Dynasty Continues as Bolles School Blasts Through Opposition at Florida 1A Championships
In what is an annual rite of November, the Bolles School dominantly claimed team titles at the Florida 1A Championships on Friday, the boys capturing their 39th consecutive crown while the girls ran their streak of championships to 36. One of the most storied high school programs in the country, Bolles (Jacksonville) easily dispatched the competition. The boys finished with 535 points, more than double the 182 of Kings Academy. The Bolles girls scored 465 points, more than double the 219 of Montverde Academy.
En route to their latest titles, Bolles opened the meet in impressive fashion, as both of the Bulldogs’ 200 medley relays bested the competition. The girls’ quartet of Ali Canada, Grace Higdon, Sarah Blaum and Decker Stedman sped to a winning time of 1:42.45. An event later, the boys’ foursome of Noah Walker, Thi Rai, Thomas Smith and Tommy Lussier went well under 1:30 to prevail in 1:28.15.
Heidi Stoute won a pair of individual events for Bolles, as she captured the 200 freestyle in 1:47.07 and returned to win the 100 freestyle in 49.64, the only sub-50 effort in the field. Stoute was followed in the 200 freestyle by teammate Allison Kelly, who later was also the runnerup in the 500 freestyle to Episcopal’s Blakely Hammel (4:48.65).
Stoute, Kelly, Stedman and Canada combined to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:32.97 while Stedman, Stoute, Blaum and Kelly topped the opposition in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:24.44. In the 100 breaststroke, Bolles’ Juliana Constantini was victorious in 1:03.58. Constantini was also second in the 200 individual medley, going 2:02.45 to finish just behind the 2:02.29 of Zoe Gruber of the Out-of-Door Academy.
As Bolles dominated the boys’ meet, Walker was triumphant in a pair of solo events, first going 48.47 to win the 100 butterfly and then claiming the 100 backstroke in 48.27. Walker also contributed to the winning 200 freestyle relay, joining Christon Joseph, Lussier and Charlie Russell for a time of 1:21.50. Meanwhile, Lussier was the winner of the 50 freestyle in 20.04 and led off the winning 400 free relay, teaming with Camp Hartman, Kealan Tupper and Domenic Sotomayor for a mark of 2:58.30.
In addition to his medley relay contribution, Rai emerged on top in the 200 individual medley (1:46.69) and the 100 breaststroke (53.69).
The University School’s Juan Vallmitjana, a Virginia recruit, doubled in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle, producing stellar times in both events. After winning the 200 free in 1:35.26, Vallmitjana rolled to victory in the 500 free in 4:17.81. St. Andrew’s Mathias Orlandini was quickest in the 100 freestyle, clocking 44.43.
In girls’ action, Natalia Lesniewska of Cardinal Mooney won the 50 freestyle in 22.73 and went 53.18 to take the 100 butterfly. Montverde’s Stella Belmore won the 100 backstroke in 54.67.
