The Juan Diego Catholic High School swimming program took one of their largest teams—with 22 swimmers—to the 3A state swimming meet Feb. 10-11 and finished second overall. The girls squad took second and the boys third in improving their top-five showings from 2022 with head coach John Moran being named the 3A Girls Coach of the Year.

“State was one of the best experiences of our lives,” said senior Thais Tosolini. “We had swimmers shocked with how fast they went and how far they have come with many best times and best performances.”

Senior Audrey Weller and junior Isabella Hategan were part of three state titles, each winning an individual championship and being part of two relays. Weller, the Region 15 champion in the 200 Individual Medley, won the event by more than eight seconds over Juab’s Grace Holman, while Hategan—who won region in the 100 backstroke—touched the wall in the same distance ahead of Maeser’s Sarah Puertas. They both swam legs on the winning 200 medley relay lineup, which also included sophomore Lyla Sylvia and freshman Piper Fennell, and the 400 freestyle relay squad with Sylvia and senior Julia Cunningham.

Also placing for the Region 15 champion girls team that was edged by Judge Memorial at state by eight points were Weller (second, 100 breaststroke), Hategan (second, 100 butterfly), Sylvia (fourth, 200 free; seventh, 100 fly), senior Thaia Tsandes (sixth, 200 IM) and the 200 free relay team of Cunningham, Fennell, freshman Abby Tenzer and Tsandes (seventh).

“State was a really bittersweet moment for me,” Cunningham said. “I had the best times in everything I swam, but the swimming career ending was the closing of a huge chapter in my life. Overall though, I only have happy memories of state.”

The third place boys team was led by Region 15 10 breast champion Charlie Gleason, a junior,  who placed second at state. Others earning All-State honors were the 200 free relay lineup of Gleason, junior Saxton McKnight, junior Zach Meehan and senior Khristian Swick (third); the 200 medley relay team of senior Jacob Galang, Gleason, senior Joey Shami and Swick (fifth); the 400 free relay squad of junior Jack Bluf, McKnight, Meehan and Shami (fifth), Shami (sixth, 100 fly; seventh, 200 IM), Meehan (seventh, 50 free), Gleason (seventh, 100 free) and Bulf (eighth, 500 free).

“We worked all year to get to this point and seeing people drop times was such an amazing experience,” McKnight said. 

Also competing at state for the Soaring Eagle team were Kyle Diaz, Matthew Howard, Egohan Kelly, Abigail Lockingen, Carmen Montoya and Bea Pascual.

“Swim isn’t an easy sport. You have wins and losses, but with a team there to help you through it, it makes it even better,” Tosolini said. “This team has been one of the best parts about high school and just how close we all have become. We are all like a family with each other.”