CARY— Records fell all over the place as Charlotte Catholic rolled to
its eighth consecutive 3A women’s title on Friday night in the North Carolina
High School Athletic Association state 3A swimming and diving championships at
the Triangle Aquatic Center.
Catholic rolled to victory with a whopping 469 points in earning its
12th straight NCHSAA crown over two different classifications. Waxhaw Marvin
Ridge was second with 258, followed by Chapel Hill (228), Raleigh Cardinal
Gibbons (184) and Concord Jay Robinson (133). A total of 30 schools scored in
the women’s competition.
Nora McCullagh and Lauren Rhodes were double
individual winners for the state champs, with McCullagh winning the 50
freestyle and 100 backstroke and Rhodes taking the 100 free and 200 free.
Rhodes shattered her own state 3A mark in the 200 by well over two seconds, in
a time of 1:47.98.
McCullagh was named the Most Valuable
Performer in the women’s meet, as she achieved All-American Automatic times in
both of her individual events and set a new all-classification record in the 50
free with a blistering 22.92 seconds. She also swam on two victorious relay
teams.
In all, the Cougar women set nine new state 3A
records, including five all-classification marks, and won all but two events.
The Cougars set an all-classification record in the 200 medley relay with a
winning time of 1:45.52, established a new mark in the 200 free relay by over
two seconds, and set a new 400 free relay mark record. Catholic’s Elsa
Welshofer sprinted to a time of 54.69 seconds in the 100 fly, another
all-classification record.
Cardinal Gibbons held on to win its fourth
consecutive state 3A men’s crown and sixth in a row over two classifications,
led by Bailey Maloney. Maloney, who took top honors in both the 50 free and 100
free and swam the anchor leg on the record-setting 200 free relay team and the
winning 400 free relay, was the MVP of the men’s championship.
Gibbons recorded 312 points to 283 for
Charlotte Catholic, followed by Chapel Hill (212), Jay Robinson (149) and
Marvin Ridge (132). A total of 40 schools recorded points in the men’s meet.
Dalton Shaw of Greenville D.H. Conley
established a new 3A record in the 200 IM in 1:51.63, breaking an eight-year
old mark previously held by Southwest Guilford’s Chris Spooner.
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