St. Joseph’s Academy Wins 8th Straight LHSAA High School Girls Title

Division 1 LHSAA Swim Championship

The St. Joseph’s Academy girls won their eighth consecutive title and the Jesuit boys successfully defended their 2017 crown at the Louisiana Division 1 High School State Championships just over a week ago in Sulphur.

Girls Meet

St. Joseph’s won the title decisively by 112 points, putting up 349 to top Mandeville (237) and Mount Carmel (235).

Senior Kirby Black was the only individual event winner for the State champs, taking the 100 back in a time of 58.57 over Mandeville’s Kimberly Dobie (1:00.51). The team also won the 200 free relay in 1:42.47.

Sophomore Emily Schexnayder of Mount Carmel was the top overall performer with two individual victories, winning the 100 free in 54.13 (with Dobie in 2nd – 54.47) and the 100 fly in 58.30. Caleigh Miller also had a win for Mount Carmel in the 50 free, as she was the only swimmer to crack 25 seconds in 24.82.

Natalie Stump of Barbe had a win in the 200 free (1:54.47) and was the runner-up in the 500 free (5:07.99), while 500 winner Annie Thompson (5:04.08) of Lafayette also had a 2nd place finish in the 200 IM (2:09.32) to Dominican’s Hannah Morris (2:08.18). The other individual winner was West Monroe senior Zoe Mekus, who took the 100 breast by over a second in 1:04.99.

Mandeville won both the 400 free (3:41.23) and 200 medley relays (1:51.86), with Dobie contributing key legs of 54.53 (swimming 2nd) and 27.84 (leading off on backstroke).

TEAM SCORES

  1. St. Joseph’s Academy, 349
  2. Mandeville High School, 237
  3. Mount Carmel Academy, 235
  4. Dominican High School, 202
  5. North Shore High School, 165

Boys Meet

The Jesuit boys won their 2nd straight title with wins in six of the eleven events on the schedule, including a pair from senior Charles Korndorffer. They ended up winning by 43 points over the Catholic High School Bears.

Korndorffer defended both of his titles in the 100 back and 100 fly, putting up respective times of 49.99 and 49.31 to narrowly miss his State records from last season of 49.72 and 49.13.

Sophomore Philip Endom made it a 1-2 finish for Jesuit in the 100 back (52.54), and also had a 3rd place finish in the 200 IM (1:53.79) behind David Boylan (1:51.58) of East Ascension and Jesuit teammate Davis Edwards (1:53.09). Boylan (57.88) and Edwards (58.42) also went 1-2 in the 100 breast.

In addition to Korndorffer and Boylan, Northshore junior Michael Bonson also had a pair of individual wins in the 200 (1:39.17) and 500 free (4:28.18).

Mike Foley, who took 2nd to Bonson in the 200, won the 100 free in 45.67 to give Jesuit their other individual win. Connor Widemeier of West Monroe was the runner-up there in 46.06, and also won the 50 free in 21.23.

Jesuit also swept the relays, narrowly missing the State records in the 200 (1:25.62) and 400 free relays (3:09.48) with big wins. Foley led off the former in a blistering 20.87, and anchored the latter in 45.79. In the 200 medley they won by close to three seconds in 1:36.28, with the fastest splits in the field from Edwards (26.72) and Korndorffer (22.49) on breast and fly.

TEAM SCORES

  1. Jesuit High School, 448
  2. Catholic High School Bears, 405
  3. Dutchtown High School, 147
  4. St. Pauls School, 138
  5. East Ascension High School, 124

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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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