The Randolph School, a private school in Huntsville, Alabama swept the boys and girls 1A-5A state titles at last weekend’s Alabama High School state championships in Auburn. Alabama high school swimming divides its state championship into two classes, Division 1A-5A (smaller schools) and 6A-7A (larger schools).
Girls meet recap
Top five schools:
- Randolph School: 211
- Bayshore Christian: 173
- Cottage Hill Christian: 171
- Guntersville: 162
- Bayside Academy: 147
Randolph won the meet with impressive depth and a strong diving program. Randolph’s only event win came in 1 meter diving, where Randolph finished 1-2-3, with senior Anna Goodson taking the state title with a score of 308.90 to be Randolph’s highest scorer. Freshman Betsy King was Randolph’s highest scoring swimmer, finishing 2nd in the 100 fly in 1:03.46. She also played a key role on all three of Randolph’s relays, including their 6th place 200 medley relay and 3rd place 200 and 400 free relays.
The biggest star of the girls meet was Indian Springs junior Aurelie Walker, who was a double event winner in the 200 free and 100 fly. In the 200 free, Walker, who does her club swimming for Wake Aquatics in Birmingham, posted a 1:54.59 to win by almost 9 seconds. That swim comes in 2 seconds off her lifetime best of 1:52.26. She later returned to win the 100 fly by almost six seconds in 57.57, also just off her lifetime best of 57.18. Walker is a publicly uncommitted junior who is a Futures qualifier in the 50, 100, 200 free and 100 fly.
Tallassee High School sophomore Macey Stewart was also impressive, winning the 100 free in 51.27 and the 100 back in 55.75. That 100 back is a new lifetime best for Stewart, who swims club for Auburn Aquatics, while her 100 free is just off of her lifetime best 51.16.
Other individual event winners:
- 200 IM: Elizabeth Chen (Bayside): 2:08.37
- 50 free: Maggie Ella Robbins (Section): 23.59
- 500 free: Elizabeth Davis (Appalachian): 5:21.24
- 100 breast: Kaelyn Mitchell (Cottage Hill Christian): 1:09.11
Boys meet recap:
Top five teams:
- Randolph School: 341
- Boaz High School: 328
- Lamp High School: 224
- TR MIller High School: 176
- Madison Academy: 90
The Randolph School boys matched the girls in winning the state title, though won the title in a very different way by winning five events, including all three relays, at the state championship meet. The Raiders were led by freshman Judd Lunsford, who won the 200 IM in 2:05.55 and finished second in the 100 back in 58.04. Both swims were lifetime bests for the 15-year-old freshman, who does his club swimming with Huntsville Swim Association. Wesley Johnson was Randolph’s other individual state champ, winning the 200 free by over five seconds in 1:51.94.
Also playing a key role for Randolph was sophomore Ethan Hammitt, who finished 3rd in the 100 free in 49.55 and was a member of all three state champion relays. In the 200 medley relay, Hammitt anchored in 22.28 to run down Boaz High School to take the win in 1:42.18. He returned later to lead off both the state champion 200 and 400 free relays for Randolph.
The team race with Boaz High School was close for the entire meet, with Boaz being led by junior double-event winner Adam Holbrook. In his first individual race of the meet, Holbrook won the 100 fly in 52.12, and he later returned to win the 100 back in 54.92. Both of those swims are lifetime bests for Holbrook, who does his club swimming with Scottsboro Swim Association.
Also impressing was Indian Springs junior Mark Underwood, who won both the 500 free and 100 breast. Underwood, who does his club swimming for the Birmingham Swim League, posted lifetime bests in the prelims in the 500 with a 4:46.62 and the 100 breast with a 58.74.
Other individual event winners:
- 1 meter diving: Michael Helton (John Carroll): 281.05
- 200 free: Wesley Johnson (Randolph): 1:51.94
- 50 free: Zachary Hannah (Rehobeth): 21.43
- 100 free: Zachary Hannah (Rehobeth): 48.69
