Sarasota High School Boys Edge Out Braddock For Fourth Straight FHSAA 4A Title

2023 FHSAA Class 4A State Championships

The Sarasota High School boys leaned on team depth to get the job done and win their fourth straight FHSAA 4A title on Friday, putting up 289 points to hold off Braddock Senior (269).

Sarasota kicked the meet off on the right foot with a victory in the 200 medley relay, as Aidan Siers (23.75), Elias Corn (26.23), Bogdan Zverev (22.22) and Victor Izquierdo (21.08) combined for a time of 1:33.28 to outpace runner-up Windermere (1:34.21).

Siers, a senior and Auburn commit, was the top point scorer for Sarasota, as he set a pair of best times en route to winning the 200 IM (1:48.33) and placing 3rd in the 500 free (4:25.58).

Winning the 500 free was Windermere junior Ryan Erisman, who set a best time of his own in 4:22.05 to top Bartram Trail senior TJ Frost (4:24.02) and Siers.

Frost, a Miami (OH) commit, was also the runner-up to Siers in the 200 IM (1:48.96), having set new best times in both of his events.

Erisman was one of two double individual event winners on the boys’ side of the meet, also rolling to the 200 free title in a time of 1:36.13, dipping under his previous best of 1:36.82 set at NCSAs in March. Erisman placed 3rd in the event last year (1:38.07) behind a pair of seniors, Jacob Hamlin and Raymond Prosinski, who now attend Tampa and South Carolina, respectively, in the NCAA.

Erisman also provided a pair of key splits to lead Windermere to a win in the 200 free relay, anchoring in 20.05 to combine with Walter KuefferLawson Seward and Roberto Zarate for the win in 1:22.47.

Kueffer had a win of his own in the 50 free, clocking 20.71 in the final to tie his personal best set at the Florida Senior Championships in March.

Runners-up in the team race, Braddock had four event wins on the day, highlighted by sophomore Anthony Pineiro‘s sweep of the 100 fly (48.43) and 100 back (48.50).

Pineiro, who was 6th and 7th in the two respective events as a freshman, set a new best time with his swim in the 100 fly, while his 100 back PB sits at 48.24 from late September.

His junior teammate George Gonzalez won the 100 free in a new best time of 44.36, and was also the runner-up in the 200 free in a PB of 1:38.04.

In the 400 free relay, Braddock topped Windermere by more than two seconds in 3:00.02, as Gonzalez (44.15) reset his best time on the lead-off leg and then Pineiro (44.90), Dylan Ferguson (45.51) and Tomas Dermin (45.46) closed things out.

Erisman led off in 44.55 for Windermere, giving him personal best times in the 100, 200 and 500 free for the meet.

Claiming the 100 breast title was George Steinbrenner senior Jayden Repak, who clocked a best time of 55.66 to earn victory after placing 7th last year. Repak also took 2nd to Kueffer with a PB of 20.81 in the 50 free.

The other winner on the day was Fort Lauderdale junior James Boardman, who dominated the 1-meter diving event with a score of 581.50 for his second straight victory.

Team Scores – Top 10

  1. Sarasota, 289
  2. G Holmes Braddock Senior, 269
  3. Windermere, 231
  4. Bartram Trail, 198.5
  5. Riverview Sarasota, 119
  6. Oviedo, 118
  7. Wellington, 117
  8. Creekside, 91
  9. West Port, 87
  10. George Steinbrenner, 86

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Dr. Matt
7 months ago

Huge congrats to Sarasota boys team who lost a couple of extremely talented seniors last year to likes of Un. of Florida and Auburn Un. This says a lot about the depth of this team drawing from the deeply talented and well coached Sarasota Tsunami and Sharks club teams.

KPS
7 months ago

Should be noted that Braddock’s 200 medley relay got DQed in prelims, which would’ve definitely won them the meet had they swum finals

Buckeyeboy
Reply to  KPS
7 months ago

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda. Give credit to Sarasota. They did win. Not almost win like you are justifying.

Water
Reply to  KPS
7 months ago

Shouldn’t have gotten dqued then🤷‍♂️

Sailor
7 months ago

Legacy

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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