Cypress Bay girls and St. Thomas Aquinas boys secure BCAA swimming championships

The St. Thomas Aquinas boys and Cypress Bay girls went home with team titles at the 24th annual BCAA swimming and diving championships at the Plantation Aquatic Center.

Cypress Bay edged Fort Lauderdale by six points to claim the girls title, while putting an end the two-year grasp by Aquinas. The St. Thomas boys won their fourth straight team championship since COVID cancelled the 2020 meet dominating Saturday’s meet with 415 points, 133 points better that Cypress Bay.

Aquinas coach Duffy Dillon, who had spent 19 years as the Cardinal Gibbons coach before heading to Colorado to coach there in 2017, returned to Broward County to coach the Raiders swimming program.

“This is fun and we are trying to have a good time,” said Dillon about his return to Broward swimming. “We have a great group of kids that are type A kids that already come from great club level programs. These kids are super serious, and we just want to have fun.”

The Raiders had eight swimmers finish in the top three of 12 events competed.

John Corbeit won the 200 freestyle (56.01), Gabriel Tortola won the 500 free (4:39.89) and tied West Broward for first in the 400-freestyle relay (3:11.89).

Tortola also finished second in the 100-fly.

The Cypress Bay girls, who last won the team title in 2021 after defeating Aquinas by 85 points, had only one individual winner coming from Naiyla Di Sarno-Puertas in the 100-breaststroke (1:05.53).

“This is really incredible to win this,” said Cypress Bay coach Rodrigo Mendez. “The kids swam very well and was crazy to see these kids have fun. They enjoyed every race. Getting first place was impressive.”

Laila Harran of West Broward was the only double winner of the event with victories in the 50-freestyle (23.23) and 100-freestyle (51.02).

The Fort Lauderdale girls’ divers of Hayden Ferenc (257.75), Sophie Cavaretta (243.95) and Ginger Boardman (202.40) swept the top three spots in the 1-meter diving.

Carolyn Levy Powell (STA) won the 100-backstroke (59.86) and finished second in the 50-freestyle (24.43).

RESULTS

Boys’ team scores (Top five): 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 415; 2. Cypress Bay 282; 3. Fort Lauderdale 265; 4. Cooper

City 258; 5. Western 254; Individual results - 200 Medley Relay: 1. Cooper City 1:39.79; 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 1:40.52; 3. Cypress Bay 1:42.58; 200 Freestyle: 1. John Corbett (STA) 1:56.03; 2. Francesco Corralez (FTL) 1:54.51; 3. Zane Samms (TARA) 1:56.83; 200 Individual Medley: 1. Becket Menacho (DB) 1:59.19; 2. John Albornos (CSC) 1:58.96; 3. Michal Michalek (COOP) 2:01.47; 50 Freestyle: 1. Lorenzo Herek (MSD) 21.04; 2. Brian Hamilton (CSC) 21.44; 3. Tajhari Williams (SB) 21.78; 100 Fly: 1. Sebastian Sanchez (NE) 59.71; 2. Gabriel Tortola (STA) 50.32; 3. Jayden Davis 53.14; 100 Freestyle: 1. Thomas Avendano (WEST) 54.46; 2. Aadi Patel (COOP) 54.63; 3. Matteo DeClet (PB) 52.89; 500 Freestyle: 1. Gabriel Tortola (STA) 4:39.89; 2. Hashan Ekanayake (WEST) 4:50.57; 3. Mason Jimenez (STA) 4:55.55; 200 Freestyle Relay: 1. Douglas 1:29.78; 2. Fort Lauderdale 1:30.40; 3. St. Thomas Aquinas 1:31.52; 100 Back: 1. Lorenzo Herek (MSD) 54.18; 2. Connot Jimenez (STA) 55.15; 3. Derek Hau (COOP) 55.81; 100 Breast: 1. Abrahn Penaloza (PPC) 1:00.2; 2. John Albornoz (CSC) 1:00.29; 3. Adriano Corrierl (COOP) 1:00.38; 400 Freestyle Relay: 1. (tie) West Broward 3:11.89, St. Thomas Aquinas 3:11.89; 3. Western 3:22.80; Diving: 1. James Boardman (FTL) 340.50; 2. West Pocker (FTL) 285.70; 3. Jacob Drysdale (CB) 192.25.

Girls’ team scores (Top five): 1. Cypress Bay 489; 2. Fort Lauderdale 483; 3. St. Thomas Aquinas 312; 4. Pompano Beach 279; 5, West Broward 277. Individual results - 200 Medley Relay: 1. West Broward 1:49.35; 2. Cypress Bay 1:49.45; 3. Fort Lauderdale 1:50.76; 200 Freestyle: 1. Da’Jah German (FTL) 1:52.32; 2. Carley Kaplan (WB) 1:54.75; 3. Kathrine Voet (FTL) 1:54.94; 200 Individual Medley: 1. Mia McDonald (COOP) 2:39/07; 2. Abby Almacen (PLAN) 2:35.39; 3. Aaleyah Osouna (STA) 2:34.00; 50 Freestyle: 1. Laila Harran (WB) 23.23; 2. Carlolyn Levy Powell (STA) 24.43; 3. Sophia El Chantiry (MSD) 24.56; 100 Fly: 1. Lena Lajko (STA) 57.22; 2. Sophia El Chantiry (MSD) 57.56; 3. Zoe Schnoeller (FTL) 58.44; 100 Freestyle: 1. Laila Harran (WB) 51.02; 2. Lilia Blanco (PB) 52.94; 3. Carly Chin (MSD) 55.23; 500 Freestyle: 1. Addison Palumbo (CSC) 5:35.64; 2. Isabella Callaway Coy (CB) 5:56.57; 3. Caitlyn Britto (STA) 6:05.00; 200 Freestyle Relay: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 1:43.93; 2. Cypress Bay 1:44.57; 3. Douglas 1:45.34; 100 Back: 1. Carolyn Levy Powell (STA) 59.86; 2. Lilia Blanco (PB) 1:01.08; 3. Carely Kaplan (WB) 1:01.22; 100 Breast: 1. Naiyla Di Sarno-Puertas (CB) 1:05.53; 2. Neika Gayle (PLAN) 1:07.93; 3. Sydney Cronin (FTL) 1:08.73; 400 Freestyle Relay: 1. West Broward 3:36.33; 2. Fort Lauderdale 3:37.17; 3. Cypress Bay 3:40.24; Diving: 1. Hayden Ferenc (FTL) 257.75; 2. Sophie Cavaretta (FTL) 243.95; 3. Ginger Boardman (FTL) 202.40.