St. Johns County’s high school swimming programs cemented their dominance at the FHSAA Class 3A state meet over the weekend in Ocala.
Ponte Vedra capturing its fifth straight girls championship with Nease sharing its fourth consecutive boys title in a historic tie with Tampa Jesuit.
The Ponte Vedra’s girls complied 378 points, easily outpacing second-place St. Petersburg (305), powered by elite performances in both individual and relay events.
Key contributors included Kate Pelot, Sydney Player, Madelyn Tulloch, Sophie Fox, JuJu Cavalcanti, Ava Pell, and Lily Doyle.
Nease’s girls squad placed fifth, buoyed by wins and podium finishes from Anna Driesse and Savannah Petrosevich.
Bartram Trail’s Jenna Frost also had a notable showing on Saturday, claiming second in the 500 free and third in the 200.
The boys meet ended in an unprecedented dead heat, with Nease and Jesuit both finishing at 215 points — the first exact tie among Florida boys’ teams since 1927.
Jesuit clinched the tie with a decisive final relay, while Nease relied on standouts including Luke Zardavets, who won the 100 breast, and Lincoln Driesse, who posted multiple top finishes.
Fletcher finished fourth and Ponte Vedra sixth on the boys side.
Other notable individual victories came from Noah Stotler of Clay and William Shoesmith of Fleming Island.
In Class 4A, Creekside led local teams, notching third place in girls and sixth place in boys.
