The 2021 HighSchoolOT all-state team in girls’ swimming and diving includes 20 athletes who have been chosen for the second or third time. The standout among these athletes is Kaylee McDonald from Marvin Ridge, who has been selected for the seventh consecutive year in her four years of high school.

The all-state team is determined by accomplishments in either the N.C. High School Athletic Association or N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association tournaments.

The top two records belong to the first team, the next two are for the second team, and the following two are for the third team.

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Previous All-State Selections, End-of-Year Rankings

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After the state championship, you can find coverage and additional links here.

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At certain occasions, a tie occurred among various categories. The teams would then be decided using the podium placements as a tiebreaker, with a 1A champion being prioritized over a runner-up 4A athlete in the same event. If the tie persisted, both athletes were included in the all-state team. Fortunately, no tiebreakers were necessary for the athletes selected for this year’s team.

Fourteen sportspeople qualified for two distinct events this year: McDonald, Mere Whelehan from Green Hope, Eliza Wallace from Ardrey Kell, Katie Belle Sikes from Orange, Elle Scott and Taylor Klein from Charlotte Country Day, Sofia Plaza and Avery Klamfoth from Myers Park, Nikki Nixon from Cardinal Gibbons, Isabel Wolk from East Chapel Hill, Sydney Holfelder and Nicole Zettel from Apex Friendship, Alyssa Claborn from Lake Norman, and Maeren McGonigal from Grimsley.

Multiple athletes have been selected for the HSOT all-state swimming & diving team more than once throughout their careers. Among these athletes, Whelehan and Sikes hold the lead with five appearances each on the first team.

• 7-time (1): McDonald
• 6-time (1): Whelehan*****, Sikes*****
• 5-time (1): Plaza
• 4-time (2): Klamfoth***, Zettel**

• 3 occurrences (7): Holfelder, Claborn*, Isabel Wolk*, Kayman Neal from Myers Park, Zetta Grace Bartee from Providence Day, Madilyn Varnum** from Lake Norman Charter, and Clarke Neace** from Providence Day.

• Two-time winners of this award are Wallace*, Scott**, Klein, Nixon*, McGonigal, East Chapel Hill’s Audrey Wolk, Green Level’s Lily Willis, and Riverside’s Vivian Brennan*.

*-number of first-team appearances

The complete roster for each team is provided below, in order of their championship victories or highest scores.

The 2024 All-State Team for Girls Swimming & Diving in High SchoolOT has been announced.

First Team

Madilyn Varnum, a senior from Lake Norman Charter, won the 3A diving championship with a score of 487.70.
diving: Vivian Brennan, Riverside (junior) — 470.10, 4A champ

200 free: Mere Whelehan from Green Hope High School (junior) won the 4A championship with a time of 1:46.85.

Isabel Wolk, a sophomore at East Chapel Hill, placed second in the 4A category with a time of 1:47.49, receiving 200 free as a reward.

The 200 IM event was won by Avery Klamfoth from Myers Park High School with a time of 1:57.61. Klamfoth, a sophomore, was crowned the 4A champion.
200 IM: Elle Scott, Charlotte Country Day (junior) — 1:57.69, NCISAA D1 champ

Katie Belle Sikes from Orange High School (senior) won the 3A championship with a time of 22.38, setting a new state record. Congratulations on winning 50 free!

Sloane Whelehan from Green Hope High School, who is a freshman, achieved a time of 23.23 and won the 4A championship, earning 50 free points.

Nikki Nixon from Cardinal Gibbons swam a time of 53.40 seconds to win the 4A championship in the 100 butterfly event. She is a freshman at her school.

In the 100 butterfly event, Caroline Mallard from Charlotte Country Day recorded a time of 53.70 seconds and was crowned the NCISAA D1 champion. This time also set a new NCISAA record.

Katie Belle Sikes from Orange High School as a senior won the 3A championship with a time of 48.76 and received 100 freery notifications and comments.

Mere Whelehan from Green Hope (junior) won the 4A championship with a time of 49.88, earning her 100 free.

one of the top finishers, Nicole Zettel from Apex Friendship High School, finished the race in 4 minutes and 47.97 seconds, earning her the title of 4A champion with a total of 500 free.

Clarke Neace from Providence Day, a junior, had a winning time of 4:50.94 in the NCISAA D1 championship race and was awarded 500 free.

Rewording: Aubrey Hull from Ardrey Kell (senior) won the 4A championship with a time of 53.26 seconds, earning 100 points.

Alyssa Claborn of Lake Norman (junior) placed second in the 4A category with a time of 54.27, earning 100 back.

In the 100 breaststroke event, Eliza Wallace from Ardrey Kell High School, a sophomore, won first place with a time of 59.67 seconds and was crowned the 4A champion.

Elle Scott from Charlotte Country Day, a junior, won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 59.91 seconds, setting a new NCISAA record and becoming the NCISAA D1 champion.

Second Team

Chloe Perkins from Cardinal Gibbons placed second in the 4A diving event with a score of 462.70. She is a senior.

Reagan Leckner of Charlotte Catholic, a freshman, ranked third in the 4A division for diving with a score of 457.75.

Sloane Whelehan from Green Hope, a freshman, placed 3rd in the 4A category with a time of 1:49.11, earning 200 free.

Sydney Holfelder of Apex Friendship (junior) earned 200 free with a time of 1:49.30, placing 4th in the 4A.

Sofia Plaza from Myers Park High School finished second in the 4A division of the 200 IM with a time of 1:59.04. She is a senior.

Lily Willis from Green Level High School placed third in the 200 Individual Medley (IM) with a time of 1:59.98 at the 4A level.

Nikki Nixon of Cardinal Gibbons (freshman) earned 50 free points with a time of 23.28, placing second in the 4A category.

Fifty free: Gabrielle Smith from Gaston Day, a freshman, came in first with a time of 23.37 and was crowned the NCISAA Division 3 champion, breaking the division record.

Maeren McGonigal, a senior from Grimsley High School, placed second in the 100 fly event at the 4A championship with a time of 54.72.

“Taylor Klein from Charlotte Country Day, a sophomore, placed second in the NCISAA D1 with a time of 54.90 in the 100 fly.”

Eliza Wallace, a sophomore from Ardrey Kell, earned a time of 50.30 and placed second in the 4A division to receive a free 100.

Isabel Wolk from East Chapel Hill earned a score of 50.47, placing 3rd in the 4A category, and received 100 free points as a sophomore.

Madison Schmitz from Rolesville, a freshman, placed second in the 4A division with a time of 4:52.10 during the event, earning a free entry.

Daisy Collins from Woods Charter, a freshman, won the 1A/2A championship with a time of 4:54.38 and received 500 free.

“Lauren Bernardo of Charlotte Catholic (senior) placed 3rd in the 4A division with a time of 54.84, receiving 100 back.”

Reworded: Taylor Klein from Charlotte Country Day, a sophomore, achieved a time of 55.24 to become the NCISAA D1 champion with a score of 100 points.
/3A state

In the 100 breaststroke event, Avery Klamfoth, a sophomore from Myers Park, placed second in the 4A/3A state competition with a time of 1:00.98.

In the 100 breaststroke event at the 4A state championships, Sofia Plaza from Myers Park High School placed third with a time of 1:02.64. She is a senior.

Third Team

Laila Kwong from East Chapel Hill High School placed fourth in the 4A diving competition with a score of 454.65.

Serena Cui, a senior from East Chapel Hill, placed fifth in the 4A diving event with a score of 452.30.

200 frees: Zetta Grace Bartee of Providence Day (sophomore) won the NCISAA D1 championship with a time of 1:49.34.
200 free: Kaylee McDonald, Marvin Ridge (senior) — 1:49.83, 5th in 4A
200 IM: Nicole Zettel, Apex Friendship (junior) — 2:01.19, 4th in 4A

In the 200 individual medley event, Ivy Monk from Charlotte Latin (senior) achieved a time of 2:02.77 and placed second in the NCISAA D1 competition.

Alexandra Tysinger of Burns High School (junior) won the 50 freestyle event with a time of 23.40, earning the title of 1A/2A champion. She received 50 free entries.

50 free: Audrey Wolk from East Chapel Hill High School achieved a time of 23.40 seconds, earning her third place in the 4A division.

Kayman Neal from Myers Park High School, a senior, placed third in the 4A division for the 100 butterfly with a time of 55.01 seconds.

Alyssa Claborn from Lake Norman, a junior swimmer, placed 4th in the 100 butterfly with a time of 55.09 seconds in the 4A category.

One hundred complimentary tickets: Sydney Holfelder from Apex Friendship High School (junior), placed fourth in the 4A division with a time of 50.6 seconds.
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Kaylee McDonald, a senior from Marvin Ridge High School, placed fifth in the 4A event with a time of 50.77, earning her 100 free.

Five hundred free style race was won by Yari Brook, a student at Durham Academy in 8th grade, with a time of 4:57.73, placing second in the NCISAA Division 1.

Charlotte LePage from Marvin Ridge (junior) ran a time of 4:58.55 and placed 3rd in the 4A race, earning the opportunity for 500 free swim.

Reworded: Shayna Elgart from Broughton High School (sophomore) finished with a time of 55.62, placing 4th in the 4A division.

Maeren McGonigal from Grimsley, a senior, received 100 back and placed 5th in 4A with a time of 55.87.

Amelia Betancourt from Lake Norman (junior) swam the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.87, earning 4th place in the 4A category.

In the 100 yard breaststroke race, Emma Thomas, a sophomore from Leesville Road, finished in 5th place in the 4A division with a time of 1 minute and 2.93 seconds.

Source: highschoolot.com