Ponte Vedra Girls Three-Peat, Nease Boys Go Back-To-Back At FHSAA 3A Championships

2023 FHSAA CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• November 11, 2023
• Ocala, Florida
• Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training (FAST)
• SCY (25 yards)
• FHSAA Central
• Full Results

The Ponte Vedra High School girls roared to a third straight FHSAA 3A state title on Saturday, outscoring runner-up Saint Petersburg by 90 points after picking up six event victories.

On the boys’ side, Allen D. Nease High School picked up a second straight title by 60 points, increasing their margin of victory from last year with 2021 champion Lawton Chiles placing 2nd.

GIRLS’ RECAP

Despite missing their top performer from last year, Ann Wohlgemuth, Ponte Vedra won the meet relatively comfortably with four swimmers scoring 30+ points individually to go along with a sweep of the relays.

Leading the charge was senior Annabelle MacAdams, who won the 100 breast title in a lifetime best of 1:04.22 after placing 3rd last year. She also took 4th in the 200 IM, setting a best time of 2:07.70.

Also winning for Ponte Vedra were sophomores Lily Doyle and Kate Pelot, with Doyle setting a new PB of 4:54.27 to win the 500 free and Pelot notching a lifetime best of 55.99 en route to the 100 back title.

In the relays, Ponte Vedra cruised to victory in the 200 medley (1:45.41), 200 free (1:34.88) and 400 free (3:28.96), with the likes of Pelot, MacAdams, Sophie Fox, Penny Zarczynski and Valentina Fraga all contributing on two of the three.

The lone swimmer to win two individual titles was Fleming Island senior Maryn McDade, who won her third straight title in the 50 free in a time of 23.18 after blasting a 22.99 in the prelims. McDade set a PB of 22.94 in late September.

After taking 4th last year, McDade also soared to victory in the 100 free in a time of 50.49, having set a best time of 50.48 in the heats.

Seminole senior Maya Golubovic was a close runner-up to McDade in both events, clocking respective bests of 23.31 and 50.64.

Saint Thomas Aquinas senior and Navy commit Julianne McCranie picked up a big win in the 100 fly in a best time of 54.68, and she also set a PB en route to placing 2nd in the 100 back (56.54).

Also winning in the pool was Gainesville junior Ava Fuller in the 200 free (1:49.10) and Nease junior Charlotte Driesse in the 200 IM (2:03.13).

In the 1-meter diving event, Winter Springs junior Hadley Futch edged out Flmeing Island sophomore Ava Brinkman by less than one point, 483.60 to 482.65.

Team Scores – Top 10

1. Ponte Vedra, 328
2. Saint Petersburg, 238
3. Allen D. Nease, 199
4. Saint Thomas Aquinas, 169
5. Niceville, 165
6. Duncan U Fletcher, 116
7. Charlotte, 114
8. Fleming Island / Seminole, 98
9. –
10. Cape Coral, 96

BOYS’ RECAP

The Nease boys picked up a second straight title behind unmatched team depth, picking up just one event win in the meet-ending 400 free relay.

In that event, Jack Mainville (45.74) and Luke Zardavets (45.63) provided key legs on the back half to lead them to a big victory in 3:03.62, and those two swimmers prevailed as the top individual scorers for Nease as well.

Mainville was involved in a pair of tightly-contested sprint battles with Lawton Chiles freshman Owen Ekk, falling just short in the 50 and 100 free to earn two runner-up finishes.

In the 50 free, Ekk clocked 20.53 to edge out Mainville (20.56), and a few events later in the 100 free, it was a near-identical result as Ekk pulled out the win by nine one-hundredths, 45.29 to 45.38. Ekk and Mainville set new best times in both events.

Zardavets also earned a pair of 2nd-place finishes, setting best times in the 200 IM (1:49.48) and 100 breast (55.45).

The 200 IM title went to Lawton Chiles junior Ethan Ekk—Owen’s older brother—who fired off a best time of 1:48.54 en route to victory.

Ekk also dropped a big best time to win the 500 free in 4:19.89, launching him up to 26th all-time in the boys’ 15-16 age group.

The 100 breast victor was Everglades senior Javier Colmenares, who swam his way to a PB of 55.37 after placing 3rd last year.

Joining the Ekk brothers with two individual wins was Booker T. Washington senior Logan Robinson, an FSU commit who powered his way to wins in the 200 free and 100 fly.

Robinson clocked a PB of 1:36.49 in the prelims of the 200 free before handily winning the final in 1:36.72, and in the 100 fly he set back-to-back best times, first clocking 47.36 in the prelims before getting down to 47.18 in the final.

Robinson, who was 3rd in the 200 IM and 4th in the 100 fly last year, now ranks 3rd in the U.S. this season among 17-year-old boys in the 100 fly and 5th in the 200 free.

He also played a key role in the 200 medley relay, splitting 20.93 on fly to lead Booker T. Washington to victory in 1:33.17. He also split a blazing 43.35 in the 400 free relay, outduelling Ethan Ekk to earn the team a runner-up showing over Lawton Chiles.

Lawton Chiles did pick up a relay win in the 200 free, where Owen Ekk led off in 20.92 and Ethan Ekk anchored in 20.45 for a final time of 1:23.28, edging out Nease (1:23.57) which had a 20.10 split come from Mainville.

Also on that Lawton Chiles relay was senior Nathan Castano, who had an individual win in the 100 back (49.27).

In the 1-meter diving event, Duncan U. Fletcher junior Max Shaver earned a dominant victory with a score of 502.50.

Team Scores – Top 10

1. Allen D. Nease, 311
2. Lawton Chiles, 251
3. Booker T. Washington, 200
4. Jesuit, 174
5. Saint Thomas Aquinas, 158
6. Fort Walton Beach, 134
7. Sebastian River, 120
8. Duncan U Fletcher, 102
9. Freedom, 82
10. Seminole, 75