GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (GIRLS & BOYS 7A RECAP)
- When:
- Diving: Thursday, February 3rd, 2022
- Swimming Prelims: Friday, February 4th, 2022
- Swimming Finals: Saturday, February 5th, 2022
- Where:
- McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
- Course:
- SCY (25 Yards)
- Results:
7A Girls Recap:
Team Standings
- Walton – 367.5
- North Gwinnet – 314
- Lambert – 301
- Brookwood – 294
- Mill Creek – 270.5
2021 runner-up Walton pulled out a decisive win this year, as defending Girls 7A champion Lambert fell to 3rd this year. Walton senior Elizabeth Isakson, a UGA recruit, was instrumental in her team’s victory. Isakson picked up wins in both her individual events and helped two of Walton’s relays to 7A titles.
Isakson kicked things off with a victory in the 200 IM, where she undercut her previous personal best of 2:01.67, finishing in 2:01.52. She won the race handily, touching 4 seconds ahead of the field. It was a well-swum race by Isakson, featuring a speedy breast split of 34.14. She was out in 26.11 on fly, setting a nice tone, before splitting 31.64 on backstroke, which is her weakest stroke. Her free split yesterday was 29.63.
She would go on to win the 100 breast in 1:01.84, after swimming a 1:01.73 in prelims. Both swims were just off Isakson’s personal best of 1:01.56, which she swam in December at the 2021 Speedo Winter Junior Championships (East).
On the 200 free relay, Isakson anchored her team in 22.92, a phenomenal split given her 24.11 flat-start personal best. The rest of the relay was incredibly consistent. Annalia Jansons led off in 24.50, Maia Alston went 2nd in 24.39, and Lily Alderman dove in 3rd, splitting a 24.43. Walton’s final time of 1:36.24 was good to pull out the win. On the 400 free relay, Isakson again was the anchor, posting a 50.92, also a great swim given her 52.84 flat-start best. Sydney Starnes led the team off in 43.48, Jansons split 52.00 on the 2nd leg, and Alderman was 52.38 on the 3rd leg. Walton’s 3:28.78 was enough to beat out North Gwinnett, who touched in 3:29.53.
Defending champions Lambert had a great performance, despite dropping two places in the standings from last year. Lambert picked up 4 wins on the day, taking the 200 medley relay, 200 free, 50 free, and 100 free. Junior Kara West was critical to the effort, winning the 50 free and 100 free. In the 50, West clocked a 23.22, which coincidentally ties her personal best, which set in two months ago at the GA Sr. Short Course State Championships. She then went on to win the 100 free, swimming a 51.09, marking a new personal best by 0.04 seconds.
West also helped Lambert to victory in the 200 medley relay, provided a 22.97 anchor leg. Sara Maschmeier led the team off in 27.56, Ally Zaleski went 2nd with a 29.88, and Ella Jones split 24.73 on the fly leg. The team touched in 1:45.14, finishing first by 1.5 seconds.
Despite the quick 24.73 fly split on the medley relay, Ella Jones didn’t win the 7A title in the 100 fly. It was NORC Catie Choate who claimed that title, swimming a 54.24. It was a personal best by Choate, coming in under the 54.41 she established in December at the Winter Juniors East meet. Jones came in 2nd, swimming a 55.33. That time was off her personal best of 54.17, which she swam at the 2021 GHSA State Championships.
Choate went on to win the 100 back as well, swimming a 53.39 after clocking a 53.35 in prelims. Both performances were under her previous best of 53.48, which she swam at the Winter Juniors East meet in December.
Jones did, however, win the 200 free earlier in the meet, posting a 1:49.20. She got out to the early lead, swimming 52.65 on the first 100, then managed to hold on as North Gwinnett’s Emma Reiser closed on the back half. Reiser was out in 54.42, but cut into the lead on the 2nd half of the race, ultimately touching 2nd in 1:49.68. For Reiser, it was her first time under 1:50 in the event.
Reiser went on from the 200 to win the 500 free in 4:53.04, taking the 7A title by 6 seconds.
Also of note: It was reported that there was a fire in the concessions stand during prelims of the 6-7A session. The facility was evacuated for roughly an hour before the competition was able to resume.
7A Boys Recap:
Team Standings
- Parkview – 331
- North Gwinnett – 323
- Walton – 280.5
- Peachtree Ridge – 255
- Lambert – 249
Parkview won the 7A boys title after a tight battle with North Gwinnett.
North Gwinnett junior Tristan DenBrok took the 200 free title, swimming a 1:37.24. He swam an excellent race, splitting 24.74, 24.75, and 24.95 on the final 3 50s of the race. DenBrok would go on to dominate the 500 free, tearing to a 4:24.78 to touch first by 9 seconds. He also helped North Gwinnett’s 400 free relay to victory with a 45.92 lead-off split. Also on the relay were Eli Wilson, Phillip Lim, and Blake Burnley.
WFOR junior Owen Holland took the 7A title in the 50 free, clocking a 20.46, edging out MILT’s William Coady (20.50). Coady would go on to win the 100 free with a 44.08. MILT went 1-2 in the event, as teammate Cooper Cook touched 2nd in 44.82. Coady also anchored the MILT 200 free relay in a blistering 19.48.
NORC senior Preston Lin, a George Washington commit, swam a 54.22 to win the 100 breast by nearly 2 seconds. Line was fast on the opening 50, splitting 25.02, and was able to keep his 2nd 50 split well under 30 seconds (29.20).
Lambert’s Patrick Morris won the 100 back in 49.71, establishing an early lead, and managing to hold it through the finish. Morris also won the 200 IM, swimming a 1:50.81.
GAIN sophomore Eamon Monaghan won a very tight race in the 100 fly. Owen Holland was out the fastest on the opening 50, splitting 22.29, while Monaghan was 22.48, and Tyler Schroeder split 22.51. Monaghan then split 26.15 coming home, faster than both Holland and Schroeder. Monaghan’s final time of 48.63 was just a hair ahead of Holland (48.66), with Schroeder right behind (48.97).
