AC Flora’s Darden Tate, Midland swimmers win championships at state meet
AC Flora’s Darden Tate repeated as state champion while other Midlands swimmers won titles at the SC High School League state swimming championships this weekend.
The finals were held Friday and Saturday at the University of South Carolina.
Tate, a Missouri commit, won the 100 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke in the Class 4A championship on Friday night. It was the second straight year Tate won those events.
Tate also won the 100 breaststroke as a freshman in 2020.
As a team, AC Flora finished 13th while Irmo was seventh behind runner-up finishes from Emmanuel Gadson in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke.
In 4A girls, AC Flora’s Hannah Montgomery won the 100 breaststroke a year after finishing second in the event. The Falcons finished seventh as a team.
Eastside boys and girls won 4A team championships.
The 3A and 5A championships were held Saturday. Dreher senior and South Carolina commitment Jane Koch won the 100 butterfly and was third in the 50 freestyle.
It was Koch’s first state championship since winning the 50 freestyle in the 2020 state championships.
As a team, Dreher girls finished 10th. Bishop England won the 3A girls championship and St. Joseph’s won the boys title.
In Class 5A, Chapin’s Simon Thompson won for the second straight year while Dutch Fork’s Kate Bogan and Maecy Wells also won championships.
Thompson captured the 100 freestyle for his second straight win in the event.
Lexington’s Noah Blashkia was third in the 100 freestyle and Spring Valley’s Joseph Fye was third in the breaststroke.
The Spring Valley boys were the highest local finisher with a fourth-place mark. Chapin was ninth and Blythewood 10th.
In 5A girls, Bogan set school records as she won the 100 freestyle, was third in the 50 freestyle and part of the winning 200 freestyle relay team.
Wells won the 100 butterfly and was third in the 200 individual medley.
Chapin’s Maggie Hankins was second in the 100 freestyle and the Eagles’ 400 freestyle relay was second. The Chapin girls finished fourth and Dutch Fork was sixth.
Fort Mill won the girls championship and Wando the boys title.
This story was originally published October 9, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
