Texas high schools competed at their district championship meets the last two weekends of January.
The Texas high school season spans from October through February, but regardless of how fast swimmers go during the season, the last two meets before State are the only way to qualify. Districts is the first of the two meets. The University Interscholastic League (Texas High School athletics governing body) splits the 6A schools in Texas into 32 different districts which make up eight regions. 5A schools are broken up the same way.
The top six finishers in each event at the district meet qualify for the regional meet. At regionals, the top two swimmers in each event move on to state. After all the regional meets are completed, the meet results are combined, and the next eight fastest performances in each event also earn their spot at state. This means whatever a swimmer competes in at districts, they must race at regionals and state.
Men’s Recap:
Maximus Williamson, our number one recruit for the class of 2025 is the biggest name out of this year’s Texas seniors, and he showed that this weekend. Williamson, a Virginia commit, attends Keller High School, which is in District 4.
He chose a different lineup from last year, swimming the 100 and 200 freestyle events. Last year he swam the 200 IM, which he holds the state and NAG record in, and the 100 back, which he also has the state record in.
He easily won both of his events at Districts, qualifying for regionals. He went 44.06 in the 100 and 1:37.55 in the 200. Both times were adds for him, as he has been 41.84 in the 100 and 1:31.37 in the 200. The State Record in the 200 freestyle belongs to Jack LeVant at 1:34.69 from 2018. The 100 freestyle is Williamson’s at 42.75 from 2023.
Williamson will swim both events again at the Region 1-6A meet on February 7th and 8th to qualify for State.
Other Top-5 Texas Recruits:
- Jack Armour, Notre Dame- Armour did not make our recruit ranking for this year’s class, but he has had a breakout season, dropping to 1:43.34 in the 200 IM and 51.86 in the 100 breaststroke to become the 2nd ranking recruit in Texas. He won both of these events at the District 9-5A meet, going 1:54.94 in the 200 IM and 55.17 in the 100 breast
- Bucky Gettys, Texas A&M- Gettys was an Honorable Mention on our class of 2025 rankings for his distance freestyle skills. He swam the 200 and 500 freestyles at the District 20-6A meet. He finished 2nd in the 200 at 1:42.01 and 4:39.36 in the 500.
- Alejandro Michelena, Texas A&M- Michelena is a butterfly specialist who made our BOTR list in the 200 butterfly. He chose not to swim butterfly, and instead swam the 50 (20.42) and 100 freestyles (44.33), easily winning both.
- John Simmons, Texas A&M- Simmons did not appear on any of our 2025 rankings, but he has also had a very good senior season. At the District 21-6A meet, he was yet another 200 freestyler, coming in at 1:36.38 (actually faster than Williamson’s time) to win. He also won the 100 back in a new personal best of 46.99
High-Placing 2024 State Finishers:
- Tyler Grafmiller, Georgia 2025: Grafmiller tied for 2nd at the 2024 6A state mee tin the 50 free. At the District 21-6A meet, he swam the 50 free in 20.71 and the 100 free in 45.36 to take the win in both.
- Raphael Wang, Duke 2025: Wang was one of our BOTR recruits for 2025 thanks to his breaststroke skill. He finished 2nd in the 100 breast at last year’s meet. This year he swam the 100 breast and the 200 IM. In the 100 breast he went 55.27 for the win, and he won the 200 IM in 1:49.95.
- Riccardo Osio, USC 2025: Osio finished 2nd in the 100 fly. This year, he swam the 100 fly and 50 free at the District 4-6A meet for Keller. He won both of the events, swimming 21.60 in the 50 free and 49.82 in the 100 fly.
Women’s Recap:
Grace Rabb is the top girl’s recruit out of Texas, coming in at number six on our 2025 rankings. Rabb recently made the move to Texas, making this her first Texas high school season. She swims at Dripping Springs High School in District just outside of Austin, Texas. At her district meet, she swam the 200 IM (1:59.27) and the 100 back (53.88). Neither of these were best times for Rabb, who will be joining the University of Florida in the fall.
Other Top-5 Texas 2025 Recruits:
- Avery Collins, Texas- Collins was one of our BOTR recruits for the class, thanks to her breaststroke and IM prowess. She swims for Keller High School, and at the District 4-6A championships she swam the 100 breast (1:02.50) and the 200 IM (2:04.04). She finished 1st in the 200 IM, and third in the 100 breast. The other swimmers who beat her were both Keller seniors as well. Ella McWhorter, who is committed to Texas A&M, won the event in 1:01.94, and Ellen Garritson, Aransas commit, placed 2nd in 1:02.30. Keller’s 400 freestyle relay was DQd, meaning they will not get a chance to defend their 3rd place finish from last year.
- Montse Spielmann, Michigan- Another BOTR recruit, Montse Spielmann is the 3rd ranked recruit out of Texas. At the District 28-6A Championships, Spielmann won the 200 free (1:49.58) and the 100 fly (53.94). This is the same lineup she swam at last year’s state meet, and will give the opportunity to defend her 100 fly state title from last year.
- KK Leblanc, Ohio State- Leblanc is another BOTR recruit, making her way onto the sprint freestyle portion of our list. She swims for Friendswood High School in District 18-5A. She swam the 100 and 200 freestyle events, coming in at 49.86 in the 100 and 1:49.04 in the 200, easily winning both.
- Ella Mongenel, Texas- Mongenel did not make our 2025 recruit rankings, but she has dropped quite a bit of time this season, particularly in her sprint freestyle events. She swam at the District 24-5A meet for Cedar Park High School, and she competed in the 50 (23.48) and 100 free events, winning both (51.70)
High-Placing 2024 State Finishers:
- Natalie Schneider, Texas A&M 2026- Schneider is another Keller High School swimmer, and she finished 2nd in the 50 free at last year’s state meet as a sophomore. At her District 4-6A meet, she swam the 50 free, finishing 2nd in 23.86 and the 100 free, coming in 3rd at 51.79.
- Marin Clem, Georgia 2025- Clem made our BOTR rankings as a sprint freestyler. At last year’s state meet, she finished 3rd in the 50 free and she won the 100 free. This year, she swam both of these events again at the District 4-6A meet, swimming 23.08 in the 50 and 51.21 in the 100.
Fun fact: this is the only known photo of maximus williamson
He is bigfoot confirmed.
Had 7 tattoos by the age of 14.
Using it again is cheaper than buying another photo of him.
Great choices! Swim fast 💪🏼👍🏼🤠
My take as someone who knows absolutely nothing about Texas high school/club swimming politics and has never met Williamson is that the truth is probably somewhere in the middle on these comments. 50% Williamson needing to mature some (along with every other high schooler ever) and 50% local parents not liking a kid who could use an attitude adjustment be one of the greatest recruits of all time so they try to tear him down anonymously. Only time will tell
Reading through these comments, and wow, has this kid done something to make enemies or is this just what the TX HS/club swim world is like? Amazing what one rough season will do to bring people out of the woodwork.
This is what club swimming is like most places.
You should see the emails I get from people…
Good Lord, they write you emails to complain!!?
You’re right Keith, here in the DMV Club is not for the faint-hearted and we all need to do better and realize they are kids.
Youth sports is a disaster. My kid has been playing high level travel soccer since she was 8. Now she is 11 and when I look back at our time in the sport so far it has been nothing but drama. Maybe one season was mostly smiles and enjoyable. I am a teacher of 21 years and coached all levels of club swimming for 10 years before I gave it up for time purposes. I have seen all side of the sports spectrum. I understand development. I consider myself a level headed person. But between A hole coaches and parents and people thinking their kid is going to make a national team at the age of 10 there is not… Read more »
Yes, given his strength and success it is hard to remember he and others are kids and commenters should think first if this is how they would want others to talk about their kids. Let him make his choices, mistakes and achieve his successes. I’m sure he will continue to develop in all ways, let’s support that journey.
The problem with the internet is every village idiot gets a voice. This is a great kid on a LOADED high school team. He gets most of the attention (and rightfully so), but this team is on its way to winning BACK to BACK to BACK 6A high school championships.
Haters gonna hate…
The problem with Democracy in general is that every village idiot gets a voice, and there are a lot more of them.
I don’t think this is what people were thinking of when they said the internet would be good for Democracy, but it was inevitable…
The problem is that people believe what they want to believe
Cut line for call ups in boys 100 fly is 50.50 and 100 back is 51.06 / anyone have other ones?
Is it really that slow? In CA you need to be under 50.
Not quite true: https://swimswam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024_cif_state_psych_sheet.pdf
The auto cut in California is 49, but guys get invites with 50-points.
Texas also splits their meet in three, so that pulls out a couple of guys who would bring that cut time down from 6A, usually?
I’d never argue that Texas swimming is as good as California’s. But let’s not start with a 50.5 being a slow time to make state.
Long gone (almost 15 years) are the day’s when 53.5 was top 5 in my Midwestern state.
Record held by Jack Levant. That’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. Anyone know what happened to him? He made the world’s team in 2019 and then disappeared
Jack struggled with anxiety and depression and it sounds like that sidelined him quite a bit. As someone that also deals with both I can’t imagine what it would be like to be good enough to make Worlds while feeling like that. Hope he’s doing well as a human now
All the Lakeside kids bombed at the Olympic Trials. I really thought Maximus would make some noise.
Maximus had mono 5 weeks before Trials. I think he did pretty good considering the circumstances.
Not a fan. After Campbell beat him at winter juniors he told everyone he was “injured”
Reminds me of how last summer during the LCM meets Texas was hosting, he gave up in quite a few races. One of the only swimmers I’ve seen give up during a race like that.
So why do you want him at Texas then? Only Bob can break him of his “quitting” habit?
Seriously, Texas fans.
Who said I want him at Texas?
You’ve posted multiple times that he will and should either end up at or transfer to Texas.
But sure, pretend you haven’t.
It’s definitely more than a 0% chance that happens and if you think otherwise, idk what to tell you.
However, I think Gary Taylor being hired is Desorbo’s best coaching hire as UVA’s head coach. David King just went 45.5 100 back a few days ago and I’m excited to see what he does in his more specialty events (2 back and the mid d free events). If Taylor can get the middle distance and up groups going, things can start getting interesting
inch resting… im curious to see how todd works w him on this! hes worked w a couple athletes w notable attitude issues like gretchens racing anxiety and more recently claires post trials negativity
i actually think its great maximus has a bit of an ego lol — all champions have one! and hes going to need to leverage it if hes to rescue usa swimming’s male contingent from its current nadir. but he also cant allow it affect him negatively which it seems like it may have…
I think the combo of Todd & Gary Taylor has a chance at getting Maximus going. David King went 45.5 100 back a few days ago and likely is in 1:37/1:38 territory in the 200 back right now. He was 46 mid when he was 1:39 I think.
yup gary clearly knows what hes doing — ill be watching their end of season closely. my most cancelable take is that problematic coaches deserve second chances (within reason ofc) provided they are able to still able to produce results — usa swimming desperately needs them… #justiceforteri
Haha, funny you bring Teri up
I think that as an assistant under Desorbo, Gary Taylor will be better than he was as a head coach leading the show.
He couldn’t finish races as he had mono in June prior to Trials.
I’m calling it, he transfers out of UVA after one year and “retires”.
Looking forward to him dropping the hammer on SwimSwam posters everywhere.
The receipts will be sweet.
Really? Tell me again how the UVA men have done with Desorbo…. I’ve got receipts too
would you like losing?