2024 Florida HS 1A Roundup: District Highlights

2024 FHSAA 1A DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

• October 28-November 2, 2024
• District Sites and Dates
• All Results

Florida high school’s 1A teams completed their district meets late last month. The 1A teams make up Florida’s smallest schools, many of which are private schools. The teams are divided up into 12 districts that will move on to four Region meets and ultimately determine who will swim in the State Championships this month.

FHSAA CLASS 1A DISTRICT CHAMPIONS

• District 1: Alfred B Maclay High School (Tallahassee) girls and boys
• District 2: Bolles School (Jacksonville) girls and boys
• District 3: Trinity Prep (Winter Park) girls, Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) boys
• District 4: Lake Highland Prep (Orlando) girls, Montverde Academy boys
• District 5: Edgewood (Merritt Island) girls, Cocoa Beach boys
• District 6: Kings Academy West Palm Beach girls, Kings Academy girls
• District 7: Berkeley Preparatory School girls, Shorecrest Prep St Petersburg boys
• District 8: Out-of-Door Academy girls, Admiral Farragut Academy boys
• District 9: Evangelical Christian School girls, Community School of Naples boys
• District 10: Saint Andrew’s School girls, Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale) boys
• District 11: Miami Country Day girls and boys
• District 12: Carrollton School (Miami) girls, Ransom Everglades High School boys

REGION 1 – DISTRICTS 1, 2, 3

Girls

It was a close race between Alfred B Maclay High School and North Bay Haven High School’s girls’ teams. Alfred Maclay came out on top by a mere 22 points. Senior Zara Jaffe scored the most points for Alfred Maclay, collecting three golds and one silver. She took 1st in the 500 free at a personal best time of 5:29.54, 34.59 seconds ahead of runner-up Abi Brewer. Jaffe swam to 1st in the 200 free, touching in a 2:05.28. The race was neck-and-neck between her and teammate Lauren Carter, as Jaffe out-touched Carter by 0.51. The next closest finisher was over 8 seconds behind the duo. Jaffe led off her team’s 200 free and 400 free relay, swimming the 200 free relay to silver and 400 free relay to gold.

The Bolles School girls’ team demolished District 2, stealing 1st by 383 points. Duke University commit Neala Klein was a two-time finalist, finishing 1st in the 500 free and 3rd in the 200 free. Junior Victoria Edgar touched 1st in the 100 breast at 1:03.52 and 3rd in the 50 free at a new personal best of 24.15. Ella Gotham claimed 1st in the 200 IM at 2:05.10 and 3rd in the 500 free at 5:02.62. Lila Higgo swam one individual event, taking 1st in the 100 back at 54.96. Ella Chan also swam one individual event, finishing 1st in the 100 fly at 55.94. The school’s relay teams also swept the heats, as the 400 free, 200 medley, and 200 free all took 1st.

Father Lopez High School senior Nelanee Fulton claimed 1st in the 100 fly at 58.17 and 1st in the 200 IM at 2:10.60, setting her up to swim at the regional meet. Fulton has swam at the state meet every year of high school. As a freshman she placed 12th in the 200 IM and 16th in the 100 breast, as a sophomore she took 14th in the 200 IM and 16th in the 100 fly, and as a junior she finished 6th in the 200 IM and 12th in the 200 fly. This will be her final year to compete in the state meet before the end of her high school career.

Trinity Preparatory School senior Bree Buchanan brought her team 3 gold medals and 1 silver. She swam a new personal best in the 500 free at 5:07.41, finishing 9.03 seconds ahead of runner-up Erika Opdyke. Buchanan also took 1st in the 200 free, swimming a new personal best of 1:57.20, out-touching Opdyke by .38. She led off her 200 free relay that finished 2nd, and helped the 400 free relay take 1st.

Boys

Alfred B Maclay High School and North Bay Haven High School had another tight race among the boys’ teams, however Alfred Maclay remained victorious by only 29 points. Junior Grayson Banks brought four golds to Alfred Maclay, sprinting to the wall in his 50 free in a 22.67. He broke a new personal best time in the 100 free at 49.84, finishing as the only boy under 50 seconds. He swam in the second leg in both the 200 free and 400 free relays, helping deliver his team to first. Banks swam on the 200 free and 400 free relays at last year’s state meet, but didn’t qualify in any individual events. As a freshman, he finished 6th in both the 100 free and 50 free at the region meet.

The Bolles School boys’ team also swept District 2, finishing ahead of Jacksonville Episcopal by 277 points. Stanford University commit Andy Kravchenko took 1st in the 50 free and 100 free, touching in 20.65 and 45.22, respectively. Junior Charlie Zuhoski was also a double-finalist, finishing 2nd in the 50 free at 21.06 and 2nd in the 100 free at 45.77. Virginia Tech commit Tristan Dorville claimed 3rd in the 50 free and 3rd in the 100 free behind Kravchenko and Zuhoski. U.S. Naval Academy commit Xavier Sohovich took home the gold in the distance events, placing 1st in the 200 free at 1:39.06 and 1st in the 500 free at 4:33.92. Junior Liam Carrington finished 1st in both of his individual events, touching in 50.41 in his 100 back and 1:50.52 in the 200 IM. The team’s 400 free, 200 free and 200 medley relays also finished 1st.

Brothers Drew Culverhouse and Matthew Culverhouse scored the most points for Circle Christian School in District 3, helping move their team to 2nd place overall. Drew finished 1st in the 100 free at 48.01, and took 1st in the 200 IM at 2:01.59, 13.02 seconds ahead of the rest of the heat. Matthew swam the distance events, winning the 200 free at 1:47.75 and the 500 free at 4:51.67, two new personal best times. The boys swam alongside each other on the 200 medley and 400 free relay, helping both teams finish 1st.

REGION 2 – DISTRICT 4, 5, 6

Girls

Freshman Alejandra Ordonez of Montverde Academy collected four medals at her very first district meet. Ordonez swam to 1st in the 200 free at 1:54.16, 5.27 seconds ahead of silver medalist Kora Griffin. Ordonez finished 2nd in the 100 free at 52.20, just 0.24 seconds behind junior Eliana Bosque. Ordonez also swam on her team’s 200 free and 400 free relays that both scored 2nd. At just a freshman, Ordonez is already a key member of her team and will be a name to watch for the upcoming years.

U.S. Air Force Academy commit Natalie Doig collected four gold medals for Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy at her last district meet. Doig swam to victory in the 200 free at 1:53.99 and 100 fly at 56.70, as well as swimming on the winning 200 free and 400 free relays. Doig has competed in the 1A State Championship meet all three years of high school. As a freshman she placed 21st in the 500 free, as a sophomore she finished 13th in the 100 fly and 17th in the 200 free, and as a junior she climbed to 8th in the 100 fly and 11th in the 200 free. Doig will have one last chance this month to fight for a state title.

Freshman Layla Bleakley of Benjamin High School put out three new personal best times at the District 6 meet. Her 100 breast time of 1:07.85 was 2.54 seconds faster than her previous time, landing her in 2nd. Her 200 IM time of 2:15.15 was also a personal best, putting her in 4th. Bleakley swam on her team’s 200 free and 200 medley relays that both finished 2nd. Her 50 breast split of 32.04 in the medley relay was another personal best time.

Another notable swim was Emma Herrera’s 200 and 500 free events. Herrera claimed 1st in both, soaring to the wall in 4:54.43 in the 500, 28.88 seconds faster than runner-up Keyda Sagastume. Herrera’s 200 free time of 1:49.96 made her the only girl to go below two minutes in the event. Herrera has verbally committed to swim for Liberty University in the class of 2025.

Boys

Montverde Academy took victory over Lake Highland Prep by only 37 points for the boys’ teams in District 4. Junior Ting Yuk Cobi Wu helped Montverde take the lead, winning three gold medals for the school. His 100 fly time of 53.25 put him 1st with nearly a two-second lead. Wu’s 100 breast time of 57.64 also landed him first, out-touching teammate Jayden Chan. Wu swam alongside Chan, Paolo de Fabrique, and Heitor Tinoco to take the 200 medley relay to 1st.

University of Cincinnati commit Alejandro Varon scored the most points for Windermere Prep. His 500 free time of 4:40.21 placed him 1st, seven seconds ahead of 2nd-place finisher Arthur Romero Rabello. Varon’s 200 IM gave him another gold medal, touching at 1:56.13, just .39 ahead of Fabrique. Varon led off the team’s 400 free relay, helping them claim bronze.

Sophomore Aaron Gordon went out fast at his second district meet. He touched 1st in the 100 back at 55.99, just under a second faster than runner-up Jackson Sweet. Gordon also placed 1st in the 100 free at 49.18, making him the only boy to swim under 50.00 in the event. Gordon took 5th in the 100 free and 7th in the 100 back at last year’s region meet, and ultimately placed 18th in the 100 free and 24th in the 100 back at the state championship.

Junior Collin Reed of John Carroll High School performed two new personal best times to go home with two gold medals. His 50 free time of 21.56 lowered his previous best time by .05, and his 100 free time of 46.76 put him in first by nearly two seconds. Reed qualified for the state meet as a sophomore, taking 15th in the 50 free and 23rd in the 100 breast. His current best 50 free time would have placed him in 13th at last year’s state meet.

REGION 3 – DISTRICT 7, 8, 9

Girls 

Berkeley Preparatory School took the win over Tampa Preparatory School by just 10 points in District 7. Senior McKenna Smith helped swim Berkely Prep to 1st, winning four gold medals. Smith finished 1st in the 100 fly at 57.95, the only girl to swim under 1:00. She also finished 1st in the 50 free at 24.40. Smith led off her 200 free relay and swam fly in the 200 medley relay, helping both teams finish 1st. Smith is committed to continuing her athletic career at Davidson College in 2025.

Ashley Leblanc was the high-point winner for Tampa Prep, taking 1st in the 100 breast at 1:06.40. Her 100 fly time of 1:01.60 put her 2nd behind Smith. Leblanc swam on her team’s 400 free relay and 200 medley relay, helping the teams take 1st and 2nd.

Keswick Christian School freshman Isabella Descent dominated District 8, winning four gold medals. She placed 1st in the 500 free at 5:02.12, 35.92 seconds ahead of runner-up Catherine Alegi. Descent also claimed 1st in the 200 free, punching in at 1:53.40, making her one of two swimmers in the event to break 2:00. Descent swam on her team’s 200 and 400 free relays, helping them claim first. In only her first year of high school, Descent is already one of the top swimmers on the team.

Ashley Villaflor scored the most points for Evangelical Christain School, helping her team take first in District 9. Villaflor put out a personal best of 1:04.73 in the 100 fly, winning the event by 3.41 seconds. She took 2nd in the 100 breast at a personal best of 1:14.25. Villaflor’s 50 fly split of 29.15 was also a personal best. She led off her team’s winning 200 free relay, and swam the breaststroke leg of the 200 medley relay that claimed 2nd. Her 50 breast split of 34.42 was a new personal best, making for four new personal best times.

Boys

It was a tight race for the boys as Shorecrest Preparatory Academy beat out Calvary Christian High School by 17 points. Shorecrest Prep junior Maddox Matyas led the distance events, finishing 1st in both the 500 free (4:35.16)  and 200 free (1:42.37). Matyas also helped his 400 free relay take the victory. He has competed in the state meet each year of high school, taking 11th in the 500 free and 17th in the 200 free as a freshman and 7th in the 500 free and 9th in the 200 free as a sophomore. As his times continue to get faster, Matyas will undoubtedly be a top competitor at the state championships over the next two years.

Three-time state competitor Daniel Krajewski scored two golds, one silver and one bronze for Cardinal Mooney School. He took 1st in the 200 IM at 1:57.28, leading the pack by over 5 seconds. He also won 1st in the 100 breast touching at 59.25 as the only boy to break 1:00. Krajewski helped his 200 free relay take 3rd, and his 200 medley relay take 2nd. As a freshman, Krajewski took 22nd in the 200 IM. He moved up to 19th in his sophomore year. Last year, he finished 12th in the 200 IM and took 17th in the 500 free. This year is Krajewski’s last chance to make it to the finals in the state meet.

Freshman Jonathan Ruiz of Bishop Verot High School cracked three new PRs at his first district meet, touching 1st in the 100 breast at 1:08.52. His 50 breast split of 32.50 also qualified for a new personal best time. Ruiz swam to 3rd in the 500 free at 5:04.56, 15.21 seconds ahead of 4th place.

State-finalist Nick Fabian is looking to defend his state title in the 500 free. Fabian took first in the event at the District 9 Championships, finishing in 4:44.28, 20 seconds behind his best time. He also finished 1st in the 200 free at 1:45.62, 3.18 seconds ahead of Lehigh University recruit Christian McAuley. Fabian placed 1st in the 500 free prelims at last year’s state meet, sporting a new personal best time of 4:30.34. However, he fell to 3rd in the finals, adding a second onto his prelims time. Had he swam his prelims time, he would have placed 2nd. Fabian also finished 7th at last year’s state meet. The current senior will have one final chance to claim the title.

REGION 4 – DISTRICT 10, 11, 12

Girls 

Saint Andrews School soared to first with a stacked team. Alexia Sotomayor took home four golds, finishing 1st in the 100 fly at 54.14, 1st in the 100 back at 55.12, and helping her 400 free and 200 medley relays take first. The Arizona State University recruit from Peru has already raced at the World Championships, World Junior Championships, and Pan American Games. She finished 2nd in the 100 fly at last year’s state meet, and 3rd in the 100 back and 4th in the 100 fly at her sophomore year state meet.

Saint Andrews School is also boasting Northeastern University recruit Siena Griffiths. Griffiths claimed the distance events, finishing 1st in the 500 free at a new best time of 4:59.33, over 18 seconds faster than runner-up Alena Holtz Minarro. Griffiths claimed 1st in the 200 free as well, swimming in at 1:55.93. She swam in her school’s 200 free and 400 free relays, helping both teams rise to victory. Griffiths has swam in the state meet every year that she’s been in high school. As a freshman, she took 17th in the 200 free and 20th in the 500 free, as a sophomore she rose to 8th in the 200 and 13th in the 500, and as a junior she placed 14th in the 200 and 12th in the 500.

Miami Country Day swept District 11, finishing 219 points ahead of Immaculata-LaSalle. Anule Puro scored the most points for the time, clocking a 5:47.65 in the 500 free to put her at 1st. Her 200 IM time of 2:25.23 was a personal best, helping her finish 1st by nearly 23 seconds. Puro helped her 200 free relay out-touch Immaculata by less than a 2nd, and brought her 200 medley relay to 2nd.

Boston University recruit Kiera Rampersad collected four golds for Ransom Everglades School, racing her way to 1st in the 100 fly at 55.69 and 1st in the 100 breast at 1:07.63. Rampersad competed on both the 400 free and 200 medley relays, bringing both teams to 1st. She was a finalist at last year’s state meet, punching 6th in the 100 fly. She also took home 16th in the 100 breast. She took 9th in the 100 fly and 13th in the 100 breast at her sophomore year state meet, and 12th in the 100 fly as a freshman. Rampersad has one final chance to claim the 100 fly state title this year before moving on to compete at the collegiate level.

Boys

Juan Vallmitjana of NSU School claimed the distance events in District 10, putting out a new best time in both of his individual events. His 500 free time of 4:27.11 placed him 1st, 13.24 seconds ahead of runner-up William Domokos-Murphy. His 200 free time of 1:40.22 was also a new personal best, as Domokos-Murphy once again followed behind into 2nd.

Senior Julius Reus of Miami Country Day School swept his events, finishing 1st in the 50 free with a new personal best time of 22.08. He also took 1st in the 100 fly, finishing at 54.99. Reus’ races in the 200 medley and 200 free relays brought his team to victory. Reus swam at the state meet his sophomore year, racing in the 200 free relay. He placed 11th in the 100 free and 15th in the 50 free at last year’s Region 4 Championships, missing his shot at state.

Joaquin Espinal helped bring points to Immaculata, racing a new best time in the 200 IM of 2:03.69. He finished 12.73 seconds ahead of runner-up Jules Martinez. Espinal also took 1st in the 100 back at a new personal best time of 55.60 and as the only boy to break 1:00 in the event. The senior swam in his team’s 200 medley relay at last year’s state meet, helping them place 7th.

Honorable mention swims include Nohan Gomez of Ransom Everglades School who put out three new personal best times. Gomez clocked 1st in the 100 fly at a new PR of 51.73, placing him 6.30 seconds ahead of runner-up Oliver Friedland. His 50 fly split of 23.89 was also a new best time for Gomez. His 100 back time of 53.80 was .21 behind his best time, but he still took 1st. He raced his 400 free and 200 free relay to 1st, with a new personal best time of 22.50 in his 200 free relay split.