St. Thomas Aquinas swimmers sweep BCAA championships, McCranie repeats in two events
On occasion an individual in a team sport is good enough to single-handily carry his or her team to a championship.
That is the accurate definition of St. Thomas Aquinas senior swimmer Julianne McCranie.
And for the second consecutive year McCranie played a key role in leading the Raiders to the BCAA swimming and diving championship. On Saturday at the Plantation Central Park Aquatic Complex, McCranie earned victories in the 100 butterfly (56.07) and 100 backstroke (57.25). In addition, McCranie swam the second leg of the winning 200-medley relay (1:47.51) and was the anchor leg of the 400 freestyle relay (3:39.52) that finished second to Cypress Bay.
Aquinas finished the day with 534 points, while Cypress Bay was second with 494.
The St. Thomas boys joined the girls’ team for the second consecutive year with the team title finishing with 512 points. Fort Lauderdale was second with 305 points.
“I was a little bummed I didn’t break the record I the 100 fly that I set last year,” said McCranie, who has committed to the Naval Academy. “I feel I’ve been enjoying this season for what it is right now and take it more as an opportunity.”
Last year, McCranie won the 100-butterfly and 100-backstroke and was part of two winning relay teams that helped lead Aquinas girls’ team to the BCAA championship.
Her time (55.80) in last year’s 100-fly also set the meet record.
She came into Saturday’s BCAA championships with the top times in Broward County in her two individual events.
“Every single year McCranie she has progressed,” Aquinas coach Alex Wathen said. “Not only in the pool, but outside the pool as well. She is a leader and our team captain this year. It’s just the hard work she put in day in and day out. With her worked ethic the sky is the limit for her.”
Not to be out done was Cypress Bay senior Mariana Cote. She earned victories in the 200 freestyle (1:52.84) and the 200 individual medley (2:07.34).
Remarkably, those events were back-to-back.
Next week, she will compete in the Pam American games in Santiago, Chile.
“Swimming these two events is what I planned for,” Cote said. “It’s helping me prepare for the Pan American games next week where I’ll be representing Venezuela. I’m very happy with the opportunity after finding out it about a month ago.”
Like McCranie, Cote also won two individual events in 2022.
Tawannah McLemore of Taravella was also double winner with victories in the 50 freestyle (23.62) and 100 breaststroke (1:07.78).
Javier Colmenares of Everglades was the only boys double winner with victories in the 200-IM (1:52.21) and 100 breaststroke (56.20).
Note: Fort Lauderdale senior James Boardman, last years’ BCAA 1-meter springboard champion, skipped the meet on Saturday as he was on a recruiting trip to the University of Alabama.
RESULTS
Boys’ team (Top 5): 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 512; 2. Fort Lauderdale 305; 3. Cypress Bay 300; 4. Pompano Beach 274; 4. Douglas 274; Individual - 200 medley relay: 1. Western 1:42.25; 2. Douglas 1:42.49; 3. Cypress Bay 1:42.93; 200 freestyle: 1. Gabriel Torola (STA) 1:40.69; 2. Alex Mansur (STA) 1:42.19; 3. Juan Vallmitjana-Behrendt (STA) 1:42.68; 200 IM: 1. Javier Colmenares (EVER) 1:521.21; 2. Makar Goncharov (FTL) 1:55.02; 3. Gianni Famiano (PB) 1:55.43; 50 freestyle: 1. Lorenzo Herek (MSD) 22.04; 2. Brian Hamilton (CSC) 22.21; 3. Miles Green (TAR) 22.39; 100 fly: 1. Marcus Szabo (CG) 50.97; 2. Gabriel Tortola (STA) 51.30; 3. Jason Cuffe (FTL) 52.35; 100 freestyle: 1. Makar Goncharov (FTL) 46.06; 2. Alex Mansur (STA) 46.68; 3. Lorenzo Herek (MSD) 47.69; 500 freestyle: 1. Juan Vallmitjana-Behrendt (STA) 4:40.85; 2. Giuliano Brunetti (PB) 4:41.89; 3. Hashan Ekanayake (WEST) 4:46.70; 200 freestyle relay: 1. Fort Lauderdale 1:28.51; 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 1:29.08; 3. Pompano Beach 1:30.99; 100 back: 1. Mateo Shearer (STA) 54.57; 2. Juan Orjuela (STA) 56.07; 3. Alejandro Osorio (STA) 57.02; 100 breast: 1. Javier Colmenares (EVER) 56.20; 2. Keegan Stack (COOP) 1:00.11; 3. Gianni Famiano (PB) 1:00.12; 400 freestyle relay: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 3:14.49; 2. Fort Lauderdale 3:16.99; 3. Pompano Beach 3:23.35; Diving: 1. Nicholas Doiton (CC) 201.95; 2. Jake Wadlow (FTL) 181.15; 3. Stefan Goncharov (FTL) 138.65.
Girls’ team: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 534; 2. Cypress Bay 494; 3. Fort Lauderdale 392; 4. Douglas 249; 5. Coral Springs Charter 230; Individuals - 200 medley relay: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 1:47.51; 2. Douglas 1:52.94; 3. Cypress Bay 1:54.50; 200 freestyle: 1. Mariana Cote (CB) 1:52.84; 2. Kaitlyn Jorgensen (PPC) 1:57.05; 3. Tania Mantilla (CB) 1:57.60; 200 IM: 1. Mariana Cote (CB) 2:07.34; 2. Lilia Blanco (PB) 2:09.05; 3. Gabriella DeLuna (CB) 2:09.44; 50 freestyle: 1. Tawannah McLemore (TAR) 23.62; 2. Da’Jah German (FTL) 23.81; 3. Carley Kaplan (WB) 24.13; 100 fly: 1. Julianne McCranie (STA) 56.07; 2. Carolyn Levy-Powell (STA) 57.98; 3. Lena Lajko (STA) 59.30; 100 freestyle: 1. Lilia Blanco (53.17) 2. Anastasia Lutz (54.32) 3. Mia Gelin (55.02); 1. Lilia Blanco (PB) 54.64; 2. Jade Renaud (STA) 55.45; 3. Mia Gelin (STA) 55.49; 500 freestyle: 1. Da’Jah German (FTL) 5:02.95; 2. Reese Balcom (MSD) 5:11.46; 3. Katherine Voet (FTL) 5:13.72; 200 freestyle relay: 1. Cypress Bay 1:38.98; 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 1:39.59; 3. Fort Lauderdale 1:41.49; 100 back: 1. Julianne McCranie (STA) 57.25; 2. Carley Kaplan (WB) 58.42; 3. Carolyn Levy-Powell (STA) 59.10; 100 breast: 1. Tawannah McLemore (TAR) 1:07.78; 2. Mariann Catalasan (STA) 1:08.10; 3. Sydney Cronin (FTL) 1:08.37; 400 freestyle relay: 1. Cypress Bay 3:36.10; 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 3:39.52; 3. Fort Lauderdale 3:41.51; Diving: 1. Juliet Radich (CG) 318.15; 2. Hayden Ferenc (FTL) 271.35; 3. Sophia Cavaretta (FTL) 253.75.
This story was originally published October 14, 2023 at 10:51 PM.