After the conclusion of the Georgia 1-5A preliminaries at the McCauley Aquatic Center at Georgia Tech, the state’s larger high schools held their prelims in the 6A meet.
In the boys’ meet, Hillgrove got things started with a narrow edge in the 200 medley relay, as Brady Fields (23.38), Tory Bartlett (27.38), Cullen Fields (23.07), and Max LaRocque (21.63) combined for 1:35.46, just 4/100 ahead of Collins Hill’s Taylor Delk, Andrew Winton, Driscoll Crabbe, and Matt Herbig. Lambert qualified third with 1:35.95, meaning that in tomorrow’s final it’s really anyone’s game.
Lambert’s Ryan Pilkington got things started with a lifetime-best 1:40.00 to lead the qualifiers in the 200 free. He was also second in the 500 free with 4:32.97, a PB by 4.2 seconds. First in the 500 was Collins Hill’s Delk, who touched in 4:29.08. Delk’s 49.68 qualified him second in the 100 back behind Michael Taylor of Johns Creek (48.48). Taylor finished third in the 200 free with 1:40.58.
Lambert senior Jared Chulavatr led the field in two events: he was the top qualifier in the 100 fly (49.33) and 100 breast (57.36). In the latter event, he will have his hands full in finals with Jack DalMolin of North Forsyth (57.54), Winton of Collins Hill (57.77), and Marton Barta of Brookwood (57.92). Barta was the fastest 200 IMer with 1:51.60, while Winton was second in 1:51.84.
Norcross senior Eric Strickland posted the top time in the 50 free (20.37); he was followed by Lassiter junior Colin Riley and Alpharetta junior Jonathan Vater (21.15). Vater was the second qualifier in the 100 free, just .04 behind Wheeler senior Kevin Zhou (45.95).
In the 200 free relay, Northview (Cade Auerbach, Sam Bray, Joonas Koski, and Campbell Auerbach) led the field with 1:25.32, just ahead of Brookwood (1:25.63) and Hillgrove (1:26.42). Norcross (Dutch Danskin, Colton Kryski, Arion Solomon, and Eric Strickland) bested Northview in the 400 free relay, 3:08.43 to 3:08.81.
Colquitt County sophomore Parker Hardigree claimed the 6A state title in one-meter diving with a dominating 511.30 points. Griffin Ramsey of Norcross was runner-up, tallying 467.35 points. Third place went to Peter Smithson of Collins Hill. Hardigree’s teammate Kellian Howell won the girls’ diving event with 435.05 points, ahead of Walton senior Peri Charapich (418.75) and Jordyn Sak of Lakeside, Dekalb (407.90).
The girls’ swimming began with a close finish in the 200 medley relay. Brookwood’s Maddy Cohen (26.17), Erin Scott (29.45), Devan Sweeney (24.73), and Leila Taylor (24.01) combined for a leading 1:44.36, ahead of Lambert’s 1:44.64. Haley Arner of Collins Hill edged Woodstock senior Lauren Case, 1:51.01 to 1:51.17 to ear the middle lane in Saturday’s 200 free final. Third-place finisher Emma Layton of Chattahoochee (1:51.95) was top qualifier in the 500 free (4:54.11); Arner (4:54.67) was second. Case, meanwhile, topped the field in the 100 fly with 54.84. Lambert junior Jane Johnson was second in 54.97.
Johns Creek junior Evie Bragg (who was also fourth in the 500 free) put up the top time in the 200 IM with 2:03.71; Brookwood’s Sweeney went 2:04.37 for second. Bragg’s teammate Tatum Smith went 23.61 in the 50 free ahead of North Gwinnett’s Chantal Jordan (23.80) and Lambert’s Katherine Aikins (23.92).
Maddy Cohen of Brookwood was the fastest 100 freestyler with 50.89 and the second-fastest 100 backstroker (55.70). Mill Creek’s Katherine Parker earned the middle lane for finals in the backstroke with 54.64. Pope’s Sarah Sorensen was third in the 100 back (57.64) and second in the 100 free (52.04). Sheridan Schreiber, a sophomore at West Forsyth, edged Scott of Brookwood, 1:04.20 to 1:04.53, for the top qualifying spot in the 100 breast. Lexi Glunn of Lassiter (1:04.76) was third.
Walton put up the top qualifying times in both the 200 free relay (1:36.99 from Evan Arsenault, Gabbie Gauntt, Melissa Cox, and Emma Cole) and 400 free relay (3:31.53: Gauntt, Cox, Arsenault, and Cole) ahead of Lambert.
With diving completed, the teams will enter finals with the following points on the board:
Men – Team Rankings – Through Diving
- Collins Hill 33
- Walton 32
- Norcross 32
- Colquitt County 24
- Campbell 19
- Pope 18
- Wheeler 16
- Lakeside, DeKalb 14
- Parkview 11
- Centennial 9
Women – Team Rankings – Through Diving
- Walton 46
- Colquitt County 41
- Lakeside, DeKalb 20
- West Forsyth 18
- Norcross 16
- Lassiter 15
- Cherokee 14
- Chattahoochee 13
- Mill Creek 13
- South Gwinnett 11
