Nov 27 - Nov 29
Thanksgiving Vacation
All Day
Pine Crest Swimming and Diving Teams Earn State Championship and Runner-Up Titles
November 17th 2020
The Pine Crest School girls’ swimming and diving team successfully defended their 2019 state championship title, and the boys’ team was the runner up in the 2020 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 1A State Championship Meet.
The teams’ victories come on the heels of their regional championship titles the week before. The girls’ teams won eight of the 12 events with 13 girls qualifying for individual events at the state meet.
The girls’ teams won four events and defeated runner-up Gulliver School by more than 150 points. two girls’ relay teams, including Julia Podkoscielny ’23, Hanna Smith ’22, Riley Botting ’23, Esther Lin ’22, and Isabella Chambers ’23, placed first. Julia won two individual events, and Julia lowered her own school records in the 200 individual medley (IM) and 100 backstroke, becoming the first female Panther to break two minutes in the 200 IM. She now has won eight state titles.
The boys’ teams finished the championship meet as the state runner-up behind powerhouse Tampa Jesuit by less than 100 points.
Diver Kevin Mendez ’22 won his fifth consecutive state title at the meet breaking a school record by scoring 560.45 points, a goal of his since fifth grade. The boys’ team had eight divers advance from regionals to the state meet as individuals.
Joshua Hanks ’21 defended his individual state title in the 100-yard breastroke and finished second in the 50-yard freestyle.
Congratulations, and Go Panthers!
