2026 Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association 4A/3A State Swimming and Diving Championships
- Feb. 21, 2026
- College Park, MD
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
It was a long-awaited return to the top for the Winston Churchill girls’ team and a repeat for the Walter Johnson boys’ team at the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association 4A/3A State Swimming and Diving Championships.
The Churchill girls claimed their first state title since 2015 in convincing fashion, while the Walter Johnson boys were 28 points better than runner-up Winston Churchill.
Girls’ Recap
Winston Churchill was paced by senior Catherine Bu, who won two individual events and was a part of two winning relay teams.
Bu won the 200 free in a time of 1:51.82, and later repeated as champion in the 100 breast with a time of 1:03.52.
In the 200 medley relay, Bu had a breast split of 29.08 to help Churchill win in a time of 1:46.11. Other team members were Ainsley Bell (27.45), Anika Cai (25.13) and Gaby Kaiser (24.15).
Bu later had a third-leg split of 52.75 to help Churchill win the 400 free relay in a time of 3:30.48. The other team members were Bell (52.94), Kaiser (53.25) and Cai (51.54).
Churchill also got a victory in the 200 IM from Bell, a freshman who won in a personal best time of 2:04.98.
The other multi-event winner besides Bu was Bethesda Chevy Chase senior Virginia Hinds.
Committed to Georgia, Hinds repeated as champion in both the 100 free and 100 back, winning with a time of 49.74 in the 100 free and a time of 53.57 in the 100 back.
Other event winners were:
- Thomas Wootton senior Anna Nishnianidze won the 50 free in 23.73.
- Hailey Hammond, a senior atfor Bethesda Chevy Chase who has signed with Colgate, won the 100 fly in a personal best of 55.22.
- Walter Johnson junior Elanor Saybolt repeated as champion in the 500 free in a time of 4:57.48.
- The 200 free relay was won by the Chevy Chase team of Hinds (23.06), Hammond (23.74), Olivia Morton (24.29) and Malia Mendizabal (25.23) in 1:36.32.
Girls’ Team Standings — Top 5
- Winston Churchill, 337
- Walt Whitman, 220
- Bethesda Chevy Chase, 197
- Walter Johnson, 195
- Richard Montgomery, 150
Boys’ Recap
Marcus Chen Photography
Leading the way for Walter Johnson in its successful repeat bid was junior Luc Dionne, who has committed to Virginia. Dionne repeated as champion in both the 200 IM (1:49.49) and 100 breast (54.72).
The other multi-event winner was Churchill senior Charlie Begin, who has committed to Penn State.
After finishing 2nd in the 200 free last year, Begin won that event this year in a time of 1:39.30. Begin later won the 100 back in 48.70. Last year, he won the 500 free, but didn’t swim in the event this year.
Begin was also a part of two winning relay teams. He had a second-leg split of 20.94 to help Churchill win the 200 free relay in 1:24.87. Other team members were Doug Sims (21.31), Noah Ash (22.00) and Edward Maximus Deviancy (20.62).
In the 400 free relay, Begin had a third-leg split of 44.72 to help Churchill top the field with a time of 3:03.82. Other relay members were Sims (46.58), Jay Cole Devinney (47.15) (44.72) and Maximus Devinney (44.87).
Other event winners were:
- Quince Orchard junior Colton Mettier won the 50 free in a time of 21.06, improving on a 3rd-place finish last year.
- Lucas Knapp, a senior for Walter Johnson who has committed to Georgetown, won the 100 fly in a personal best of 48.11.
- Leopold Nurit, a sophomore for Walt Whitman, won the 500 free in a personal best of 4:27.82.
- Edward Maximus Devinney, a junior for Churchill, won the 100 free in a personal best of 45.20.
- The 200 medley relay was won by the Walter Johnson team of Owen Friedman (23.77), Max Bagshaw (26.40), Knapp (21.53), and Christian Greer (22.18) in 1:33.88.
Boys’ Team Standings — Top 5
- Walter Johnson, 317
- Winston Churchill, 289
- Walt Whitman, 198
- Bethesda Chevy Chase, 181
- Thomas Wootton, 171
