The 2023 GHSA Swimming State Championships started off Wednesday night at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center with some of the best high school swimmers in the country facing off. The competition featured swimmers from Class 7A, with the Class 6A events taking place on Friday followed by Class A-5A on Saturday.
On the boys side, Walton captured the program’s fourth state title in school history, and first boys championship since the Raiders went back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. Walton’s depth was certainly on display Wednesday night as the boys placed top-three in five of the 11 events and followed up their county championship win with an impressive night at the state championships.
The top-rated swimmers in the state, Buford’s Benjamin Irwin (Navy-commit) and North Gwinnett’s Tristan DenBrok (UGA-commit) each won two events. DenBrok repeated as champion in the 200-yard (1:37.48) and 500-yard (4:20.75) freestyle events. Irwin placed first in the 100-yard butterfly (46.94) and 100-yard backstroke (46.91). Both swimmers truly finished their senior years off with a bang.
On the girls side, North Gwinnett won its first girls swimming state championship with a score of 429.5, the Bulldogs’ third swimming state championship in school history following the boys’ back-to-back wins in 2020 and 2021. North Gwinnett also swept the girls and boys 200-yard medley relay. The Bulldogs placed top-three in 10-out-of-11 events, including the 500-yard freestyle as Emma Reiser (4:51.27) defended her first-place finish in 2022.
Norcross’ Catie Choate was a standout in the lanes. Choate won the 200-yard individual medley (2:01.39) and repeated as state champion in the 100-yard backstroke (53.36), beating out Brookwood’s Hailey Dopson (54.37) and North Gwinnett’s Ashley Morton (55.81). Lambert’s Kara West (Auburn-commit) defended her 2022 first-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle (22.87), defeating Denmark’s Natalie Gilson (23.22) and North Gwinnett’s Jayla Thompson (23.96).
Action will resume Friday at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center for the Class 6A events.
Follow the link to see this year’s diving coverage or go here to see the past swimming champions. Check out tonight’s team results and full results, event-by-event, at the bottom of the page.
TEAM RESULTS
Class 7A Boys
1. Walton, 414; 2. North Gwinnett, 406; 3. Brookwood, 345
Class 7A Girls
1. North Gwinnett, 429.5; 2. Brookwood, 374; 3. Lambert, 285.5
INDIVIDUAL BOYS RESULTS
Class 7A Boys
200-Yard Medley Relay
1. North Gwinnett, 1:32.82; 2. Brookwood, 1:33.29; 3. Lambert, 1:34.16
200-Yard Freestyle
1. Tristan DenBrok, North Gwinnett, 1:37.48; 2. Mitch McClain, Harrison, 1:38.58; 3. Nathan Rariden, Hillgrove, 1:39.80
200-Yard IM
1. William Stanton, Brookwood, 1:46.52; 2. Liam Long, Walton, 1:52.28; 3. Noah Saylor, Lambert, 1:52.72
50-Yard Freestyle
1. Nolan Patterson, Brookwood, 20.64; 2. Ryan Case, Denmark, 21.02; 3. Jesse Franks, Walton, 21.19
100-Yard Butterfly
1. Benjamin Irwin, Buford, 46.94; 2. Blake Burnley, North Gwinnett, 49.52; 3. Matthew Malone South Forsyth, 50.09
100-Yard Freestyle
1. Mitch McClain, Harrison, 45.37, 2. Jack Dunbar, Parkview, 45.66; 3. Nathan Rariden, Hillgrove, 45.68
500-Yard Freestyle
1. Tristan DenBrok, North Gwinnett, 4:20.75; 2. Kyler Heffner, Brookwood, 4:24.22; 3. Daniel Cushing, Walton, 4:33.20
200-Yard Freestyle Relay
1. Parkview, 1:25.04; 2. Denmark, 1:25.59; 3. Walton, 1:25.76
100-Yard Backstroke
1. Benjamin Irwin, Buford, 46.91; 2. William Stanton, Brookwood, 48.18; 3. Jack Dunbar, Parkview, 50.43
100-Yard Breaststroke
1. Russell Hart, Parkview, 56.67; 2. Noah Saylor, Lambert, 57.17; 3. Derek Henry, South Forsyth, 57.20
400-Yard Freestyle Relay
1. North Gwinnett, 3:03.49; 2. Brookwood, 3:03.88; 3. Walton, 3:09.15
INDIVIDUAL GIRLS RESULTS
Class 7A Girls
200-Yard Medley Relay
1. North Gwinnett, 1:44.99; 2. Lambert, 1:46.15.; 3. Brookwood, 1:46.80
200-Yard Freestyle
1. Isabella Klinefelter, Harrison, 1:48.25; 2. Ella Jones, Lambert, 1:48.44; 3. Emma Reiser, North Gwinnett, 1:48.75
200-Yard IM
1. Catie Choate, Norcross, 2:01.39; 2. Sydney Starnes, Walton, 2:04.52; 3. Morgan Jenny, North Gwinnett, 2:04.57
50-Yard Freestyle
1. Kara West, Lambert, 22.87; 2. Natalie Gilson, Denmark, 23.22; 3. Jayla Thompson, North Gwinnett, 23.96
100-Yard Butterfly
1. Isabella Klinefelter, Harrison, 54.81; 2. Jayla Thompson, North Gwinnett, 55.51; 3. Vivien Rothwell, Mill Creek, 55.72
100-Yard Freestyle
1. Natalie Gilson, Denmark, 50.42, 2. Kara West, Lambert, 50.55; 3. Hailey Dopson, Brookwood, 51.61
500-Yard Freestyle
1. Emma Reiser, North Gwinnett, 4:51.27; 2. Sydney Starnes, Walton, 4:54.27; 3. McKenzie Jenny, North Gwinnett, 4:58.96
200-Yard Freestyle Relay
1. North Gwinnett, 1:36.49; 2. Lambert, 1:36.91; 3. Brookwood, 1:37.14
100-Yard Backstroke
1. Catie Choate, Norcross, 53.36; 2. Hailey Dopson, Brookwood, 54.37; 3. Ashley Morton, North Gwinnett, 55.81
100-Yard Breaststroke
1. Evelyn Jezerinac, Kennesaw Mountain, 1:02.27; 2. Ally Zaleski, Lambert, 1:04.31; 3. Morgan Jenny, North Gwinnett, 1:04.73
400-Yard Freestyle Relay
1. Walton, 3:32.52, 2. Harrison, 3:32.88; 3. North Gwinnett, 3:34.84
