HS Junior Diego Balbi Rips 47.6 in 100 Fly at Palm Beach County Championship Meet

Palm Beach County High School Championships

• October 14, 2022
• West Palm Beach, Florida
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), prelims/finals
• Full Meet Results

The Florida High School State Championship season, the biggest state among the first wave of championship meets this fall, officially kicks off with district championship meets this week. But the fast swimming began last weekend, including at the Palm Beach County High School Swimming Championships, which are not a part of the state’s three-tier District-Region-State system.

The highlight swim was a 47.64 in the 100-yard fly from 16-year old Diego Balbi. Balbi’s previous best time, done at March’s NCSA Spring Championships, was 48.01.

That broke the Meet Record and is the fastest time in high school competition so far this season.

For Balbi, who is just a junior, the swim comes as the first rush of swimmers in his high school recruiting class (2024) make their commitments. The Saint Andrews School product finished 5th in the 100 fly at last year’s Florida 1A State Championship meet, which is for the state’s private schools.

He represents Peru in international competition and raced for that country at last summer’s World Junior Championships. His best finish at that meet was 8th in the 100 meter fly after a best time of 53.73 to qualify through 4th in the semifinals. He is also a Plantation Sectionals Champion in the 200 fly from last summer, where he won in a time of 2:05.86.

Balbi also swam the 100 back and finished 2nd in 50.04, which is not a best time.

Editor’s note: the 1:57 in the official results for Maddie Sipowski is an error, according to her coach. She actually went a 2:07, which is still a best time by two seconds.

Other Meet Highlights:

• Alyssa Bozzuto of The Kings Academy won both the 100 breaststroke (1:02.36) and 50 free (22.93), both of which were personal bests. She also split 50.72 on a relay leadoff for another personal best. She is a junior
• Aspen Gersper from Saint Andrews swam a best time in the girls’ 50 free (23.02) for 2nd place behind Bozzuto and won the 100 fly in 54.43.
• Saint Andrews’ Aitor Arrese-Igor won the 200 IM in 1:50.60, which is a new best time. So too was his 50.83 for 3rd-place in the 100 back.
• Noah Smith from Kings Academy won the 100 back (49.95 – best time) and was 2nd in the 200 IM (1:50.73 – best time).

Final Team Scores:

Boys Top 5:

1. Saint Andrews – 430
2. Kings Academy – 308
3. Wellington – 212
4. Jupiter – 205
5. Boca Raton – 183

Girls Top 5:

1. Kings Academy – 431
2. Saint Andrews – 380
3. Park Vista – 182
4. Jupiter – 155
5. Benjamin – 145