Baylor Stanton Breaks GHSA Record in 200 IM, Brookwood Girls Win First 7A Title Since 2019

GHSA 7A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

• McAuley Aquatic Center
• Feb. 9-10, 2024
• SCY (25 yards)
• PDF results
• GHSA 4-5A recap
• GHSA 1-3A recap

7A Boys Recap

Team Scores

1. Walton – 493
2. North Gwinnett – 377.5
3. Brookwood – 355
4. South Forsyth – 274.5
5. Denmark – 192

Brookwood sophomore Baylor Stanton secured his second consecutive 7A crown in the 200 IM with a new GHSA record of 1:44.74 this past weekend, taking down the previous standard of 1:45.54 set by Dalton’s Henry Bethel in 2021.

Stanton also took home another state title in the 100 back (46.79) after earning a runner-up finish last year as a freshman behind current Navy freshman Ben Irwin (46.91). Stanton has been faster before in both the 200 IM (1:44.04) and 100 back (46.57) at Winter Juniors East in December. In the 200 IM, he was nearly two seconds faster than his winning time from last year (1:46.52). Stanton still has a ways to go in the 100 back to break the GHSA record of 45.53 clocked by Johns Creek’s Michael Taylor in 2017.

Stanton’s Brookwood teammate, senior Kyler Heffner, had a huge day in the freestyle department. The University of Georgia commit swept the 200 free (1:38.29) and 500 free (4:24.81) — winning the latter by almost eight seconds — while also leading off Brookwood’s triumphant 400 free relay (3:06.02) in a personal-best 46.91. Heffner dropped six-tenths of a second in the 200 free and .45 seconds in the 100 free.

The Walton boys didn’t boast any individual champions, but their 200 medley relay nearly broke the GHSA record en route to the program’s second team title in a row with 493 points ahead of North Gwinnett (377.5) and Brookwood (355).

Walton senior Sonny Panessa (23.08 back), senior William Iglar (26.14 breast), junior Theodore Thomas (21.98 fly), and senior Griffin Lovett (20.64 free) combined for a winning 200 medley relay time of 1:31.84, just .13 seconds off the GHSA record (1:31.71) set by Centennial in 2022. With his leadoff, Panessa shaved almost half a second off his previous-best 50 back time of 23.51 in December.

Like Walton, the runner-up North Gwinnett boys didn’t win any individual titles, but their depth carried them to a 200 free relay victory in 1:25.44. Senior Owen Collett (21.68), freshman Carson Waters (21.41), senior Brennan Klingenberg (21.84), and Zach Eaker (20.51) combined for the 1st-place finish, holding off Walton (1:26.17) by less than a second.

Hillgrove senior Lathan Parks turned heads by dropping almost two seconds in the 50 free over the course of the past year. After placing 23rd last year as a junior (22.64), he won the state title in a personal-best 20.71 this year, shaving more than half a second off his previous-best 21.38 from December.

In the 100 free, Denmark freshman Daniel Goshko blasted a personal-best 45.84 to reach the wall first, demolishing his previous-best 47.15 from December. It was a big afternoon for underclassmen as Kennesaw Mountain sophomore Isaiah Tucker got under 50 seconds in the 100 fly for the first time (49.42) en route to the state title.

Lambert senior Noah Saylor claimed the 100 breast title in 55.06, almost half a second faster than his previous-best 55.44 from last month.

On the boards, Colquitt County junior Tuck Gregory captured the 1-meter diving crown with a score of 738.5 after placing 2nd last year with 721.7 points.

7A Girls Recap

Team Scores

1. Brookwood – 493.5
2. North Gwinnett – 357
3. Walton – 291
4. Harrison – 290
5. West Forsyth – 221

Despite North Gwinnett boasting three individual champions en route to an impressive 357 points, the Brookwood girls cruised to their first state title since 2019 with 493.5 points.

Brookwood junior Hailey Dopson led the way with a 100 back victory (54.75) along with a 23.47 anchor leg on her squad’s triumphant 200 free relay (1:35.67). Last year, the Georgia commit placed 2nd in the 100 back (54.37), but her lifetime best is actually from 2022 (54.30). Dopson also led off Brookwood’s 200 medley relay with a 25.70 backstroke to clinch another victory along with junior Addison Curtis (30.63 breaststroke), junior Margaret Cohen (26.44 butterfly), and sophomore Nicole Amike (23.33 freestyle).

Dopson was joined on Brookwood’s 200 free relay by Amike (23.94), senior Emma Greene (24.24), and sophomore Sophie Hamilton (24.02). Senior Chloe Brothers also captured a state title for Brookwood in the 1-meter diving event (653.6) after placing 3rd last year (570.6).

All three of North Gwinnett’s individual winners were seniors who will be continuing their careers collegiately at Power Five programs this fall.

Arkansas commit Ashley Morton touched first in the 200 IM with a personal-best 2:04.39, more than a second faster than her previous-best 2:05.56 from last month. Last year as a junior, she placed 3rd in the 100 back (55.81) and 5th in the 200 IM (2:06.50).

West Virginia commit Jayla Thompson came out on top in the 100 fly (55.94) after placing 2nd last year (55.51). She has been as fast as 55.20 back in 2021.

South Carolina commit Emma Reiser defended her 500 free title in 4:49.22, a couple seconds off her personal-best 4:46.60 from December. Last year as a junior, she took the 500 free crown in 4:51.27.

Harrison senior Isabella Klinefelter picked up two wins in the 100 free (49.68) and 200 free (1:46.61). The Georgia Tech commit dropped almost a second in the 100 free off her previous-best 50.49 from December and nearly two seconds in the 200 free off her previous-best 1:48.25 from last February. Last year as a junior, Klinefelter won 7A titles in the 100 fly (54.81) and 200 free (1:48.25).

Other individual winners included Mill Creek senior Iris Ochoa in the 50 free (23.76) and South Forsyth senior Meagan Davis in the 100 breast (1:02.83). Davis had a major drop in the 100 breast, slicing almost five seconds off her 11th-place finish from last year (1:07.40). Ochoa dipped under 24 seconds in the 50 free for the first time, improving upon her previous-best 24.09 from December.