Mecklenburg County duo win Charlotte Observer swimmer of the year awards
A pair of Mecklenburg County high school stars are the Charlotte Observer swimmers of the year.
Hough’s Kensley Merritt won a girls N.C. 4A state championship in the 200 freestyle, while helping the Huskies’ 400 freestyle relay to another 4A state crown.
Merritt, an Auburn University commit, also finished as 4A state runner-up in the 100 backstroke.
Christ the King’s Tim Connery, the boys swimmer of the year, set two all-classification state meet records in winning 1A/2A state titles in the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke.
Connery was also named the 1A/2A state championship meet’s most outstanding swimmer.
▪ Charlotte Latin’s Patty Waldron is the boys’ coach of the year, after leading the Hawks to a sixth N.C. Independent Schools state championship in seven seasons.
Charlotte Latin beat the field by 23 points this season.
▪ Charlotte Catholic’s Tim Berens is the girls’ coach of the year. Berens led Catholic to a third straight N.C 3A state championship, beating the closest competition by 151.5 points. Catholic has won 16 state titles overall.
Boys First Team
50 Freestyle: Cam Abaqueta, Cannon School, So./Boyd Poelke, Marvin Ridge, Sr.: The Cannon School standout swam a time of 20.80 seconds in the NCISAA Division preliminaries before winning a state title in the same event; Poelke, a University of North Carolina commit, won the 3A state championship in 20.80.
100 Freestyle: Tim Connery, Christ the King, Jr.: University of Michigan commit won the 1A/2A state title in all-classification state meet record time of 44.18 seconds.
200 Freestyle: John Gehrig, Charlotte Catholic, Sr.: Bucknell University commit finished third at the 3A state championships in 1:39.28.
500 Freestyle: John Gehrig, Charlotte Catholic, Sr.: Cougars’ standout also finished third at the 3A state meet here in 4:32.77.
200 Individual Medley: Baylor Nelson, Community School of Davidson, So.: 1A/2A state champion set an all-classification state record with a time of 1:47.17.
100 Backstroke: Cam Abaqueta, Cannon School, So.: Cougars’ standout won the NCISAA Division I state championship in 49.24.
100 Butterfly: Boyd Poelke, Marvin Ridge, Sr.: Mavericks’ standout won the 3A state champion in 48.14.
100 Breaststroke: Tim Connery, Christ the King, Jr.: Crusaders’ standout set an all-classification state meet record with a time of 53.65.
Diving: Alec Hubbard, Charlotte Catholic, Jr.: 3A state diving champion scored 492.35 points.
200 Medley Relay: Charlotte Latin (Jackson Davis, Stephen Kim, Andy Dorsel, Levani Tutovani): NCISAA Division I state champions also set a state-meet record, swimming a 1:35.85.
200 Freestyle Relay: Charlotte Latin (Stephen Kim, Kwame Thornhill, Andy Dorsel, Ethan Bershad: won state title in a state-meet record, 1:27.23.
400 Freestyle Relay: Hough (Tommy Frye, Ethan Schneider, Alex Atherton, Kenneth Lowe): 4A state runner-up quartet raced to an Observer-best 3:07.60.
Boys Second Team
50 Freestyle: Reid Miller, Bradford Prep, So.
100 Freestyle: Jackson Davis, Charlotte Latin, Sr.
200 Freestyle: Harrison Powe, Lake Norman Charter, Jr.
500 Freestyle: Alex Atherton, Hough, Sr.
200 Individual Medley: Andy Dorsel, Charlotte Latin, Jr./Conall Monahan, Providence, Sr.
100 Backstroke: Jack Meehan, Charlotte Catholic, Sr.
100 Butterfly: Baylor Nelson, Community School of Davidson, So.
100 Breaststroke: Matthew Lucky, Concord, So.
Diving: Campbell Worsley, Community School of Davidson, Jr.
200 Medley Relay: Concord (Andrew Lucky, Matthew Lucky, Ben Vincent, Jackson Moon).
200 Freestyle Relay: Myers Park (Rocket Primm, John Sapp, Graham Hohnbaum, Hamlin Williams-Tracy).
400 Freestyle Relay: Marvin Ridge (Boyd Poelke, Nicholas Piscitell, Kian Constantine, Brayden Brewer).
Girls First Team
50 Freestyle: Lindsay Flynn, Charlotte Latin, Jr.: The NCISAA Division I state champ and Indiana University commit, won the title in 22.92.
100 Freestyle: Lindsay Flynn, Charlotte Latin, Jr.: Latin standout doubled as a NCISAA Division I state champion with a time of 49.76.
200 Freestyle: Kensley Merritt, Hough, Sr.: Auburn commit won the 4A state title in 1:47.34.
500 Freestyle: Katie Rauch, South Mecklenburg, Jr.: University of North Carolina commit finished as 4A state runner-up in 4:51.11.
200 Individual Medley: Kiley Wilhelm, Myers Park, Fr.: 4A state champion in an all-classification state meet record 1:56.77 to cap her first high school season.
100 Backstroke: Kensley Merritt, Hough, Sr.: 4A state runner-up in 53.31.
100 Butterfly: Kiley Wilhelm, Myers Park, Fr.: 4A state runner-up in 53.24.
100 Breaststroke: Grace Rainey, Hough, Fr.: 4A state champion in 1:01.31.
Diving: Joslyn Oakley, Langtree Charter, So.: Lions’ standout repeated as 1A/2A state diving champion, scoring 480.85 points.
200 Medley Relay: Hough (Amaya Hanley, Grace Rainey, Elizabeth Sowards, Martha Tripsa): 4A state champions swam an Observer-best 1:42.58 to win the title.
200 Freestyle Relay: Charlotte Catholic (Olivia Rhodes, Hope Borders, Abigail Parks, Alina Stout): Cougars’ quartet swam to a 3A state title in Observer-best time of 1:34.30.
400 Freestyle Relay: Hough (Elizabeth Sowards, Amaya Hanley, Grace Rainey, Kensley Merritt): The 4A state champions raced to an Observer-best time of 3:23.65 at states.
Girls Second Team
50 Freestyle: Teresa Ivan, Ardrey Kell, Jr.
100 Freestyle: Teresa Ivan, Ardrey Kell, Jr.
200 Freestyle: Morgan Razeswki, SouthLake Christian, So.
500 Freestyle: Emily Knorr, Salisbury, Jr.
200 Individual Medley: Alison Thome, Cuthbertson, So./Emma Nelson, Community School of Davidson, Sr.
100 Backstroke: Amaya Hanley, Hough, Jr.
100 Butterfly: Madeline Menkhaus, Charlotte Catholic, Jr.
100 Breaststroke: Desirae Mangaoang, Lake Norman, Sr.
Diving: Bria Diorio, Pine Lake Prep, Sr.
200 Medley Relay: Myers Park (Claire Russell, Liza Whitmire, Kiley Wilhelm, Sophia Lindauer).
200 Freestyle Relay: Myers Park (Sophia Lindauer, Maya Gendzel, Claire Russell, Liza Whitmire).
400 Freestyle Relay: Charlotte Catholic (Alina Stout, Victoria Dichak, Madeline Menkhaus, Abigail Parks).
This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 4:57 PM.
