Four Meet Records Fall at NCHSAA 1A/2A State Championships

• February 8th-9th, 2019
• 25 yards, prelims/finals
• Triangle Aquatic Center, Cary, NC
• Meet Results

The 2019 North Carolina High School 1A/2A State Championships concluded this weekend with four new meet records, two of which were overall state records.

Girls Meet

Carrboro High School dominated the women’s meet – the Jaguars swept all three relays en route to their first state title in program history.

Sophomore Kate Hegland was crucial for Carrboro’s success, as she won the 100 backstroke in 56.68 and lead off the winning 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.

Community School of Davidson’s Emme Nelson was the first record-breaker of the meet. She took first in the 200 IM with a time of 2:00.70, breaking her own meet record of 2:02.01. The junior later picked up another win in the 100 breast, finishing almost four seconds ahead of second place. This is the third year in a row that Nelson has won both events, as well as the third year she has been named Most Outstanding Performer of the women’s meet.

Allyson Accordino of Pine Lake was the only other double event winner on the women’s side. The senior won her third straight 50 free with a time of 23.66, and earned her second state title in the 100 free, touching at a personal best time of 51.09.

Other Event Winners: 

• Last year’s 200 free runner-up Lyndsey Reeve of Croatan, who has committed to swim for Pennsylvania University next fall, took home the victory this year with a time of 1:50.52. Seeded first going into finals was Salisbury’s Emily Knorr – although she ultimately finished third in the 200, she would go on to take first in the 500 free with a time of 4:52.73.
• Jena Bridges of Chase narrowly won the 100 fly over Lake Norman Charter’s Chloe Harris, 55.84 to 56.03.
• Langtree Charter Academy’s 20 points was solely earned by freshman Joslyn Oakley, who won the 1-meter diving event with a final score of 472.60, just shy of the meet record of 490.60.

Top 5 Teams:

1. Carrboro 304
2. Lake Norman Charter 176
3. Pine Lake Prep 170
4. Christ the King 162
5. Lincoln Charter 160

Boys Meet

The North Carolina School of Science and Math men’s team swept two of the three relays to bring home their third state championship in program history.

Minutes after his older sister Emme’s record breaking performance in the 200 IM, Baylor Nelson of the Community School of David took first in the 200 IM with a time of 1:50.59, breaking his own meet record from prelims.

Newton-Conover’s Ross Dant, who has committed to swim for NC State beginning next fall, broke a North Carolina state record in the 500 free. His time of 4:18.70 easily cleared the previous state record of 4:25.52 set back in 2006, and marks a new best time for the senior.

The lone double event winner on the men’s side was Thomas Hamlet, who along with Dant has also sent his commitment to NC State. The two future teammates went 1-2 in the men’s 100 back, with Hamlet touching first in 47.82, good for a new overall state record. Earlier in the meet, Hamlet took home gold in the 100 fly, posting a 48.80. The senior from Bishop McGuinness ended his high school career being awarded the Most Outstanding Swimmer of the men’s meet.

Other event winners:

• The only relay that the NCSSM squad did not win was the 200 medley, which Croatan took in a time of 1:36.83. Of note, Tim Connery of Christ the King Catholic split a 22.02 on the backstroke leg of his team’s medley relay – his team finished third in 1:39:51 behind Community School of Davidson’s 1:38.87. Connery would later take the win in the 50 freestyle, posting a swift 20.49.
• Representing Nash Central, Lance Norris – who’s just a freshman – took home gold in the 200 free with a time of 1:41.55.
• Croatan’s Will Barker was victorious in the 100 free, finishing in a time of 46.31.
• Pine Lake Prep received a huge boost in points from the diving portion of the meet, as Austin Campbell and Kolbein Bjugan went 1-2 in the one meter competition. They tallied final scores of 487.70 and 449.70, respectively.
• The 100 breast ended in a nail biter, with Voyager Academy’s Adam Cheifetz out-touching Raleigh Charter’s Jason Starbuck, 57.70 to 57.79.

Top 5 Teams:

1. NC School of Science & Math 223
2. Pine Lake Prep 187
3. Lincoln Charter 166
4. Croatan 139
5. Raleigh Charter 135