COLUMBIA – It is a rally that will go down in Fort Mill High School athletic history.
After winning and then getting disqualified in the first event of the 5A state boys swimming championship, Fort Mill fought their way back to capture the state championship for their second state title within 72-hours.
The Fort Mill boys picked up where the girls team left off winning the 200-yard medley relay event featuring Turner Wiand, Dominic Impens, Adrian Paredes, and Jack Dollyhigh. However, after the event Fort Mill was disqualified for a swimmer leaving the block too soon negating any points they scored.
“It was heartbreaking and I had to take a moment to compose,” said Fort Mill head coach Cindy Van Buskirk. “But I knew we were strong in so many events that we could make it up. I told the boys I don’t care if we win by 0.25, I know we can win this, let’s go win this.”
Fort Mill finished with 349.5 points as Wando came in second at 298 points.
“I knew they were going to fight,” Van Buskirk said. “That is the beauty of it. They blew it out of the water. They had phenomenal times.”
The Jackets bounced back with a second-place finish by Dollyhigh in the 50-yard freestyle in 21.69. Impens finished fourth in the 200-yard individual medley in 1:54.
The 100-yard freestyle was a big race for the Jackets as they finished fifth thru seventh in the event pushing them to the lead. Dollyhigh was fifth (47.84), Wiand was sixth (48.72) and Owen Fey was seventh (48.73). Fey was also eighth in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:47.
Towards the end of the meet, Fort Mill got fourth place finishes from Wiand in the 100-yard backstroke in 53.02 and Impens in the 100-yard breaststroke in 58.70, which went a long way in widening the gap from Wando and JL Mann, who finished third.
Fort Mill left no doubt after the issue at the start of the meet by winning the final event of the meet in the 400-yard freestyle featuring Dollyhigh, Fey, Impens, and Wiand in 3:11.
For Van Buskirk it was her third team state championship and second in 72-hours giving the Jackets a clean sweep for the first time ever in taking both the boys and girls state swim championships. This is the fifth state championship (2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2023) for the boy’s program and seventh overall state title for the swimming program with the girl’s winning their second consecutive state title Saturday.
“This boys’ team is one of the strongest I have ever coached in my 16-years,” Van Buskirk said. “When you have four swimmers in a heat vying for points, I have never had that. This boys team tonight is extremely gifted and extremely talented. They knew how to race and they are the reason we won it. I am extremely excited.”
Other individuals getting top 10s for Fort Mill were Paredes in the 200-yard individual medley (7th) and 100-yard breaststroke (8th), Caden Wolf in the 200-yard individual medley (8th) and Zach Minnich in the 100-yard freestyle (9th).
Nation Ford finished sixth overall with 193.5 points. Nicholas Martin led the Falcons with fourth place finishes in the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle events. He was also part of a sixth place and 10th place relay finish for Nation Ford.
Beckett Jones had two top 10 finishes with a sixth place in the 100-yard breaststroke and a seventh in the 100-yard butterfly. He was also part of two top 10 relays.
Gray Reiger finished seventh in the 500-yard freestyle for Nation Ford. He was also part of two top 10 relays.
“They did an incredible job and I am so proud of them,” said Nation Ford head coach Alyssa McAlister.
The Catawba Ridge boys’ team finished ninth in the 4A meet held also on Monday. The Copperheads scored 145 points. Eastside won the event with 562.5 points. Jake Root and Ethan Curtis led Catawba Ridge. Root finished fifth in the 500-yard freestyle and was part of two top 10 relays. Curtis finished sixth in the 100-yard butterfly and was also part of two top 10 relays.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
