breast (1:00.64) last year. The senior returns as the top seed into both, though Bishop England’s Ethan Griffith bested Doyle for second in the breaststroke last year and will compete again this year.
Silas Crosby, meanwhile, will also defend a title: the 500 free, which he won by ten seconds last year. Also a senior for St. Joseph’s Catholic, Crosby is the top seed into the 500 free and the 200 free, where he was second last year. 2019 champ Nathan DePiero does not appear on heat sheets this year.
Others to watch: Seneca sophomore Micah Zeller was a top-4 finisher in the 50 free and 100 back last year, and this year has a shot at titles in the 100 free and 100 back. He’ll have to beat St. Joseph’s sophomore Colin Jordan, who is seeded right alongside him in both races.
4A
Eastside is the defending champion, but graduated the a good number of scorers.
AC Flora senior Tanner Edwards will chase two state records in his individual events. Edwards is the defending champ in the 100 fly and 100 back, and last year, he set the state record in the backstroke at 49.79. His winning 100 fly time of 50.48 was just seven-tenths of a second off a state record that has stood since 2008.
Hilton Head Island’s Cohen Bruner is another senior chasing dual titles. Bruner won the 200 free (1:43.22) and 100 free (47.45) last year, and he’s the runaway top seed in both for Monday.
Keep an eye on Hilton Head Island senior Tommy Hughson, who leads the field in the 200 IM and 500 free.
5A (Big Schools)
Last year’s 5A show was an absolute thriller, with JL Mann, Nation Ford and Mauldin all coming in within two and a half points. JL Mann picked up the win by two over Nation Ford.
Nation Ford returns Austin Lockhart, who would be in the mix for a sprint sweep this year. In 2019, Lockhart won the 100 free and came within a tenth of winning the 200 free. This time around, he’ll take on the 50 free (where his 20.82 is the top seed by almost a second and three tenths faster than last year’s winning time) as well as the 100 free.
Carolina Forest’s Harrison Clinton should also challenge for a pair of wins. The defending champ in the 100 fly, Clinton went 50.35 last year and was within six-tenths of the state record. He leads that field again, and should also contend for the 100 breast title. He was third there last year and comes in as the top seed, though last year’s runner-up Lucas Grigat of Nation Ford also returns.
Riverside’s Nick Bracall is the other top two-event contender, leading the 200 free (1:48.78) and 500 free (4:49.23).