South Carolina High School League (SCHL) State Championships (4A)
- October 14 & 16, 2023
- Carolina Natatorium, Columbia, SC
- SCY
- Results
The South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) held its State Championships last week. The girls competed on Saturday, October 14, followed by the boys on Monday, October 16. The meets were all held at the Carolina Natatorium in Columbia.
Eastside High School swept the 4A state titles for both girls and boys, while Lucy Beckham High School was in runner-up position at both meets.
GIRLS’ RECAP
In the team battle, defending champions Eastside High School once again captured the state title with 583.50 points, followed by defending runner-up Lucy Beckham High School. Between the two schools, they swept all but one of the events. The meet also saw three state records fall, all by Eastside swimmers.
TEAM SCORES:
- Eastside 583.50
- Lucy Beckham 527
- Wade Hampton 303
- Riverside 242
- James Island 168
Eastside won four individual events and swept the three relays. Junior Lilla Bognar, the #5 recruit on our Way Too Early list of the fastest girls from the high school class of 2025, and senior Hayden Penny, a commit to Kentucky’s class of 2028, were responsible for two individual wins apiece.
Bognar is now a three-time defending champion in both the 200 IM and 100 back. She posted a 2:00.75 in the former to lead the field by nearly six seconds. She’s been under 2:00 before, holding a best time of 1:58.09 from the 2023 NCSA Spring Championships. In the 100 back, she dropped a 53.28 to reset her own state record from 2021 (54.81) and shave 0.35 off of her previous best.
Penny capped off her high school career with her fourth straight title in the 500 free, and third in the 200 free. (As a freshman, she competed in and won the 200 IM.) She was the only swimmer under 1:50 in the 200 free (1:48.13), setting a best time in the process, and the only swimmer to crack the 5:00 barrier in the 500 free (4:57.58). Penny holds the state record in the 500 (4:55.29), set at last year’s meet. Her best time stands at a 4:48.31, set last April at the YMCA Short Course Championships.
Bognar (24.99) along with seniors Lauren Adams (28.97) and Eva Kelly Tzouvelekas (26.24), and freshman Darcy O’Sullivan (24.66) combined for the win in 200 medley relay (1:44.86) to kick off the meet. All four swimmers had the fastest splits in the field for their strokes.
Eastside’s second relay win came in the 200 free relay (1:35.64). Adams (24.07), Grace Fowler (24.27), O’Sullivan (24.53), and Penny, fresh off of the 500 free (22.77), combined to shave 0.57 seconds off their own record from 2022. Eastside was trailing after the third leg, but Penny had a massive anchor split to pass Lucy Beckham anchor Adair Shaw. For context, Penny’s best flat-start 50 time stands at a 24.13. Her previous best relay split seems to be a 23.45 from last April. Lucy Beckham’s relay squad was also under the previous state record.
The final state record came in the last event of the meet, the 400 free relay (3:28.18). Penny (50.88), Tzouvelekas (53.29), Fowler (53.53), and Bognar (50.48) took off 0.64 seconds from the old record, also established last year by an Eastside squad. Penny and Bognar were responsible for the only sub-51 splits in the field, flying or otherwise. Penny’s time was 1.1 second faster than the 100 free winner earlier that meet.
Other Highlights:
- Avery Frece of Lucy Beckham High School was the only other double event winner, sweeping the 50 free (23.69) and 100 free (51.98) as well as contributing splits to her school runner-up 200 and 400 free relays (23.34, 51.86 splits)
- Sophomore Adair Shaw also won the 100 fly (56.48) for Lucy Beckham and teamed up with Frece on both freestyle relays (23.53, 51.73 splits).
- Amelia Harper from Aiken High School, was the sole event winner not representing Eastside or Lucy Beckham. After placing 3rd in 2021 and missing the 2022 edition of the meet, the Aiken High School senior posted a 1:05.74 in the 100 breast to cap off her high school career.
BOYS’ RECAP:
The top-2 teams from the boys meet were the same as the girls, with Eastside topping the standings and Lucy Beckham in runner-up position. Eastside once again swept the relays but only had one individual event winner, a testament to the team’s depth.
TEAM SCORES:
- Eastside 562.50
- Lucy Beckham 357
- Riverside 312
- South Aiken 223
- Greenville 211.50
Eastside’s sole individual win went to senior Joey Lilley, who stopped the clock in the 50 free at 21.33 for a personal best. His previous best stood at a 21.79, set at last year’s edition of the meet. Lilley also anchored his school’s 200 and 400 free relays en route to the team title.
Senior Jared Allison of Aiken High School was the only athlete to win both of his events. He topped the 200 IM (1:51.92) and 100 back (51.21) to pick up all 48 of his team’s points.
Stephen Russell, a junior from Lucy Beckham, denied Lilley a second title in the 100 free, posting a 46.49 to Lilley’s 46.79. They were the only two swimmers sub-48.
Irmo High School’s Emmanuel Gadson posted a 49.82 for a dominating win in the 100 fly, the only time under 52 seconds. Gadson represents the Bahamas on the international stage and recently appeared in the 200 breast B-final at the Pan American Games.
Other Highlights:
- James Island junior Wells Cloud posted a 1:41.13 to win the 200 free.
- Jack McCrae of South Pointe won the 500 free in 4:38.77.
- Seth Riley won the 100 breast over Gadson with a 56.92.
