2023 Virginia High School League Class 5 Swimming and Diving State Championships
- February 15-17, 2023
- Hampton Virginia Aquaplex, Hampton, Virginia
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Full Meet Results (PDF)
- Results on MeetMobile “2023 VHSL Class 5 State Meet
Hosted at the Hampton Virginia Aquaplex, Class 5 schools from across Virginia competed at the VHSL Swimming and Diving State Championships last weekend. The women’s meet saw First Colonial High School extend its winning streak, claiming the school’s fourth straight state title. Mills E. Godwin won the boys’ meet.
Girls Meet Recap
The first multiple-event winner on the day was Kayleigh Duffy of First Colonial. The junior swept the sprint freestyle events, claiming gold in the 50 free (23.68) and 100 free (51.27). A USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, Duffy has already announced her college commitment for 2024, committing to stay in-state and swim for the University of Virginia.
Joining Duffy in winning two state titles on the day was Albemarle junior Grey Davis. Davis started her meet off by claiming the gold in the 100 fly, touching in 54.46 to lead the field by nearly three seconds. She followed that performance by posting the fastest performance in the 100 back. In a close race with Bayside’s Alexa Ozment, Davis touched in the fastest time of 54.11. Ozment, who was the 200 IM runner-up, was just behind her in 54.38. Davis is committed to Northwestern University for 2024 where she will make an immediate impact on the program’s roster. Her times from last weekend would have earned her C-finals appearances at the 2023 Big-10 Championships this week.
After taking bronze in the 200 free earlier in the meet, US Junior National Team member Claire Stuhlmacher earned gold in the 500 free with a time of 4:54.91. A junior, at Douglas Freeman, this was Stuhlmacher’s first VHSL state championships, having competed in Florida prior to this season. Stuhlmacher, who’s committed to Navy for 2024, took fourth in the 7.5k at last years Open Water Junior Worlds.
Kyie Boyle, Nina Wysocki, Alden Zerkle, and Megan Davies of Independence High School claimed the gold in the 200 medley relay, posting a time of 1:45.38. They were helped to that win by Zerkle’s fly split of 25.23, which was the fastest in the field by over a second.
After finishing as the runner-up in the event last year as a freshman, Allison Bischoff of Freeman High School returned in her sophomore year to claim the state title in the 200 free. Dropping over a second from her time from last year, Bischoff touched in 1:49.21. That time puts her just under a second off of the 5A state record in the event, set last year by current UVA swimmer Sophia Knapp.
Like the 200 free, the 200 IM was won by a sophomore, with Kate Hotem of Mills E. Godwin claiming gold. Hotem led by over a second, touching at 2:02.28.
After winning the event last season as a freshman, Peyton Worman of Hickory picked up her second state diving title, finishing with a score of 387.75.
First Colonial picked up the 200 free relay title by over a second, winning in 1:37.77.
Winning her second straight title in the 100 breast was 2023 University of Illinois commit Kylee Sessions. Improving nearly a second on her time from last season, Sessions won in 1:03.81. She was actually half of a second faster in prelims, touching in 1:03.34
Team Scores
- First Colonial – 270
- Douglas Freeman – 248
- Albemarle – 240.5
- Deep Run – 222
- Independence – 165
Boys Meet Recap
The boys’ side of the meet opened with Mills E Godwin’s 200 medley relay narrowly missing the 5A state record, finishing .16 off in a time of 1:33.16. The relay was made up of Eric Lambert, Pablo Silva, Aidan Jacobs, and Seamus Connell, with Lambert posting an impressive 23.59 to open the race.
For the second straight year, Hickory senior Ben Mauldin left the state championships with a gold medal in the 200 free. Mauldin was the only swimmer to dip below 1:40, winning in 1:39.82. The defending state champion in the 500 free as well, Mauldin took bronze this year as Albemarle’s David King fell just short of breaking the 5A state record. King was just over a second off of the record in the event, stopping the clock at 4:24.10. King was also the 100 back state champion, winning in 49.68.
The 200 IM also saw a 2022 state champion defend his title with Owen Hoban of Brooke Point taking the gold in the race for the second straight year. The junior finished under 1:50 in the event for the first time in his career, stopping the clock at 1:49.97.
Like the girl’s meet, the boy’s sprint freestyle events were both won by the same athlete. A junior at Riverside High School, H. T. Tragle took gold in both races. In the 50, Tragle improved over a second from his time that earned him 7th a year ago, winning in 20.76. In the 100 free he successfully defended his 2022 title, winning in 45.26. Last year he won in 46.76.
Diving was by a freshman, with Hickory’s Jacob Shinn taking first with a score of 240.10.
After finishing 2nd a year ago, Menchville senior Ian Rodgers returned to claim the state title in the 100 fly. Rodgers came off the blocks quick, splitting 22.97 over the first 50 before ultimately finishing in 49.07.
Mills E. Godwin pulled off the first state record of the meet en route to winning the 200 free relay. The team of Seamus Connell, Aidan Jacobs, Harrison Neuhaus, and Eric Lambert combined to finish in 1:24.81 to break the 5A record set by Thomas Jefferson in 2014 (1:25.30). That relay was led off by future national team member Andrew Seliskar (20.36).
Hickory senior Jay Gerloff pulled off the win in the 100 breast by over a second, touching first in 56.49.
Team Scores
- Mills Godwin – 283
- Albemarle – 190.5
- Hickory – 162
- Independence – 159
- Riverside – 159