Gulliver Prep Girls, Bishop Kenny Boys Win FHSAA 2A State Titles

2021 FHSAA Championship – Class 2A

• November 5, 2021
• Sailfish Splashpark Aquatic Athletics Center, Stuart, FL
• Results (PDF)

The Gulliver Preparatory School girls and Bishop Kenny High School boys came out on top at the 2021 FHSAA Class 2A State Championships on Friday, both finishing well ahead of the competition in the final team standings.

GIRLS MEET RECAP

The victory for Gulliver Prep marked a return to the top after winning five straight from 2014 to 2018. Second last year to Pine Crest, the team put up 247 points to finish 52 clear of runner-up Jensen Beach, with their lone event win coming in the 200 medley relay.

The top individual performer of the meet was easily Jensen Beach senior Blair Stoneburg, who swept the girls’ 200 and 500 freestyle and played a key role in the school’s wins in the 200 and 400 free relays.

Stoneburg started things off with a win in the 200 free, clocking 1:46.96 to claim the event for a third straight time. Last season, Stoneburg hit a lifetime best of 1:44.63 at the meet, just three-tenths fof the State Record held by Morgan Tankersley (1:44.31).

Stoneburg followed up by winning the 500 free for the second year in a row in 4:42.04, over 15 seconds clear of the field. Her best time stands at 4:38.83 set last December.

Stoneburg then teamed up with sister Brynn Stoneburg, a sophomore, Madeline Kohs and Melody McAfee to win both free relays, anchoring the 200 and 400 with blistering splits of 22.55 and 48.85, respectively.

The other double event winner of the meet was Estero High School’s Giuliana Carlini, who claimed the 100 free (51.43) and 100 back (56.58). Carlini’s 100 free victory came by one-tenth of a second over Lake Wales’ Mary Leigh Hardman, who won the 50 free by .01 in 23.82 over Cape Coral’s Madison Lehman.

OTHER EVENT WINNERS

• 200 IM: Melissa Blaine, Cape Coral, 2:04.97
• 1-Meter Diving: Rylie Darkatsh, Stanton, 428.75
• 100 Fly: Hannah Ahn, Eastside, 54.32
• 100 Breast: Michelle Fernandez, Mater Lakes Academy, 1:03.60

TEAM STANDINGS – TOP 5

1. Gulliver Preparatory School, 247
2. Jensen Beach High School, 195
3. Cape Coral, High School, 190
4. Estero High School, 151
5. TR Robinson High School, 148

BOYS MEET RECAP

After placing sixth in 2020, the Bishop Kenny boys won their second 2A State title in school history by 30.5 points over Arnold despite claiming no event victories.

The team finished in the top three of all three relays, and their top scorer was junior Evan Larson, who finished third in both the 200 IM and 100 back.

Individually, Arnold’s Shane McEliece, Rockledge High School’s Elliot Weisel and Clearwater High School’s Drew Johnson stole the show by winning two events apiece.

McEliece, a junior, won the 200 IM (1:49.91) and 100 fly (49.57), and also contributed on Arnold’s winning 200 medley (1:34.44) and 200 free relays (1:25.29).

Weisel had a pair of decisive wins in the boys’ 200 free (1:39.96) and 500 free (4:29.96), while Johnson had a sweep of his own in the 50 (20.57) and 100 free (45.89).

OTHER EVENT WINNERS

• 1-Meter Diving: Elisha Dees, Ed White, 513.55
• 100 Back: Luca Lesentier, Mast Academy, 50.94
• 100 Breast: Tristan Ide, Atlantic, 55.91
• 400 Free Relay: Mater Lakes Academy, 3:10.73

TEAM STANDINGS – TOP 5

1. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), 230
2. Arnold (Panama City Beach), 199.5
3. Mater Lakes Academy, 152
4. Rockledge High School, 124
5. Clearwater High School, 107