Collierville’s Walsh wins state 100 freestyle
Thompson of St. George’s also wins state title
Josh Walsh ended his high school career with a winning performance Feb. 11.
The Collierville senior, who is headed to University of Tennessee, showed the Knoxville swimming community what it can expect as he won the 100yard freestyle title at the TISCA championship meet in 44.60. Christian Berry of Memphis University School took second in 45.27.
Walsh’s title was the only one for Shelby County competitors on the final day of competition. But that doesn’t mean it was a bad day by any stretch.
MUS took second in the team competition. In addition to Berry’s second in the 100 free, the Owls got strong efforts from Jack McCaghren (second in the 100 backstroke), Parker Kaye (second in the 100 breaststroke) and Rick Reinhard (third in the 500 freestyle). The Owls’ 400 relay team of Alex Robinson, Reinhard, McCaghren and Berry also earned a second-place while the 200 relay team of Warren Turner, Ethan Hurst, Reinhard and Kaye got third, just ahead of Collierville.
Sarah Thompson of St. George’s took second in the 100 backstroke. Lauren Mabie of St. Mary’s got second in the 100 breaststroke to match the runner-up finish she earned in the 200 individual medley.
Thompson — a senior from St. George’s who is headed to Missouri — captured her second straight TISCA state championship Feb. 10 in the 50yard freestyle, touching the wall in a school-record time of 23.01. Earlier in the evening, she swam the lead leg in front of Gabby Acker, Mary Miller Goldberg and Julia Fogel as the Gryphons took second in the 200 medley relay.
The other Shelby County championship of the first day of competition went to the MUS 200 medley team of Robinson, Kaye, McCaghren and Berry, who finished in 1:32.16.
Elsewhere on day one, there were plenty of runner-up showings. Walsh took second in the 200 freestyle with Robinson fourth and MUS teammate Reinhard fifth. Berry got second in the 50 freestyle while McCaghren took second in the 100 butterfly.
On the girls side on day one, Mabie got second in the 200 IM while St. Mary’s teammate Kiara Norris was runner-up in the 100 butterfly. The Turkeys team of Abbey Autry, Mabie, Norris and Mason Davis was third in the 200 medley relay.
Reach Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas