2025 Florida High School Athletic Association 3A State Championships
- Nov. 15, 2025
- Ocala, FL
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
There were multiple team repeats at the Florida High School Athletic Association 3A state championships, albeit in an unusual way.
The Ponte Vedra girls’ team won its fifth state title in a row fairly easily, finishing 73 points ahead of runner- up St. Petersburg.
The boys’ event also had a repeat winner. Sort of.
It was a rare tie between Allen Nease and Tampa Jesuit, which finished with an identical total of 215 points. It was the fourth straight title for Nease, while Jesuit claimed its first championship since 2020.
Girls’ Recap
Ponte Vedra showcased its depth, easily winning the title despite finishing first in only two events.
The team of Kate Pelot, Sydney Player, Mady Tulloch and Sophie Fox started the meet off for Ponte Vedra by winning the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:44.64.
The other Ponte Vedra win came from sophomore Juli Cavalcanti, who won the 200 IM in a personal best time of 2:02.03. The time broke Cavalcanti’s own team record set in September (2:03.50).
While Ponte Vedra controlled the team race, the two individual standouts were from Miami Beach Senior.
Gioia Balzano, a senior committed to Michigan, won the 200 free (1:46.11) and 100 fly (54.21), both in personal best times. Her time in the 200 free topped her previous personal best of 1:47.73 at last year’s state meet.
Freshman Penelope Lopezs-Casula was the sprint freestyle queen for Miami Beach Senior, taking the 50 free (23.37) and 100 free (50.34).
Other individual winners were Fort Lauderdale senior Hayden Ferenc in 1-meter diving (455.45), St. Petersburg sophomore Brinkleigh Hansen in the 500 free (4:46.55), Niceville senior Elisabeth Breck in the 100 back (personal best 55.50 after finishing 2nd last year) and Nease junior Anna Michael Driesse in the 100 breast (1:05.18).
St. Petersburg won the other two relays.
The team of Karrington Hansen, Alex Clark, Lizzy Santana and Brinkleigh Hansen took the 200 free relay in 1:35.48, while the quartet of K.Hansen, Clark, Zoie Fiare and B. Hansen captured the 400 free relay in 3:24.73.
Brinkleigh Hansen, 15, also was the runner-up in the 200 free with a personal best time of 1:46.27.
Girls Team Standings — Top 5
- Ponte Vedra, 378
- Saint Petersburg, 305
- Ft. Lauderdale, 197
- Miami Beach Senior, 171
- Allen Nease, 167
Boys’ Recap
It came down to the wire, with Tampa Jesuit finishing 2nd and Allen Nease finishing 5th in the 400 free relay to create the tie atop the standings at the end of the meet.
In a post on X, the school paid tribute to late and legendary coach Bill Shaffer, who passed away in December.
The event was won by Niceville’s team of Nick Venture, Logan Michel, William Pugh and Tripp Gallemore in a time of 3:05.27.
Niceville also won the 200 free relay behind the same quartet but a different order of Venture, Gallemore, Pugh and Michel in a time of 1:23.58.
Tampa Jesuit’s team of Drew Hopkins, Trey Davis, Noah Kreve and Bruno Borowiec captured the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:32.93.
Individually, none were better than Lawton Chiles junior Owen Ekk and Sebastian River senior Louis St. Petery.
Committed to Stanford, Ekk first repeated as champion in the 200 IM, swimming a personal best time of 1:46.23. Ekk later won the 100 free in 44.74, improving on a 2nd-place finish last year.
Headed to swim in college for Navy, St. Petery won the 100 fly in a personal best time of 47.36 and the 100 back in a personal best time of 48.30, winning this year after placing 2nd last year in the event.
Other individual winners were:
- Noah Stotler, a sophomore from Clay, won the 200 free in a personal best time of 1:36.74.
- Venture took the 50 free, swimming a personal best 20.44.
- West Pocker, a junior from Fort Lauderdale, was the 1-meter diving champion with 563.40 points.
- William Shoesmith, a junior from Fleming Island who has committed to Virginia, won the 500 free in a personal best 4:25.41.
- Luke Zardavets, a junior from Allen Nease and a Florida commit, defended his title in the 100 breast with a time of 55.12.
Boys Team Standings — Top 5
- Tampa Jesuit / Allen Nease, 215
- –
- Niceville 193
- Duncan Fletcher, 182
- Lawton Chiles, 154
Congrats to all the Bolles Sharks athletes representing their high schools at 3A State! Special shoutouts to event winners Noah Stotler (200FR), William Shoesmith (500FR), Luke Zardavets (100BR). Go BSS Sharks!