Second to none: Braddock boys swimming secures elusive first state championship

The first time Braddock High got second place at the state championship in 2022, the school was thrilled. The second time in 2023, though, felt like the group left something on the table.

It was finally their time to win gold.

After consecutive runner-up finishes, the Braddock boys team won gold at the Class 4A state championship with 306 points — 79 more than second place. The girls team secured 103 points, good for sixth place.

“It’s amazing, such a great feeling to have come so far, all the sacrifices from parents, from athletes, words can’t even describe it,” Braddock coach Katia Garcia said. “I’m so proud of these boys as their coach, and I’m sure the parents are just thrilled and beyond proud of them. They’ve accomplished a lot.”

The team came up just 20 points shy of first last season, in part due to a controversial disqualification. Even though they had the points to win without their 400-yard freestyle relay, the coaches wanted to make sure the boys finished the meet as clean as they started it.

“We knew that on paper we had this meet,” Braddock assistant principal Ron Ferguson said. “Last year was a little disappointing; there was a little slip-up… These boys, they wanted to deliver; they wanted to swim a good, clean meet.”

Ferguson said the team focused on the relays, leading to their two gold medals in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay. Seniors George Gonzalez, Dylan Ferguson and Peyton Selts and junior Anthony Pineiro got the job done in the 400 with a time of 2:57.97; seniors Robert Alvarez, Pineiro, Ferguson and Gonzalez snatched first in the medley with a time of 1:30.63.

After last year’s meet, Gonzalez said the rest of the pool “better watch out” because they weren’t giving up on their quest for gold. And he did everything he could to help his team reach its years long goal this year.

Gonzalez won gold in the 50 free with a 20.05-second time and 100 free with a time of 43.75 seconds on top of being on the winning 200 medley relay and 400 relay.

“It felt good, but I kind of came in thinking I was going to win no matter what because that was my goal, that was the only thing I had in mind,” Gonzalez said. “I know I left a good mark.”

Dylan Ferguson also left with five gold medals, including the team gold medal. He was a part of the winning relay teams and earned first in the 100-yard butterfly, 48.07 seconds, and 100-yard backstroke, 47.32 seconds.

“I’m grateful for the team that I have, and we got the job done this year,” Ferguson said. “I’m really proud of this team… We really earned it.”

Pineiro, who will have one more season with the team, came in second in the 100 fly and 100 back with times of 48.20 and 47.69, respectively. Alvarez also earned fourth with a 56.39-second time in the 100-yard breaststroke.

The boys 200 freestyle relay team earned fifth with a time of 1:25.93, and the girls 200 free relay finished in 1:37.22 for fifth. The girls also earned fourth in the 200 medley relay, finishing in 1:46.38.

Senior Elyse Wood took sixth in the 100 fly with a time of 56.67 seconds, and junior Gioia Balzano finished the 100 free with a sixth-best 51.61.

“(Head coach) Katia Garcia has built this culture, it’s a wonderful culture,” Ron Ferguson said. “I can’t say enough things about the girls and what they’ve been able to accomplish. Our girls scored fourth up here at the state tournament, that’s definitely the highest they have ever scored in the history of the program, and we couldn’t be any more proud of them.”

CLASS 3A

Fort Lauderdale’s James Boardman won his third consecutive state championship in the 1-meter diving event at the Class 3A meet held at the FAST (Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training) facility in Ocala last week.

Boardman scored 576.75 points to finish 13 points ahead of Neptune Beach Fletcher senior Maxwell Shaver, a Florida State University commit.

Boardman was Broward County’s lone individual champion at the meet. Led by Boardman, the Flying L’s finished third as a team in the boys’ competition - the highest by a South Florida school. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas was the highest girls’ finisher, placing seventh.

This story was originally published November 9, 2024 at 10:57 PM.