Girls meet
Behind the sprint efforts of quadruple-winner Morgan Hill, Sherwood High School took home their first Maryland High School Swimming Championship title at a competition where new state records were set in 10 of 11 swimming events. Hill, a senior bound for Virginia in the fall, had a storybook ending to round out her high school career, taking home titles in both sprint freestyle events and serving as the linchpin for a pair of winning relays, breaking four state records in the process.
Hill teamed up with and Margarita Ryan, Erica Hjelle, and Emma Eustace to win the 200 medley relay in 1:46.00 to open the meet, smashing the previous state record by over two seconds. After doubling up on wins and state records in the 50 (23.10) and 100 (50.02) freestyles, Hill closed the meet out with a come-from-behind 49.61 anchor leg in the 400 free relay to secure the win for Sherwood in 3:31.64, her fourth record of the day.
While Hill was the story of the meet, Hannah Lindsey of Winston Churchill High School (the defending champions) had a record-setting day of her own, cutting a full second off the old standards in the 200 freestyle (1:49.71) and 100 backstroke (55.08). Lindsey was also a critical leg for two second-place Churchill relays, en route to a runner-up team finish.
Athletes from Montgomery Blair High School and Walter Johnson High School each grabbed two event titles, as well. Hannah Kannan of Montgomery Blair used a quick first 50 to take the 100 fly in 55.72, downing the previous meet record of runner-up Emily Wang from Churchill. Two events later, Kannan’s teammate Madison Waechter touched first in 4:53.48 in the 500 free for another meet record.
Walter Johnson High School got wins from Celine Nugent in the 200 IM (2:04.97, new state record) and the 200 free relay (1:37.86).
Boys meet
After finishing as a runner-up to Walter Johnson High School last season, Richard Montgomery High School reclaimed their MPSSAA boys team title with 319 points, more than 50 points ahead of runner-up Winston Churchill. Senior Bouke Edskes was the star of the show for R. Montgomery, winning four events and setting three new state records along the way.
Edskes and company (Matt Nguyen, Kenny Afolabi-Brown, and Greg Afolabi-Brown) opened the meet with a dominant performance in the 200 medley relay, finishing in 1:34.57, three full seconds under the previous meet record. After Zachery Einhorn from Churchill took home the title in the 200 free (1:42.91), Edskes returned to win the 200 IM in 1:52.73, just under the old meet record of 1:53.10. Edskes added wins in the 100 fly (49.86), and 200 free relay (1:26.91, with the Afolabi-Brown brothers and Simon Li).
Two other meet records were set. North Point High School’s Matthew Essing touched out Kenny Afolabi-Brown to win the 50 in 21.15, just under the old record of 21.33. In the 100 breast, Eli Fouts of Quince Orchard High School finished in 56.05, chopping more than a second off the previous record.
