STUART - Clay High junior Sara Stotler had top region times in her two events; the 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley, but two scintillating races at the Class 2A swim championships in Stuart had Stotler take seconds in both events on Friday in Stuart. Clay's girls finished 10th in team points with Pine Crest School the team champion. Ridgeview girls; diver Arden Jackson, finished 34th. Pine Crest also won the boys title. Orange Park's boys finished 33rd.
In the 100 butterfly, Stotler and Blair Stoneburg, a sophomore from Jensen Beach, battled to a near dead heat with Stoneburg getting a .01 gap at the wall to defeat Stotler, 54.34 to 54.35 seconds. Stotler swam a 54.33 in her prelims and won the region title at 54.30. Both swimmers were nearly two seconds ahead of third place swimmer Hannah Ahn, a freshman from Eastside High, who clocked in at 56.71.
In the 200 IM, Stotler was second to freshman sensation Julia Podkoscielny of Pine Crest School, who clocked an All-America A time of 2:00.46 to Stotlers All-America C time of 2:02.09. Both were three seconds ahead of third place; Naomi Filkin of Tavares in 2:05.76. Podkoscielny also won the 100 backstroke.
Stotler was also part of the Blue Devils' fourth place 200 medley relay with Kinsey Williamson, Elyisa Addison and Jayde Dillevig who joined three other teams with 1:51-plus times behind top finisher Pine Crest's 1:44.37 split. Clay was fourth at 1:51.81 behind Academy of the Holy Names; second at 1:51.05 and Gulliver Prep, third at 1:51.21.
In the girls 200 free relay, Clay finished eighth with the same quartet in 1:42.12; winner at 1:34.66.
In the boys 200 freestyle, Orange Park's duo of Daniel Hinkle and Jose Medina finished 18th and 19th in prelims in 1:47.07 and 1:47.12 to get eliminated from the finals.
In the boys 100 free, Medina would finish 11th in 48.51 after tying for the region title at 48.84; winner was 45.15.
In the boys 500 free, Hinkle finished 11th in 4:48.98; winner at 4:34.41.
In the boys 200 individual medley, Clay senior Sam Bement finished 23rd in 2:07.12; 1:49.95 the winning time.
In diving, Ridgeview High freshman Arden Jackson finished 11th with 333.60 points; 405.80 the winning total.
In the boys 100 breaststroke, Ridgeview High senior Michael Johnson was 20th in prelims at 1:02.56; winner at 56.22.




Oakleaf, Fleming Island head to state swims

STUART - Oakleaf and Fleming Island high schools will be sending teams of swimmers to the Class 3A and Class 4A swimming and diving championships on Fri., Nov. 15 (3A) and Sat., Nov. 16 (4A) as area teams complete the final weekend of competition.
Oakleaf, remaining in the ruggedly fast Class 4A ranks while Fleming Island drops into Class 3A this year, will be sending freshman Haylie Pinola in the 50 freestyle with sophomore Kylie Loving entered in the 100 breaststroke.
Both girls are also on the 200 medley relay with Kelsie Craig and Lauren Galloway that snagged the final 16th spot to earn the trip.
Oakleaf had no boys on the state meet list.
For Class 3A, Fleming Island's girls will be sending one of the top 200 medley relay teams; ranked second in the state after regions with a 1:49.60 split just behind Countryside High's top time of 1:49.38 and just ahead of Barron Collier's 1:49.72. The Fleming Island team; Sarah Grimm, Emma Grimm, Abree Clark and Christine Johnson, won the region 1-3A title with a 1:49.98 split ahead of Gainesville.
Fleming Island also is in the mix for the girls 200 free relay with a second ranked 1:39.13 to Chiles' 1:38.59 split.
The Grimm sisters both earned individual event invites with Emma Grimm in the 50 free (ranked 7th) and 100 breaststroke (ranked 18th) and Sarah Grimm in the 100 free (ranked 16th) and the 100 breaststroke (ranked 5th).
In the 200 freestyle, Ashlyn Niewenhuis earned a spot at 18th with her 1:57.18.
In the 100 butterfly, Christine Johnson is ranked 16th.
For the Fleming Island boys, the 200 free relay; Alec Bilyeu, Joseph Cannon, Ernest Jones and Justin Lebesch, advanced at 12th-ranked.