2023 New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1 Swimming and Diving Championships
- February 10-12, 2023
- UNH Swasey Indoor Pool, Durham, New Hampshire
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Full Meet Results
- Results on MeetMobile: “’23 NHIAA D1 Swim/Dive Champs”
Bedford High School handily swept the 2023 NHIAA Swimming and Diving Championships, winning by over 100 points on the girls side and nearly 50 points on the boys side. This marks the third straight year that Bedford has won both sides of the Division 1 meet.
Girls Meet Recap
Bedford was dominant from start to finish, sweeping the state titles in the three relay events. They started the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay, with Caitrin Duprey, Emmi Goucher, Jessica Black, and Ela Goucher finishing in a time of 1:55.27. Bedford later added wins in the 200 free relay (1:44.35) and 400 free relay (3:45.00).
Manchester Central sophomore Abigail Gowern picked up the first of her two individual titles in the 200 free, touching in 1:54.09. Her second win came later in the meet in the 500 free where she finished almost 20 seconds ahead of the field in 5:03.70.
It was another sophomore picking up the win in the 200 IM, this time Merrimack’s Josey Stevens. Stevens led from start to finish, touching in 2:13.29.
After finishing 2nd in the 200 free earlier in the meet, Bedford’s Audrey Sambrook returned to claim the title in the 50 free. Sambrook was almost a full second ahead of teammate and runner-up Ela Goucher, touching in 24.01.
After winning the state title last year as a freshman, Ryleigh Mahoney returned to take her second straight title on the 1-meter board. Mahoney finished over 100 points ahead of the field and just 38 points shy of the state record, finishing with a score of 412.80.
After claiming the state title last in the 100 freestyle, junior Sara Conquest of Merrimack returned this year to claim fold in the 100 fly. Conquest touched in 1:01.69 to beat out Bedford’s Jessica black by nearly two seconds.
The runner-up in the 50 free earlier in the meet, Ela Goucher took the gold in the 100 free. Goucher, who finished third in the event last season, dropped over a second from her previous performance to claim gold in 54.51.
The 100 back featured another athlete who improved upon her third-place finish from a season ago, with Exeter’s Julie Baxter pulling off the win. Only a sophomore, Baxter touched at 1:01.30.
The final individual title of the day went to a freshman, Hazel Jean Tracy of Pinkerton. Tracy took the gold in 1:08.55.
Team Scores
- Bedford – 281.5
- Pinkerton – 174
- Dover – 145
- Merrimack – 138
- Nashua South – 111
Boys Meet Recap
While the Bedford girls were dominant in the relays, it was the Dover boys who put up a strong showing, winning both the 200 medley and 400 free relays. They opened the meet with a time of 1:55.27 in the medley before finishing the day with a 3:23.26 performance in the 400 free relay. Bedford was able to pull off the win in the 200 free relay, easily leading the field in 1:32.13.
Bedford’s lone individual win of the day came in the 200 free, with junior Dylan Bradsher claiming his second state title in as many years. After winning the 100 free in 2022, Bradsher returned as a junior to capture the 200 free in a time of 1:48.50. He also added a silver in the 100 free, dropping almost two seconds from his winning time from last season.
This year’s 100 free title went to Bishop Guertin senior Eamon Griffin, who also was the state champion in the 200 IM for the second straight year. In the 100 free, Griffin was the only boy to finish under 49.0, touching in 47.80 for the win. Earlier in the meet he also won the IM by a large margin, taking first in 1:57.78. Griffin has now won the state title in three different events, claiming first in the 100 breast his sophomore and junior year before exchanging the breast for the 100 free this season.
Setting both the state and pool records in the 100 breast was Alexei Avakov of Manchester Central. Avakov won the event by six seconds, touching at 55.24 to set a new overall state record. One of the Northeast’s top breaststrokes, Avakov has been as fast as 54.86 when he won the New England Senior Championships title in last December. He also added a second state title in the 50 free, missing the record by half a second to touch in 21.33.
Teammates David Preston and Dawson Bolton battled it out on the 1-meter, with Preston coming out victorious by ten points, finishing with a score of 195.30.
After finishing as the runner-up in the 50 free earlier in the meet, Joshua McDonald claimed the state title in the 100 fly for the second straight year. A senior at Manchester Memorial, McDonald led by two and a half seconds, touching in 53.27.
For the second straight year Dover junior Bradley Watters was a two event winner, claiming first in the 500 free and 100 back. In the 500 free he won his second straight title, finishing in 5:04.87. After winning the 200 free last season, this year he opted to contest the 100 back, winning that in 52.93.
Team Scores
- Bedford – 239
- Dover -196
- Bishop Guertin – 129
- Keene – 121
- Exeter – 110
