2025 South Carolina High School League 4A State Championships
The Bishop England girls’ team continued its recent dynasty, while the Bishop England boys’ team returned to the top of the podium after a nine-year absence at the South Carolina High School League 4A State Championships on Oct. 11.
Girls’ Recap
There wasn’t much drama for the Bishop England girls team, which won eight events en route to a fourth straight state championship and fifth overall.
Seniors Ellie Chalupsky and Mia DeVito led the way, with each winning two individual events and being a part of two winning relay teams.
Committed to Arizona State, Chalupsky set two personal bests to win the 100 fly (54.47) and 100 back (54.13). Her previous best in the 100 fly was 56.68, while her old best in the 100 back was 56.60.
Chalupsky also swam anchor on both the 200 free and 400 relay teams, which claimed victories. The 200 free relay team, which also featured DeVito, Carley Foust and Charlotte Good, won in a state record time of 1:35.40. In the 400 free relay, the team of DeVito, Foust, Katie Kitlowski and Chalupsky won in a time of 3:31.94.
DeVito was the sprint freestyle queen, winning the 50 free (23.56) and 100 free (52.00).
Those two weren’t the only individual winners for Bishop England.
Foust contributed a win in the 200 free with a personal best time of 1:53.63 (old best was 1:57.48), while Good won the 200 IM in a personal best time of 2:06.83 (old best was 2:14.47).
Besides the girls from Bishop England, Madison Mitton of Gray Collegiate Academy was another individual standout.
Mitton won the 100 breast in a personal best time of 1:05.43 (old best was 1:11.41) and swam third on Gray Collegiate’s 200 medley relay team that won in 1:47.73. Whitney Moody, Sabel Coker and Peighton Johnson were other team members.
The other individual event was won by D. W. Daniel sophomore Mary Greene, who captured the 500 free in a personal best time of 5:06.37.
Girls team scores — Top 5
- Bishop England, 590
- Gray Collegiate Academy, 469
- Aiken, 279
- D W Daniel, 265
- AC Flora, 262
Boys’ Recap
The Bishop England boys team had more suspense winning its state title than the girls squad, but nonetheless returned to the top of the state.
Bishop England trailed South Aiken by one point going into the 400 free relay, but the team of Connor Good, Jack Cahill, Richard Miller, and Jude Nicksic won that event in a time of 3:16.69 to help Bishop England win its first state crown since 2016.
It was the only event won by Bishop England.
South Aiken claimed the other two relays. The team of Sean Parker, Grant Parker, Junuh Fontenot and Andru Masterson won the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:36.57, while the quartet of G. Parker, Aaron Washington, S. Parker, and Masterson took the 200 free relay in a time of 1:27.63.
Individually, D.W. Daniel junior Luke Hamon and Gray Collegiate Academy senior Aaron Willis each won two events.
Hamon won the 200 free (1:41.90) and 100 fly (49.73), while Willis took the 200 IM (personal best 1:54.76) and the 100 back (50.79).
Other individual winners were G. Parker of South Aiken in the 50 free (21.52), Jackson McConkey of Fountain Inn in the 100 free (47.96), Jack McCrae of South Pointe in the 500 free (4:41.21) and Seth Fano of Wren in the 100 breast with a personal best time of 1:02.48 (old best was 1:06.87).
Boys’ team scores — Top 5
- Bishop England, 358
- South Aiken, 349
- Gray Collegiate, 312
- Fountain Inn, 292
- D W Daniel, 282
Three of the four Divisions in South Carolina had the girls’ and boys’ championships won by the same school. JL Mann swept the 5A Division 1 state championships, while Eastside swept the titles at the 5A Division 2 championships.
Clarification: the “bests” that the swimmers surpassed were their season bests, not their personal bests. Also worth a mention that Grant Parker was seeded first coming into state in the 100 breast, won, and then got dq’d. Otherwise South Aiken would have won.
South Aiken also could have beaten BE in the 400 free relay, or had other individuals place higher. The weight of a loss/second place should never fall onto one swimmer’s shoulders – it is a team race (yes, I understand the point you are making).
The battling Bishops!