2025 NCHSAA 4A State Championships
- February 5-6, 2025
- Triangle Aquatic Center — Cary, NC
- 25 Yards (SCY)
- Full Results
Girls’ Recap
This weekend, the Myers Park girls claimed their fourth consecutive NCHSAA 4A State Championship title. The Mustangs scored 260 points, edging out Green Hope, which repeated as the runners-up, by 5.5 points.
The Myers Park girls started the meet strongly with a state record in the 200 medley relay. Karina Plaza, Avery Klamfoth, Emma Richardson, and Taylor Weaver brought the mark sub-1:42 for the first time, swimming a 1:41.64. Myers Park set the previous mark at 1:42.07 in 2023.
The Mustangs dominated at the 4A Western Regionals last week. But, they earned their State Championship title without winning any individual events. After their state record in the 200 medley relay, their other event win came at the end of the meet, in the 400 freestyle relay. In that event, Plaza and Klamfoth combined with Mary Drummond and Katherine Guenther to win the event by almost a second in 3:23.39.
Green Point, the runners-up, had an excellent day, highlighted by two individual event wins by sophomore Sloan Whelehan, who was named the Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the Meet. Whelehan won the 200 freestyle in a lifetime best of 1:46.98. She returned to the blocks quickly, with just the 200 IM separating the 200 freestyle from her next individual event, the 50 freestyle. She also hit a lifetime best there, claiming the state title in 22.93.
Senior Mere Whelehan secured the Green Hope sprint freestyle sweep by winning the 100 free (49.96). Green Hope also controlled the 200 freestyle relay, as the Whelehans teamed up with Mia Jeltema and Angelina Lu. The quartet missed the state record by eight-hundredths, clocking 1:33.30.
Apex Friendship’s Nicole Zettel was the other double event winner at the championships. She placed first in the 200 IM and 500 freestyle. The Tennessee commit swam a lifetime best of 1:58.08 to win the 200 IM, and followed up with a 4:48.34 in the 500 freestyle.
Other Event Winners:
- 100 butterfly: Nikki Nixon, Cardinal Gibbons — 51.84
- 100 backstroke: Alyssa Claborn, Lake Norman — 53.44
- 100 breaststroke: Eliza Wallace, Ardrey Kell — 1:00.06
Girls’ Top 5 Final Standings:
- Myers Park — 260
- Green Hope — 254.5
- Charlotte Catholic — 209
- Cardinal Gibbons — 169
- Marvin Ridge — 157
Boys’ Recap
The Cardinal Gibbons boys swam away with the boys’ team title, the school’s first since 2013. They scored 241 points, beating Enloe by 56 points. Similarly to the Myers Park girls, the team’s depth powered their title. The Cardinal Gibbons boys did not earn any event wins, but were consistently able to find their way into the podium or into the ‘A’ final.
Two 4A state records fell on the boys’ side of the meet. The first fell in the 200 IM, as Enloe seniors Ian Stutts and Alex Townsend went head-to-head. Both smashed the 4A state record Stutts set last season at 1:47.72, and it’s his name that stays in the record book as he took the win in 1:46.26, three-hundredths ahead of Townsend.
It was the NC State commit’s second victory of the championships; earlier, he and Townsend combined with Parker Van Olst and Grady Gospodarek to win the 200 medley relay (1:31.82). Later, Townsend, a Princeton commit, claimed victory in the 100 butterfly with a 47.49.
Marvin Ridge junior Michael Rice dismantled the second boys’ 4A state record of the championships. He swam 43.56 in the 100 freestyle, breaking Sean Setzer’s mark of 44.16 from last year. Rice picked up another win as part of Marvin Ridge’s 400 freestyle relay (3:04.33).
The relay victories went to three different programs, as Myers Park claimed the 200 freestyle relay (1:23.86).
The seniors shined at the meet; in addition to Stutts and Townsend’s victories, Clement Camacho won the 200 freestyle (1:37.57), Jackson Scheiber the 500 freestyle (4:25.28), Abhay Tharakan the 100 backstroke (49.32), and Bence Burton the 100 breaststroke (54.71).
Page’s Albert Smelzer rounded out the individual event winners in the pool, clocking 19.89 for gold in the 50 freestyle.
Boys’ Top 5 Final Standings:
- Cardinal Gibbons — 241
- Enloe — 185
- Marvin Ridge — 184
- East Chapel Hill — 148
- Myers Park — 140
The man JT$ Turner getting it done for Gibbons! Dude is the Dean Smith of NC high school swimming. I can remember him as a young whippersnapper working at Chick-fil-a at the mall in Raleigh and dreaming about better days ahead. Even though swimming was his 5th best sport he made it all the way to UNC, where he and Spaziano and Baldwin became a fearsome trio in the pool and at the BETA House. He studied acting at UNC alongside Brad Kline, but followed his heart into coaching, and look at him now. His story of dedication and perseverance should inspire us all!
It’s time for Jonah to lead at top ncaa team. Personally I’d fund Clemson and let him take the reigns
What’s the story with a girl winning 200 / 50 free? Did they just decide that’s where they needed the points?
Seems like S. Whelehan probably could’ve won the 100 as well, but M. Whelehan from the same school (and of course her sister) took that one, so it would’ve been overlap. Made sense to try and spread the points.
Could’ve considered the 500 as well, but don’t think Sloane’s 500 time would’ve competed with Zettel. Green Hope also had a 500 swimmer in the top 4 as is.
Tough to nitpick Green Hope’s lineup. Seems like Myers Park just did enough to take the meet. Love a meet that comes down to the final relay!
The meet could have been a lot faster but many kids had the flu.
The flu/walking pneumonia is crushing raleigh right now. Multiple club teams dealing with it