For the fourth straight year, Myers Park claimed the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A girls swimming & diving state championship on Thurday evening at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary.

The Mustangs narrowly beat out Green Hope, posting a team score of 260 points. That was 5.5 points better than the Falcons, who finished second with a score of 254.5 points.

Myers Park had two first-place finishes, both coming on relays.

Karina Plaza, Avery Klamfoth, Emma Richardson, and Taylor Weaver won the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:41.64, more than two seconds faster than the second-place Lake Norman team.

In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Plaza, Mary Drummond, Klamfoth, and Katherine Guenther won gold with a time of 3:23.39. Green Hope finished second in the race with a time of 3:24.20.

Myers Park also had five second-place finishes and a third-place finish on Thursday.

Green Hope’s Sloane Whelehan was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer at the championship meet. Whelehan won gold in the 200-yard freestyle and 50-yard freestyle. She also was on the first-place 200-yard freestyle relay team and second-place 400-yard freestyle relay team.

Green Hope also had a first-place finish from Mere Whelehan in the 100-yard freestyle race.

Following the meet, the NCHSAA honored one member from the champion and runner-up as sportsmanship award winners for the season: Nola Meekins of Green Hope, and Blythe Duley of Myers Park.

Individual Results

200-Yard Medley Relay

1. Myers Park (Karina Plaza, Avery Klamfoth, Emma Richardson, Taylor Weaver) – 1:41.64

2. Lake Norman (Alyssa Claborn, Amelia Betancourt, Emma Barr, Sophia Bellissimo) – 1:43.99

3. Ardrey Kell (Olivia White, Eliza Wallace, Elise Ullman, Brooke Watne) – 1:44.32

200-Yard Free

1. Sloane Whelehan (Green Hope) – 1:46.98

2. Isabel Wolk (East Chapel Hill) – 1:47.89

3. Mere Whelehan (Green Hope) – 1:47.90

200-Yard IM

1. Nicole Zettel (Apex Friendship) – 1:58.08

2. Avery Klamfoth (Myers Park) – 1:59.41

3. June Delmar (Providence) – 1:59.64

50-Yard Free

1. Sloane Whelehan (Green Hope) – 22.93

2. Emma Richardson (Myers Park) – 23.13

3. Joslyn Bolton (Providence) – 23.25

100-Yard Fly

1. Nikki Nixon (Cardinal Gibbons) – 51.84

2. Emma Richardson (Myers Park) – 52.96

3. Sophia Pero (Hopewell) – 54.93

100-Yard Free

1. Mere Whelehan (Green Hope) – 49.96

2. Joslyn Bolton (Providence) – 50.25

3. Arizona Smith (Charlotte Catholic) – 50.70

500-Yard Free

1. Nicole Zettel (Apex Friendship) – 4:48.34

2. Charlotte LePage (Marvin Ridge) – 4:51.78

3. Katherine Guenther (Myers Park) – 4:52.04

200-Yard Free Relay

1. Green Hope (Mia Jeltema, Mere Whelehan, Angelina Lu, Sloane Whelehan) – 1:33.30

2. Myers Park (Taylor Weaver, Elizabeth McIntyre, Katherine Guenther, Emma Richardson) – 1:34.32

3. Lake Norman (Sophia Bellissimo, Amelia Betancourt, Emma Barr, Alyssa Claborn) – 1:35.55

100-Yard Back

1. Alyssa Claborn (Lake Norman) – 53.44

2. Shaelyn Shields (Providence) – 54.73

3. Karina Plaza (Myers Park) – 54.80

100-Yard Breast

1. Eliza Wallace (Ardrey Kell) – 1:00.06

2. Avery Klamfoth (Myers Park) – 1:01.47

3. Skylar Zuleger (Davie County) – 1:02.26

400-Yard Free Relay

1. Myers Park (Karina Plaza, Mary Drummond, Avery Klamfoth, Katherine Guenther) – 3:23.39

2. Green Hope (Mia Jeltema, Mere Whelehan, Nola Meekins, Sloane Whelehan) – 3:24.20

3. Providence (June Delmar, Shaelyn Shields, Sawyer Carlson, Joslyn Bolton) – 3:26.74

1-Meter Diving

1. Reagan Leckner (Charlotte Catholic) – 443.35

2. Laila Kwong (East Chapel Hill) – 440.45

3. Vivian Brennan (Riverside) – 440.35

Team Scores

1. Myers Park – 260

2. Green Hope – 254.5

3. Charlotte Catholic – 09

4. Cardinal Gibbons – 169

5. Marvin Ridge – 157

6. Providence – 154

7. Lake Norman – 141

8. Apex Friendship – 93

9. Ardrey Kell – 77

10. Broughton – 57.5