Two swimmers from the Volusia-Flagler area competed in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 1A and 2A state swimming championships, representing the local community with determination and skill.
**State Championships Recap**
Gavin Hardy of Atlantic High School and Matthew Alvarez of Father Lopez Catholic High School were the local representatives at the state level. Hardy qualified for the 200-yard freestyle in Class 2A, while Alvarez advanced in the 100-yard breaststroke in Class 1A. Both championships took place at the Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training (FAST) facility — the Class 2A event was held on Friday, November 7, followed by the Class 1A event on Saturday.
Hardy finished 19th in the preliminary round of his event, and Alvarez secured 20th place in his prelims. Although no area teams advanced to the state championships, Atlantic’s boys team ranked 13th at the Region 2-2A meet, with the girls finishing 11th. Father Lopez’s boys placed ninth at the Region 1-1A meet, while the girls came in 20th.
**Region 1-4A Championships**
DeLand High School’s girls and boys teams led the Volusia-Flagler pack at the Region 1-4A championships held on November 5 at FAST. The girls finished seventh overall, and the boys secured ninth place.
Junior Lexi O’Keefe and senior Piper Jemison delivered standout performances for the DeLand girls. O’Keefe earned second place in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 51.54 seconds and third place in the 50-yard freestyle at 23.87 seconds. Jemison recorded a fourth-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke (58.05) and a sixth place in the 100-yard butterfly (58.6).
For the DeLand boys, senior Gavin Thomas posted the top finish by claiming seventh place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.92 seconds.
Spruce Creek High School ranked second among local schools, with the boys finishing 11th and the girls 13th at the meet. Sophomore Keegan Malone led their performances with a seventh-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, clocking in at 59.3 seconds.
Flagler Palm Coast’s girls and boys teams placed 17th and 18th, respectively. University High School’s boys team rounded out local results with a 21st-place finish.
The state qualifiers from these regionals will return to FAST for the Class 4A state championships on Friday, November 14.
**Region 1-3A Championships**
Seabreeze High School’s boys and girls both captured seventh place at the Region 1-3A meet, which took place on November 5 at the Morcom Aquatic Center in Tallahassee.
The Sandcrabs delivered five top-three finishes. Freshman Reef McMeeking dazzled with two runner-up times, placing second in both the 100-yard breaststroke (55.55 seconds) and the 200-yard individual medley (1:51.25). Junior Kai McMeeking added a third-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 47.33 seconds.
In the boys’ 200-yard medley relay, the team of Reef and Kai McMeeking, Arthur Simpson, and Tyler Smith secured third place, touching the wall in 1:38.83.
Seabreeze’s best finish in the girls’ competition came from sophomore Noelle Dragstedt, who achieved third in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 59.24 seconds.
Other local teams included Matanzas High School’s boys and New Smyrna Beach’s girls, both placing 16th in their respective team standings.
The Class 3A state championships will conclude the high school swimming season. They are scheduled for Saturday, November 15, at FAST.
https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/high-school/swimming-diving/2025/11/09/fhsaa-swimming-state-meets-regionals-volusia-flagler/87144990007/