Miami Belen Jesuit’s boys' swimming team captured its fourth consecutive team state title at the Class 2A finals on Thursday in Orlando.
The Wolverines dominated the meet, beating Fort Myers 266.5-176 at the Central Florida YMCA. Belen became only third team from Miami-Dade County to collect four titles. Miami Jackson was the last team to do it, way back in 1963.
Juniors Carlos Omana and Andy Vazquez led the Wolverines by winning two individual events each. Vazquez placed first, with All-American automatic times, in the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly. Omana won the 500-yard freestyle and the 200-yard individual medley with All-American automatic times of 4:25.25 and 1:49.82, respectively.
Gainesville Eastside won the girls’ title, but it came down to the wire. The Rams were third heading into the meet’s final event, the 400 free. But Danielle Kerr, Hannah Bunkin, Kathryn Clare-Salzler and Christine Kerr turned in an All-American consideration time of 3:34.03 to clinch Eastside's first swimming state championship. Eastside is the first Gainesville area school to win a state swim title since Buchholz won the Class 3A crown in 2005.
Fort Myers senior Jon Nunez was the top individual star of the day, along with the Belen duo of Omana and Vazquez, with three state titles. The Florida commit won the 50- and 100-meter freestyle races, anchored the 200 IM relay team to another state title and helped the Green Wave boys' team place second overall.
Girls' team results (top three teams) -- 1. Eastside 160, 2. Chiles 152, 3. Bishop Kenny 147.
Girls’ individual winners -- 200 medley relay: 1. Bishop Kenny 1:52.36; 200 free: 1. Molly DuBrasky (Estero), Alex Merrit (Lincoln) 1:49.70; 200 IM: 1. McKayla Lightbourn (Booker) 2:05.21; 50 free: 1. Grace Hoffman (Nease) 23.52; 100 fly: 1. Heather Coutts (Bishop Kenny) 56.31; 100 free: 1. Alex Merritt (Lincoln) 50.82; 500 free: 1. Dubrasky 4:50.94; 200 free relay: 1. Gainesville Eastside 1:38.05; 100 back: 1. Coutts 57.29; 100 breast: 1. Alyssa Bodin (Bartram Trail) 1:03.38; 400 free relay: 1. Eastside 3:34.03; 1M diving: 1. Delaney Dye (Leon) 482.90;
Boys' team results (top three teams) -- 1. Belen 266.5, 2. Fort Myers 176, 3. Bishop Kenny 114.
Boys’ individual results -- 200 medley relay: 1. Fort Myers 1:36.36; 200 freestyle: 1. Andy Vazquez (Belen Jesuit) 1:40.91; 200 IM: 1. Carlos Omana (Belen Jesuit) 1:49.82; 50 free: 1. Jon Nunez (FM) 21.44; 100 butterfly: 1. Vazquez 50.43; 100 free: 1. Nunez 45.55; 500 free: 1. Omana 4:26.25; 200 free relay: 1. Belen Jesuit 1:27.74; 100 backstroke: 1. Ross Spock (Niceville) 51.64; 100 breaststroke: 1. Marc Rojas (Pembroke Pines) 1:00.07; 400 free relay: 1.Belen Jesuit 3:10.02; 1M diving: 1. Luke Zippi (Viera) 527.00.
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