Champs: Verrado, Desert Mountain
Division II boys swimming
After a third-place finish last year, Verrado took down reigning champ Campo Verde to claim the Division II boys swimming state championship.
Senior Jacob Cress finished second in the 100-yard fly (49.63) and third in the 100-yard backstroke (51.98). Sophomores Connor Watkins and Ryan Tiffany also had strong days and teamed up with Cress to place second in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Verrado didn't win a single swimming event, but junior John Angelovic added 20 points by winning the Division II diving title on Friday. Junior Thomas Cable finished fifth to pick up another 15, the two playing a notable role in Verrado's 270-244 victory over Campo Verde.
Salpointe Catholic was the runnerup each of the last two years, but they dropped down to eighth.
Sunrise Mountain’s Daniel Matheson set the state record in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:20.64 and was named the Division II Boys Swimmer of the Year. Verrado head coach Sarah Byers was named Division II Boys Coach of the Year.
Division II girls swimming
In something of an upset, Desert Mountain rode strong performances from a trio of upperclasswomen to the Division II girls title.
Juniors Kylie Ney and Hannah Shih and senior Ashley Outtrim totaled six top-three finishes, including second place in the 400-yard freestyle relay and third place in the 200-yard medley relay. Freshman Gabrielle Primiano also had a strong afternoon.
Ney was Desert Mountain's lone individual champion, taking first in the 500-yard freestyle (5:02.39).
Desert Mountain placed 18th in 2018 and eighth in 2019. But this year, they compiled 245 points to narrowly beat ’19 runner-up Campo Verde (223).
Division III boys swimming
Division III championship host school Phoenix Country Day took home the crown, beating Veritas Prep, who finished third in 2019, by just 20 points.
This is Phoenix Country Day's third title in the last five years, also winning in 2016 and 2018. Last season, they finished just behind Saguaro, who moved up to Division II this year.
The Eagles did not win an event, but were particularly strong in the relays, placing second in the 200-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle and fourth in the 200-yard freestyle. Senior Jaxon Gonzales, a part of those first two relay teams, also finished second in the 200yard freestyle (1:42.51) and 100-yard breaststroke (58.11).
Division III girls swimming
For the second straight year, Scottsdale Prep won the Division III girls championship, fending off Pusch Ridge and Phoenix Country Day once again.
Scottsdale Prep won five events - the 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard freestyle (senior Taylor Bernosky, 1:51.48), 200-yard IM (senior Taylor Good, 2:13.00) and 500yard freestyle (Bernosky, 4:59.98).
The two runners-up swapped spots in the standings this year, Pusch Ridge finishing second and Phoenix Country Day finishing third. But neither could tally enough points to catch up to Scottsdale Prep.
Division I girls diving
Sophomore Alexandra Robertson took home the Division I girls diving title for Desert Ridge with a score of 476.70. The 20 points earned for the win bumped Desert Ridge up two spots in the standings, from ninth to seventh overall.
This marks a massive improvement for Robertson, who placed ninth last year. She leapfrogged 2019 champion Alexia Jackson. The Perry junior finished fourth this year.
Vail Cienega senior Hailey Johnson (463.00) placed second and Chaparral junior Mackenna Stocker (456.40) came in third.
Division III girls diving
Wrapping up the 2020 Arizona high school swim and dive championships is Basis sophomore Alina Skrocki, who won the Division III diving crown.
With a score of 403.20, she beat a pair of Phoenix Country Day divers by a solid margin, overtaking freshman Sierra Goldstein (338.15) and junior Lauren Yeung (308.45). Leung was fourth in ’19.