Sacred Heart Wins 10th-Straight KHSAA Girls Title; Ella Welch Clocks 22.44 50FR

2022 KHSAA State Swimming & Diving Championships (Girls Recap)

• February 18-19, 2022
• Lancaster Aquatic Center, Lexington, KY
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

Top 5 Team Scores

1. Sacred Heart Academy – 347
2. Assumption High School – 183
3. Lafayette High School – 166
4. Lexington Catholic High School – 152
5. Elizabethtown High School – 139

Sacred Heart won their 10th-straight KHSAA girls title this past weekend, and the school’s 33rd title of all-time. Sacred Heart won 6 events, including two relays.

The first relay they won was the 200 free, where Brinly Hardy (23.85), Ella Donlin (24.54), Mackenzie Lanning (23.78), and Haley McDonald (22.50) combined for a 1:34.67. One notable aspect of Sacred Heart’s team this year is just how young they are. For example, on this relay, Donlin is a sophomore and McDonald a freshman.

In the 400 free relay, McDonald (50.64), Carlie Tyler (53.35), Lanning (52.99), and Madeline Meredith (50.95) teamed up for a 3:27.93. Tyler is sophomore, another marking another underclassman who contributed to a winning relay for Sacred Heart.

Haley McDonald was one of the top swimmers of the meet, winning both her individual events as well, despite being a freshman. Having just recently turned 15, McDonald posted a decisive win in the 200 IM. She swam a 2:00.06, leading a 1-2 charge by Sacred Heart, with Carlie Tyler coming in 2nd (2:04.12). McDonald was still well off her personal best of 1:58.08, which she set at the Speedo Winter Junior Champs east meet two months ago.

McDonald went on to win the 500 free too, swimming a 4:53.10. That swim was also off her personal best, which stands at 4:49.35, and was set at her regional championships meet two weeks ago.

Madeline Meredith, a Sacred Heart senior, was another double event winner on the day. Meredith swam a 53.81 to win the 100 fly, establishing a new personal best. Meredith would go on to win the 100 back, swimming a 54.74. Mackenzie Lanning was 2nd in this race clocking a 55.89 for a 1-2 finish by Sacred Heart. Meredith is a Duke recruit, while Lanning is committed to Northwestern.

Assumption senior Ella Welch, a future Louisville Cardinal, won a pair of events as well. She kicked things off with a win in the 50 free, posting a 22.44, which fell just short of Gabi Albiero‘s 22.36 KHSAA record from 2020. The swim was, however, a new personal best for Welch. She went on to win the 100 free as well, swimming a 49.05. That swim was also just off the KHSAA record of 48.85, which she holds herself with her performance from last year. Her personal best in the 100 stands at 48.53, a time which she swam at her regional meet two weeks ago.

Notre Dame junior Lainy Kruger won the 100 breast in 1:01.34, clearing the field by over 2 seconds. Kruger was yet another double event winner, also taking the 200 free in 1:46.14. Both swims marked personal bests for Kruger. Her previous best in the 200 stood at 1:47.45, and her 100 breast top mark was 1:01.85.

Lafayette took the 200 medley relay, where Megan Wedeking (26.68), Lou Elayi (29.12), Lili Elayi (24.19), and Emma Lykins (23.52) teamed up for a 1:43.51.

Cooper freshman Peytton Moore posted a decisive victory in diving, scoring 505.65 points to win the title by a massive 50-point margin.