Poolesville Boys Take Back MD HS State Title; Northern High Girls Make a Splash

MPSSAA SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 23-24
• College Park, MD
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Girls Results
• Boys Results
• Team Results

Boys’ Recap

The Poolesville boys’ swim team came away victorious from its annual battle against Rockville for the state title at this year’s Maryland Class 3A/2A/1A Swimming and Diving State Championships. Poolesville topped the meet with 325 points, while Rockville finished 2nd with 247.5 points.

The championship title has been flip-flopping between the two teams for the last couple of years, with Poolesville holding the title in 2020 and 2022 until Rockville took home the win last year by just a 12-point margin.

Poolesville’s comeback was aided by strong relay performances and a considerable depth in the field; two swimmers placed in the top eight in five different events. Rockville, despite winning five individual events, could not match up with Poolesville’s depth and rarely had more than one swimmer place in the top eight.

The 400 free relay went to Poolesville’s team of Ethan Lee, Daniel Zamaray, Jaden Hou and William Sheeran, which secured their win in a time of 3:14.82. Rockville took 2nd in a time of 3:16.13 with their team of Brig Barnett, Mark Henry, Evander Franken and Linus Ament.

Lee, Sheeran and Hou were joined by Eli Ferrara for the 200 free relay, where they placed 2nd behind La Plata High School with a time of 1:28.48. La Plata placed 3rd in the team standings, and relay swimmers Clinton Cupples, Jackson Donnick, Mario Curtis and Gavin Abelende contributed valuable points to their team with the win, touching in a time of 1:27.84. Both teams were aided in their success by Rockville’s relay team getting disqualified for an early takeoff on the third leg.

Rockville was able to balance out this loss with their previous victory in the 200 medley relay, swam by Barnett, Ament, Daren Akselioglu and Henry in a time of 1:36.61. La Plata’s team of Gavin Abelende, Landon Abelende, Cupples and Mario came in 2nd with a time of 1:37.43, while Poolesville’s Justin Jarczynski, Ethan Qian, Isaac Soles and Ferrara fell further behind, taking 3rd in a time of 1:41.48.

Despite not being one of the top-scoring teams, Patterson Mill posted multiple standout races, sneaking in a double event winner in the form of senior Kade Snyder. Snyder snagged a win and broke the state record in the 100 fly with a time of 48.04, lowering the previous record of 48.31 that was set back in 2019 by Alex Colson. Snyder went on to win the 100 back in a time of 48.58, narrowly missing the state record time of 48.36 and finishing an astonishing 5.69 seconds ahead of 2nd-place.

Sophomore Barnett proved to be a powerhouse for Rockville, winning both of his individual events. He took home the 200 free title, touching nearly two seconds ahead of the runner-up in a time of 1:42.55 and just a second off his personal best. He followed it up with a victory in the 500 free, posting a time of 4:37.16, less than half a second off his personal best. 2nd-place went to Poolesville senior Sheeran, who finished in a time of 4:43.73.

Another double event winner was Rockville senior Ament, who took home the 200 IM and 100 breast. Both races resulted in personal bests for him: he threw down a time of 1:53.03 in the IM and a time of 58.83 in the breaststroke.

Stealing some points away from the top contending schools, La Plata junior Gavin Abelende won the 50 free in a personal best time of 20.79; he was the only swimmer in the field to go sub-21. Abelende proved himself a dominant force in the sprint events, as he also secured a victory in the 100 free, finishing well ahead of 2nd-place with his time of 46.04. The runner-up behind him was Poolesville junior Hou, who touched in a time of 48.03.

Boys Team Scores

1. Poolesville High School – 325
2. Rockville High School – 247.5
3. La Plata High School – 228
4. Damascus High School – 165
5. Huntingtown High School – 129.5
6. Middletown High School – 124
7. Harford Technical High School – 115
8. Calvert High School – 85
9. Bel Air Bobcats – 79.5
10. Patterson Mill High School – 76

Girls’ Recap

The Northern High School girls’ team made a new name for itself as a top team at this year’s state meet; the highest Northern had placed within the last decade was third back in 2018. After a brief stint in the 4A/3A state class, Northern returned to class 3A/2A/1A championships with a splash, racking up 307 points overall to win the title.

The overall results at the state meet offered a shakeup from the 2023 championship scores, as Damascus High School jumped from 4th to 2nd, accumulating 257 points, while Poolesville High School dropped one spot down to 3rd in the rankings with 231 points.

Northern kicked off the meet with a victory, placing 1st in the 200 medley relay. The team of Carly Damon, Lyla Smith, Cedar Gallaudet and Aspen Gallaudet posted a time of 1:50.14, finishing with a sizeable margin of victory ahead of La Plata High School’s Addy Donnick, Jadyn Woolsey, Alex Rupard and Ashlyn Milani, who touched in a time of 1:52.06.

Gallaudet, Smith and Gallaudet were later joined by Mary Kathryn Stum for another relay victory in the 200 free relay. The girls touched in a time of 1:39.43, while Damascus’s team of Hannah Douglas, Claire Beabout, Samantha Hennelly and Taya Ivanovskaya snagged 2nd-place with a time of 1:41.89.

The Gallaudet sisters led the pack for Northern, turning in a series of top finishes in their races. Aspen, a senior committed to the Naval Academy, took 3rd in the 50 free with a time of 25.06 and followed it up with a 2nd-place finish in the 100 back with a personal best time of 1:00.58. Freshman Cedar Gallaudet made a splash by taking home the victory in the 100 fly, posting a personal best of 59.00. She also placed 4th in the 200 free in a time of 2:01.80, two seconds off her best.

La Plata senior Donnick, a University of North Carolina commit, stood out from the crowd with her victory in the 100 back. She touched in a time of 56.55 and was the only competitor in the field to swim under 1:00. Donnick previously held the state record in the event with a time of 53.68, set in 2022, until it was broken by Virginia Hinds in a time of 53.35 at this year’s class 4A/3A state meet.

Donnick posted a win in the 100 free as well, throwing down a time of 51.08 and finishing well ahead of the runner up’s time of 54.80, swam by Poolesville sophomore Sophie Huang.

La Plata secured some extra points by turning in a victory in the 50 free; Woolsey, a junior on the team, won in a time of 23.88, a personal best for her that gave her a solid lead over 2nd-place. Kent Island freshman Clare O’Keefe was next to the wall in a time of 24.82.

Damascus fought to cling onto their spot in the team rankings with a handful of 1st-place finishes across the events. Freshman Ivanovskaya made a name for herself in the pool, taking home the 500 free in a personal best time of 5:07.58, nearly 12 seconds ahead of 2nd-place Damon, who swam a time of 5:19.46.

Ivanovskaya also took 2nd in the 200 free with a time of 1:58.06, narrowly missing her best time of 1:57.24 that she set just weeks prior at the Metros Championship. The 200 free was won by Easton High sophomore Maddie Weems in a time of 1:54.53.

The 200 IM title went to another Damascus freshman, Viona Sunjaya, who posted a personal best time of 2:07.53 and finished over five seconds ahead of runner-up Damon, who finished in a time of 2:12.71. Sunjaya went on to take home the 100 breast, once again racing ahead of the field and touching in a personal best time of 1:04.09. The closest competitor behind her was Northern senior Smith, finishing in a time of 1:10.21.

Damascus raced into 1st-place in the 400 free relay, as the team of Douglas, Beabout, Ivanovskaya and Sunjaya finished in a team of 3:41.44, well ahead of the rest of the pack. Northern’s relay team of Damon, Audrey Randolph, Lily Smith and Stum took 2nd-place in a time of 3:47.17, edging out Poolesville’s team of Huang, Anabel Sha, Chelsea Zhang and Christine Wang, who touched 3rd in a time of 3:48.87.

Girls Team Scores

1. Northern High School – 307
2. Damascus High School – 257
3. Poolesville High School – 231
4. La Plata High School – 187
5. Rockville High School – 173
6. Easton High School – 127
7. Kent Island High School – 119
8. Stephen Decatur High School – 96
9. Chesapeake High School – 77
10. Fallston High School – 75