2023 UIL 4A & Below State Championships
- February 9-10, 2023
- San Antonio, Texas
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 4A Swimming & Diving State Championships were held in San Antonio, Texas this past February. This is the first rendition of the 4A meet since Texas reorganized its classifications in 2013.
Great Hearts Monte Vista took home the state title on the girls’ side of the meet, out-scoring runner-up Frisco Panther Creek by a 54-point margin. The boys’ meet was a bit closer, with Andrews High School coming out on top by just 23 points.
Top 3 Teams – Girls:
- Great Hearts Monte Vista – 295
- Frisco Panther Creek – 241
- El Campo – 166
Top 3 Teams – Boys:
- Andrews – 333
- Tuloso-Midway – 310
- Decatur – 158
Girls’ Recap
Valeria Ivanov-Gomez led the way for Great Hearts with two individual victories. She swept the sprint events, clocking best times of 23.96 and 52.66 in the 50 and 100 freestyle to break her own 4A records she established in prelims. Her 50 freestyle was nearly three tenths faster than she went at the 5A meet last season, where she finished 11th overall (24.23).
Ivanov-Gomez was also the anchor leg on her team’s winning 200 freestyle relay (23.82), where she combined with Holly VanderWeele (25.76), Maddie Mealey (25.82), and Sophie Murgo (26.70) for a final time of 1:42.10. Mealey was an individual event winner herself, taking first in the 100 fly in a best time of 58.64.
Ivanov-Gomez wrapped her meet as the third leg of Great Hearts’ winning 400 freestyle relay, where the team of Cadence Alford, VanderWeele, and Mealey combined for a final time of 3:43.68. Great Hearts successfully swept the relays, as they also opened with a victory in the 200 medley relay.
Freshman Avery Whorton of Frisco Panther Creek also captured two individual wins. She won the 200 and 500 freestyle, swimming times of 1:54.82 and 5:04.37. She led a 1-2 Frisco Panther Creek finish in the 500, with her teammate Eden Addison taking 2nd in 5:09.65. Addison won the 200 IM earlier in the meet, taking the title in 2:08.67.
Other Event Winners:
- 100 back – Lynlee Spinhirne (Vega), 58.80
- 100 breast – Lainy Lewis (Burkburnett), 1:07.91
- 1m Diving – Eve Shrader (Gateway), 321.50
Boys’ Recap
Brenden Ferguson of Andrews was the only swimmer to win both of his individual events on the boys’ side. Ferguson captured the 200 freestyle in a personal best time of 1:46.69, while in the 500 clocked a best time of 4:58.58 to top the field by nearly 12 seconds. He was also a member of the team’s winning 400 freestyle relay, where he split a 50.17 on the anchor leg.
Tuloso-Midway senior Tommy Betancour had a fantastic race to win the 100 fly, posting a best time by a second for a 50.89. Betancour, who will head to the University of Texas Permian Basin this fall, also picked up bronze in the 50 free (21.87). He went on to swim in Tuloso-Midway’s winning 200 freestyle relay, where he swam third with a split of 21.82.
There was a tight race in the 100 breaststroke, with Hudson Bawduniak of Bosqueville narrowly beating Great Hearts’ Zach Poupart. Bawduniak ultimately got his hand on the wall first at 58.24, while Poupart was close behind at 58.92. In addition to his runner-up finish, Poupart won the 200 IM in a best time of 1:55.60.
Andrews senior Landyn Brewer touched first in the 50 freestyle in 21.68, edging Wichita Falls’ Conner Higginbotham by just 0.04. Brewer also added a third place finish in the 100 free, clocking in at 48.41, while Matteo Nisimblat won in 47.04.
Other Event Winners:
- 200 medley relay – Decatur, 1:40.66
- 100 back – Aidan Eckard (Panther Creek) – 53.18
- 1m Diving – Ethan Coronado (Stanton) – 4:09.95
