On Saturday, the eyes of Texas high school swimming were upon small Belton, Texas, population 18,216, which served as the host to the 1st annual “Super Quad” meet.
Besides the meet hosts, the event also featured the state’s two dominant 6A (big school) teams from Southlake Carroll High School in Dallas and Westlake High School in Austin; as well as the defending 5A (smaller schools) girls’ state champions Vandergrift High School.
The meet wound up being without several stars who will participate at year’s end, due to conflicts with SAT testing, including Westlake Junior National Teamer Victoria Edwards. Still, a high level of competition and rivalry drove individual race results that will make this among the fastest regular-season meets in the country this year.
This meet was a precuros to the beginning of TISCA season in Texas. TISCA meets, organized by the state’s coaches organization, are the primary mid-season test before February’s State Championship meets.
Boys’ Team Scores:
- Southlake Carroll 196 – Westlake 85
- Southlake Carroll 213 – Vandergriff 70
- Southlake Carroll 221 – Belton 62
- Westlake 176 – Vandergriff 124
- Westlake 147 – Belton 87
- Vandergriff 185 – Belton 88
Girls’ Team Scores:
- Southlake Carroll 162 – Westlake 124
- Southlake Carroll – Vandergriff 89
- Southlake Carroll 199 – Belton 86
- Westlake 169 – Vandergriff 107
- Westlake 183 – Belton 99
- Vandergriff 158 – Belton 117
Highlight races
- Boys’ 100 yard fly – This race saw a pair of the state’s top sophomore prospects battle head-to-head. Southlake Carroll’s Jack LeVant jumped out to an early lead, by half-a-second at the 50 before Noah Henry of the home-team Belton fought back. The race came down to a final touch, but LeVant won in 50.20, with Henry placing 2nd in 50.34. Henry is the nephew of Yale head coach Jim Henry and his holder brother Hayden Henry is a junior on the Texas men’s swim team.
- Boys’ 100 back – LeVant and Henry matched up again in the 100 back, but this time Henry was the dominant force early, splitting 24.0 on his turn and finishing in a total time of 49.95. That’s just .15 away from his lifetime best in the race, and would’ve put him 2nd at last year’s Texas 6A State Championship meet. LeVant finished in 51.96
- Austin Whalen’s 4 Wins – Southlake Carroll senior Austin Whalen, who will be under big pressure to perform if the Dragons hope to repeat as state champions, won all four events that he swam. That includes the 200 free (1:43.84), the 100 free (47.99), and as part of both the 200 free relay (21.79 split en route to 1:28.31) and 400 free relay (47.51 split en route to a 3:11.39). His younger sister, freshman Natalie Whalen, also won the 200 free (1:57.63).
- Catriona MacGregor’s Double – Last season, Westlake’s Catriona MacGregor swam three relays and just one individual event at the 6A State Championship meet. On Saturday, she won both the girls’ 200 IM (2:07.89) and 100 breaststroke (1:07.92). Wesltake has an impressive crop of freshmen sprinters, including Emma Wheal who anchored their winning group on Saturday in 23.74. This means that they now has the depth in their sprint group that they could afford to be without MacGregor for one of their freestyle relays without it causing significant damage to their placings. She may be more valuable in two individuals this season.
Noah Henry’s 100 backstroke event was AMAZING, He took it out so fast and did not let up. He was a BEAST, I was so very Proud of him. He is only 15y/o and swimming like college swimmers. Noah did awesome in the 100 fly also but was out touched. It was an honor to be there to watch my nephew and my niece, Savannah Henry who owned the 100 backstroke . Go Belton High School !!!!!!!