CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC WOMEN, LAKE NORMAN MEN WIN NCHSAA STATE 3-A SWIMMING AND DIVING TEAM CROWNS

CHAPEL HILL – Christine McDonough led Charlotte Catholic a convincing margin of victory in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A swimming and diving championships on Saturday at the Maurice J. Koury Natatorium on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill.

Charlotte Catholic earned the women’s team title by a whopping 145 points over second-place Waxhaw Marvin Ridge, tallying 396 points to 253 for the runners-up. Waynesville Tuscola was third with 219, followed by Lake Norman (200) and Pfafftown Ronald Reagan (174). A total of 32 schools scored in the women’s meet.

McDonough was the Most Valuable Performer in the women’s meet. She won first in the 100 breast and established a new NCHSAA 3-A state record while achieving an All-American automatic time.

On the men’s side, Lake Norman captured the team title with 229 points to 155.5 for Charlotte Catholic. Marvin Ridge was third with 149, with Tuscola seven points back in fourth at 142 and Northwest Cabarrus fifth with 135 points.

Forty schools tallied points in the men’s competition.

Tanner Lowman from East Rowan was the MVP of the men’s meet, earning a pair of first place finishes in the 200 individual medley and 100 breast. In the breaststroke event, he achieved an All-American automatic time and established a new all-classification state record, breaking a 17-year-old mark set in 1992 by Ian Johnson of South Mecklenburg.

PROVIDENCE WOMEN EARN FIFTH TITLE IN SIX YEARS, NORTH MECKLENBURG MEN TRIUMPH IN NCHSAA 4-A SWIMMING

RALEIGH –-Charlotte Providence continued its dominance in women’s swimming, capturing the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A swimming and diving team championship for the fifth time in six years and 10th in the last 12 seasons in action on Saturday night at the Willis Casey Natatorium at N.C. State.

Providence recorded 221 points to 177 for runner-up Raleigh Leesville Road. East Chapel Hill was third with 171, while Morrisville Green Hope was fourth with 160 and Raleigh Enloe was fifth at 154.

Lauren Perdue of Greenville Rose was selected as the Most Valuable Performer in the women’s meet with a great performance. She took first place in both the 50 free (23.40) and the 100 free (51.25) and in both events she broke the state record in the preliminaries and again in the finals. Both were automatic All-American times.

North Mecklenburg nipped Providence in the men’s meet, giving a Charlotte school its first men’s NCHSAA 4-A swimming championship since 1998. North Meck scored a total of 290 points to 287 for Providence, followed by Raleigh Enloe (158), East Chapel Hill (147) and South Mecklenburg (135).

The men’s MVP was Ben Correll of Providence, who captured top honors in both the 200 freestyle (1:40.11) and the 500 freestyle (4:33.38), with both times meeting the automatic All-American standard.