2023 FHSAA 4A REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
- October 30-November 4, 2023
- All Regions Sites
- All Results
Following the conclusion of their respective District Championship meets, Florida high school swimming teams in Class 3A and 4A wrapped up their Regional meets on the weekend, which serve as qualifiers for the State Championships.
All but one team won repeat Region titles in 4A, with the Creekside High School girls upending defending champion Oviedo in Region 1.
FHSAA CLASS 3A REGION CHAMPIONS
- Region 1: Creekside girls, Oviedo boys
- Region 2: Windermere girls, Windermere boys
- Region 3: Riverview Sarasota girls, Sarasota boys
- Region 4: Cypress Bay girls, G Holmes Braddock Senior boys
CLASS 3A REGION HIGHLIGHTS
Girls
The Riverview Sarasota girls were once again a dominant force in Region 3, posting the top time overall across five events, led by senior Brianna Deierlein.
A Northwestern commit, Deierlein put up new lifetime bests in the 100 free (50.37) and 200 free (1:48.03) to earn the top seeds for the state meet, with senior teammate Addison Sauickie sitting 2nd in both at 50.70/1:48.45.
Sauickie, who is committed to Stanford, won state titles in both races last year.
A third senior, Gracie Weyant, was the top swimmer across all regions in the 200 IM (2:03.00), leading a sweep of the top four spots for Riverview Sarasota, and she currently sits 2nd overall in the 100 breast (1:02.84) behind Windermere’s Addison Reese (1:02.34). Both swimmers are committed to Florida for next season.
Weyant swept the 200 IM and 100 breast at the 2022 4A State Championships.
Reese, swimming in Region 2, also produced the top time in the 100 fly in 53.63, having finished 2nd in the event last season (she also was 3rd in the 200 free).
Riverview Sarasota also earned a #1 seed from sophomore Taylor Schwenk, who went 55.25 to lead the way in the 100 back. Her time of 55.72 in the 100 fly also gave her the victory in Region 3 and the #3 seed overall behind Reese and Palm Beach Central’s Katya Malyshev (54.50), who was alongside Reese in Region 2.
Region 2 also saw the top swim in the 500 free, where Boone High School’s Arianna Wertheim set a new PB of 4:52.13.
In the relays, Reese splits 24.30 on fly to lead Windermere to the top time in the 200 medley relay (1:44.05) over Riverview Sarasota (1:44.66), while Riverview Sarasota edged out the top spot in the 200 free relay, 1:35.28 to 1:35.83.
In the 400 free relay, Riverview Sarasota has a near three-second gap over the field in 3:28.82.
Region 1 had the top 50 free performer in Winter Park senior Adrianna Lojewski (23.38), who wasn’t in the field last year.
Boys
Junior George Gonzalez led G. Holmes Braddock to a repeat title in Region 4, topping the 100 free (45.51) and 200 free (1:39.58) with the fastest times overall.
Gonzalez is the defending state champion in the 100 free, and he also took 2nd in the 100 breast last year.
Braddock sophomore Anthony Pineiro put up the top time in the 100 back at 49.47, showing impressive improvement considering he was 7th at the state meet last year in 51.31 (PB is now 48.24, set in late September).
Pineiro and Gonzalez teamed up to lead Braddock to the top time in the 200 medley relay in 1:33.38, with Pineiro splitting 22.02 on fly and Gonzalez going 20.81 on free.
Over in Region 2, Windermere roared to the title with top-ranking swims from Walter Kueffer in the 50 free (20.95) and Roberto Zarate in the 100 fly (49.46), with Zarate’s swim marking a new lifetime best.
Kueffer also led off the 200 free relay in 20.98 as Windermere put up the fastest time in 1:24.59, while Ryan Erisman was 20.80 on the anchor leg. In the 400 free relay, Kueffer (45.89), Zarate (46.00), Rory Connelly (46.46) and Erisman (45.90) combined for the top time in 3:04.25.
Erisman was their top performer at the state meet last year, placing 2nd in the 500 free and 3rd in the 200 free. He enters this year’s championship seeded 2nd in both (tied for 2nd in the 500).
Region 3 winners Sarasota had two top times come out of sophomore Bogdan Zverev in the 200 IM (1:50.24) and senior Aidan Siers in the 500 free (4:29.60), both establishing new personal best times.
Siers, an Auburn commit, didn’t even race the 500 free at last year’s state meet, placing 6th in the 200 IM and 15th in the 100 fly. Zverev was 5th in the 200 IM and 18th in the 100 fly as a freshman.
Also competing in Region 3, George Steinbrenner’s Jayden Repak hit a best time of 56.23 to lead the way in the 100 breast, and added another PB in the 50 free (21.18) to rank 3rd overall. Now a senior, he finished 6th in the 50 free and 7th in the 100 breast last season.
FHSAA CLASS 4A STATE QUALIFIERS
The FHSAA Class 4A State Championships will take place on Friday, November 10 at the Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training (FAST) pool in Ocala, Florida.
