Florida High School State Series Preview and Links to Follow

The 2017 Florida High School Athletic Association State Series kicks off this week, with the Class 1A and 2A district meets taking place from October 16-21. The top high school swimmers from around the state will compete in timed finals at districts. The top 24 swimmers in each event from the combined districts in each region will move on to their respective regional championships. The 24 fastest swimmers from the finals of all regions combined then advance to the state meet, where they compete for individual and team titles.

The FHSAA breaks down Florida swimming and diving meets into 4 classes: 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A, with 1A being the class with the smallest schools and 4A being the class with the largest. While the 1A and 2A district meets being this week, the 3A and 4A series kicks off a week later. Classes 1A and 2A have districts from October 16-21, regionals from October 23-28, and states on November 3 (class 2A) and November 4th (class 1A). Classes 3A and 4A have districts from October 23-28, regionals from October 30-November 4, and states on November 10 (class 4A) and November 11 (class 3A).

We’ve put together all the information you need to follow the series, along with the defending champions of each district. You can find that information below, along with the links you need to follow the action.

CLASS 1A:

The Bolles School Bulldogs seek to extend their winning streaks, but it should be a good battle on the women’s side. The boys currently have 29 straight titles, while the girls have 27. They didn’t win any events on the girls’ side last year, and have only one returning individual champion (Ariel Spektor, 100 fly) on the boys’ side. The Bulldogs may rely on their depth and their relays to get the job done again.

State Class Region District Date
Defending champion
Class 1A States (November 4)
Defending champ: Bolles boys, Bolles girls
Region 1 (10/26)
Defending champ: Bolles boys, Bolles girls
District 1 10/21
North Bay Haven boys, Maclay girls
District 2 10/17
Bolles boys, Bolles girls
District 3 10/17
PK Yonge boys, PK Yonge girls
Region 2 (10/28)
Defending champ: Trinity Prep boys, Lake Highland girls
District 4 10/21
Trinity Prep boys, Trinity Prep girls
District 5 10/18
Cocoa Beach boys, Cocoa Beach girls
District 6 10/18
Lake Placid boys, Lake Placid girls
Region 3 (10/28)
Defending champ: Berkeley Prep boys, Berkeley Prep girls
District 7 10/21
Berkeley Prep boys, Berkeley Prep girls
District 8 10/21
Shorecrest Prep boys, Shorecrest Prep girls
District 9 10/18
Seacrest Country Day boys, Bishop Verot girls
Region 4 (10/27)
Defending champ: Saint Andrew’s boys, Pine Crest girls
District 10 10/19
Saint Andrew’s boys, Saint Andrew’s girls
District 11 10/20
Pine Crest boys, Pine Crest girls
District 12 10/18
Ransom Everglades boys, Ransom Everglades girls

CLASS 2A:

Gulliver Prep’s Miguel Cancel, a Florida commit, returns to defend his titles in both the 200 IM and 500 free. His school is the defending champion on both the boys’ and girls’ sides. Teammate Emily Cordovi will also defend 2 individual titles, as she’s the reigning 100 fly and 100 back champ. There are 2 more women returning to defend multiple titles: Bayshore’s Ryley Ober (200 free, 500 free) and American Heritage’s Catharine Cooper (50 free, 100 free), who claimed every individual free race last season between the two of them.

State Class Region District Date
Defending champion
Class 2A States (November 3)
Defending champ: Gulliver Prep boys, Gulliver Prep girls
Region 1 (10/26)
Defending champ: Arnold boys, Mosley girls
District 1 10/18
Mosley boys, Mosley girls
District 2 10/19
Stanton boys, Stanton girls
District 3 10/17
Ponte Vedra boys, Ponte Vedra girls
Region 2 (10/28)
Defending champ: Lincoln Park boys, Eastside girls
District 4 10/20
District 4: Eastside boys, Eastside girls
District 5 10/20
Titusville boys, Titusville girls
District 6 10/17
Sebring boys, Sebring girls
Region 3 (10/28)
Defending champ: Jesuit boys, Academy of Holy Names girls
District 7 10/20
Lecanto boys, Lecanto girls
District 8 10/21
Lakewood boys, Land O’Lakes High School girls
District 9 10/21
Jesuit boys, Academy of Holy Names girls
Region 4 (10/28)
Defending champ: Gulliver Prep boys, Gulliver Prep girls
District 10 10/19
Cape Coral High School boys, Port Charlotte High School girls
District 11 10/19
Pompano Beach boys, Suncoast girls
District 12 10/20
Gulliver Prep boys, Gulliver Prep girls

CLASS 3A:

Belen Jesuit’s Aitor Fungairino will compete in his final state series before heading off to Texas next fall. Fungairino is the defending state champion in both the 200 and 500 freestyles. Louisville commit Alena Kraus, a Gainesville senior, is one of the top returners on the women’s side, having won the 100 and 200 freestyles at the 2016 meet. She’s won 3 straight titles in the 200 free and 2 straight titles in the 100 free.

Kraus will look to lead her school to victory over Bartram Trail after Bartram Trail edged them out by half a point last season. That made them the first northeast Florida public high school to win a girls state title since 1941.

State Class Region District Date
Defending champion
Class 3A States (November 11)
Defending champ: Lawton Chiles boys, Bartram Trail girls
Region 1 (11/1)
Defending champ: Lawton Chiles boys, Bartram Trail girls
District 1 10/27
Niceville boys, Niceville girls
District 2 10/23
Lawton Chiles boys, Lincoln Girls
District 3 10/24
Bartram Trail boys, Bartram Trail girls
Region 2 (11/3)
Defending champ: Lake Minneola boys, New Smyrna Beach girls
District 4 10/26
New Smyrna Beach boys, New Smyrna Beach girls
District 5 10/25
Viera boys, Viera girls
District 6 10/28
Winter Haven High School boys, Lakeland girls
Region 3 (11/4)
Defending champ: Venice boys, Gulf Coast girls
District 7 10/27
Venice High School boys, Venice High School girls
District 8 10/27
Osceola boys, Osceola girls
District 9 10/26
Naples High School boys, Gulf Coast girls
Region 4 (11/4)
Defending champ: Belen Jesuit boys, Martin County girls
District 10 10/25
Martin County boys, Martin County girls
District 11 10/26
Fort Lauderdale boys, Fort Lauderdale girls
District 12 10/24
District 12: Doral Academy boys, Doral Academy girls

CLASS 4A:

Florida commit and U.S. National Teamer Robert Finke headlines the class 4A action. Finke, a Countryside senior, is the defending state champion in the 200 IM and 500 free. Plant’s Morgan Tankersley, a future member of the Stanford Cardinal, looks to lead her team to victory on the women’s side. She smashed State Record in both the 200 free and 500 free last season, including a 17-year-old record set by Janelle Atkinson in the 500 free.

The Oviedo and Buccholz girls will battle it out again this season after Oviedo beat Buchholz for the region 1 title, but Buchholz turned the tables to win states ahead of Plant (2nd) and video (3rd). The dynamic sprint duo of Kaitlyn Cronin and Talia Bates returns for Buchholz, while Oviedo’s squad is led by returning sophomore Abigail Gibbons, who won regionals and finished 2nd at states in the 100 fly last season. A new addition to Buchholz’s squad, Isabel Ivey, makes them very dangerous this year. Ivey was last year’s 1A champion in the 200 IM and 50 free. She will once again chase the 200 IM State Record set by Olympic champ Melanie Margalis in 2009 (1:57.07). She came within tenths last season with her 1:57.31.

State Class Region (defending champs) District Date Defending champion
Class 4A States (November 10)
Defending champ: Riverview boys, FW Buchholz girls
Region 1 (11/1)
Defending champ: FW Buchholz boys, Oviedo girls
District 1 10/27 Duncan U. Fletcher boys, FW Buchholz girls
District 2 10/25 Seminole High School boys, Oviedo High School girls
District 3 10/25 West Orange High Schol boys, West Orange High School girls
Region 2 (11/4)
Defending champ: Riverview boys, Riverview girls
District 4 10/26 Olympia High School boys, Olympia High School girls
District 5 10/25 Bloomingdale boys, Plant High School girls
District 6 10/28 Riverview boys, Riverview girls
Region 3 (11/3)
Defending champ: Boca Raton boys, Jupiter girls
District 7 10/27 Jupiter boys, Jupiter girls
District 8 10/24 Boca Raton boys, Wellington girls
District 9 10/26 SainThomas Aquinas boys, SainThomas Aquinas girls
Region 4 (11/2)
Defending champ: Cypress Bay boys, Cypress Bay girls
District 10 10/25 Cypress Bay boys, Cypress Bay girls
District 11 10/23 Miami Beach boys, Miami Beach girls
District 12 10/23 John A. Ferguson boys, Coral Reef girls

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Kim Nava
6 years ago

Just a quick note for 1A. Jessica Nava is two time defending State Champ and state record holder in the 100 Fly. She is returning State Champ in the 100 Back.

DTRB
6 years ago

Lauren, you do know Plant HS was runner-up last year?

Lauren Neidigh
Reply to  DTRB
6 years ago

Yep. This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive review or full preview of the state meets. I will do those individually ahead of each meet. I noted that Buchholz won states last season but lost the regional meet to Oviedo. The state champs are usually the winners of their district and region as well, so some might find that interesting. Plant is very much a title threat and were the runners-up last year. But I will re-word the sentence if it seems confusing to you.

DTRB
Reply to  Lauren Neidigh
6 years ago

No need to re-word. Not confusing at all. Look forward to preview after Region meets!

applesorangesandbananas
6 years ago

Gulliver also has another 2 event state champion from last year’s meet: Trey Gribble.

DTRB
Reply to  applesorangesandbananas
6 years ago

Any relation to Matt Gribble? One of the all time great flyers for the US!

DTRB
6 years ago

Plant HS will give Bucholz all it can handle!

Anonymous
6 years ago

Also I believe regionals will be timed finals, they changed it from a prelims-finals system a couple years ago and I don’t think it changed back.

Anonymous
Reply to  Lauren Neidigh
6 years ago

lol
Wish they still did that but I think it makes it easier travel-wise for most schools.

Anonymous
6 years ago

I think Isabel Ivey transferred to Bucholz this year making their sprint relays even more dynamic

FLCoach
Reply to  Anonymous
6 years ago

Yes that is correct… She will be competing in 4A this year.

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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