Hillsborough County Swimmer of the Year: Morgan Tankersley, Sr., Plant
Tankersley defended her state title in the 500 free (4:44.75) and placed second in one of the country's fastest 200 free races in 1:46.75, 2.07 seconds behind Buchholz junior Isabel Ivey. Tankersley also helped the Panthers' 200 medley relay and 400 and 200 free relays to second-place finishes. For her high school career, Tankersley leaves with four state titles and three state records she set as a junior in the 100 free (48.69), 200 free (1:44.31) and 500 free (4:37.60). On top of all that, Tankersley was instrumental in helping the Panthers to back-to-back state team runnerup finishes.
Pinellas County Swimmer of the Year: Helena Heuberger, Sr., Clearwater
For the third straight year, Heuberger took home gold in the 100 backstroke from the Class 3A state meet, winning this year in 55.86 seconds, a comfortable few feet ahead of the runnerup. Heuberger also finished sixth in the 100 freestyle and helped her teammates to a fifth-place showing in the 200 medley relay. "I was intense about this from the moment that last (year's state meet) ended," Heuberger said. "If I wouldn't have won my senior year I would have died. I just had to win this one."
North Suncoast Swimmer of the Year: Chloe Grimme, So., Sunlake
The Class 3A state meet was busy indeed for Grimme, who won the 50 free in 23.11 seconds, placed second in the 100 free (51.18) and helped her teammates win the 200 free relay (1:36.88) and place third in the 200 medley relay (1:48.13). Gimme, who finished second last year in the 50 free, said she felt some pressure to perform before the state meet but calmed down once she dived in the water. "I just gave it everything I had and it felt okay," Grimme said. "I think I've gotten a lot better mentally."
Coach of the Year: Gil Gonzalez, Plant
Gonzalez managed a great group of talent into one of the top swimming programs in the entire country. Yes, Plant placed second as a team at the Class 4A state meet, but the runnerup finish came to one of the best high school teams ever assembled in Florida, Gainesville Buchholz. Under Gonzalez, Plant has now grabbed back-to-back state runnerup team trophies.
First team
50 free: Lexi Mulvihill, Fr., Steinbrenner: Second at Class 4A state meet in 23.16
100 fly: Katie Vasiloff, Sr., Durant: Fifth at Class 4A state meet in 55.26
100 free: Ella Bathurst, Fr., Plant: Fourth at Class 4A state meet in 51.02
100 back: Celi Guzman, Sr., Strawberry Crest: Second at Class 4A state meet in 54.90
100 breast: Abigail Leisure, So., Freedom: Third at Class 3A state meet in 1:05.30
200 free: Taylor Ward, Jr., Land O' Lakes: Second at Class 2A state meet in 1:50.27
200 IM: Christin Rockway, Sr., Tampa Catholic: State champion at Class A meet in 2:00.02
500 free: Christin Rockway, Sr., Tampa Catholic: State champion at Class A meet in 4:49.90
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Explore all your options200 free relay: Plant (Ella Marlow, Ella Bathurst, Morgan Tankersley, Catarina Sterlacci): Second at Class 4A state meet in 1:34.35
200 medley relay: Plant (Reagan Flynn, Caroline Rossi, Jilian Schulte, Catarina Sterlacci): Second at Class 4A state meet in 1:45.89
400 free relay: Plant (Ella Marlow, Ella Bathurst, Morgan Tankersley, Sidney Whitfield): Second at Class 4A state meet in 3:24.16
Diving: Nicole Stambo, Jr., Berkeley Prep: Second at Class A meet with 452.90 points
RELATED: Tampa Bay Times' all-Tampa Bay boys swim teams
Second team
50 free: Ella Marlow, Fr., Plant
100 fly: Celi Guzman, Sr., Strawberry Crest
100 free: McKenna Smith, Fr., Academy at the Lakes
100 back: Gabby Donahue, So., Berkeley Prep
100 breast: Caroline Rossi, Jr., Plant
200 free: Sidney Whitfield, Sr., Plant
200 IM: Gabby Donahue, So., Berkeley Prep
500 free: Taylor Ward, Jr., Land O'Lakes
200 free relay: Sunlake (Tori Eurell, Audrey Ballash, Hanna Barton, Chloe Grimme)
200 medley relay: Sunlake (Tori Eurell, Elise Ballash, Hanna Barton, Chloe Grimme)
400 free relay: Osceola (Clara Williams, Natalie Iafe, Ana Forrister, Taylor Williams)
Diving: Carina Lumia, Fr., Osceola
Third team
50 free: Coco Hull, Sr., Tampa Prep
100 fly: Ella Marlow, Fr., Plant
100 free: Coco Hull, Sr., Tampa Prep
100 back: Morgan Shinault, So., Durant
100 breast: Elise Ballash, Jr., Sunlake
200 free: Noa Heron, Sr., Seminole
200 IM: Abigail Leisure, So., Freedom
500 free: Noa Heron, Sr., Seminole
200 free relay: Berkeley Prep (Gabby Donahue, Maureen Tanner, Sabrina Vergara, Elliot Easton)
200 medley relay: Tampa Prep (Isabella Weinstein, Laura Smith, Ava Carter, Coco Hull)
400 free relay: Academy of the Holy Names (Katie Taulbee, Lauren Sellers, Gabby Delp, Bella Kirkpatrick)
Diving: Alexandra Boyd, Sr., Northeast
Honorable mention
Academy at the Lakes: McKenna Smith (50 free)
Academy of the Holy Names: 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, Sophia Hasara (200 free, 500 free), Katie Taulbee (200 IM, 100 free), Cassidy Neely (200 IM, 500 free), Gabby Delp (200 IM, 100 free), Sydney Wills (50 free), Megan Devaney (diving), Kara Petitt (diving), Bella Kirkpatrick (100 fly, 100 back), Lauren Sellers (500 free), Sierra Wills (100 breast)
Berkeley Prep: 200 medley relay, 400 free relay, Sabrina Vergara (200 free, 100 free), Maureen Tanner (50 free), Megan Maguire (100 breast)
Bloomingdale: Isabelle Bularca (50 free, 100 fly)
Clearwater: 400 free relay, 200 medley relay, Grace Molinaro (100 fly, 100 back)
Clearwater Central Catholic: Carli Taymans (100 breast)
Countryside: 400 free relay, Summer Osborne (100 free, 100 back), Abby Licht (500 free)
Dixie Hollins: Mckenna O'Reilly (diving)
Dunedin: Alexa Atherholt (diving)
Durant: Morgan Shinault (200 IM), Katie Vasiloff (50 free)
East Lake: Breyahna Tyme (100 free, 100 back)
Freedom: 400 free relay, 200 medley relay, McKaley Goldblum (200 free, 100 free)
Hillsborough: Madeline Rawls (50 free, 100 free)
Jefferson: Isabel Minnis (200 IM, 100 back)
King: 400 free relay, Jordan Scott (200 free, 500 free), Samantha Lee (200 IM, 100 back)
Lakewood: Kate Elnicki (50 free, 100 free)
Land O'Lakes: 400 free relay, 200 free relay, Margarita Czupryn (200 free), Ashley Schrader (200 IM), Romina McCloskey (50 free, 100 free)
Mitchell: Julia Walkup (200 free, 100 free), 200 free relay
Newsome: 400 free relay, Klaudia Greer (200 free, 100 free)
Northeast: Evelyn Jerger (diving)
Northside Christian: 200 free relay, Lindsey Leadbetter (100 back, 100 free)
Osceola: 200 free relay, Clara Williams (200 free, 100 back), Natalie Iafe (200 IM, 100 free), Kaylyn Goehl (diving), Taylor Williams (100 fly, 100 back)
Palm Harbor University: 400 free relay, 200 free relay, 200 medley relay, Christina Neri (200 free, 500 free), Ana Dunn (200 IM, 100 breast), Alexis Hernandez-Flores (500 free), Tara Cabiling (100 breast), Kelsey Thurin (100 breast)
Plant: Jilian Schulte (200 free, 100 fly), Alyssa Nagle (200 IM, 100 breast), Caroline Rossi (200 IM), Morgan Austrich (200 IM, 100 breast), Ella Bathurst (50 free), Abby Turner (diving), Catarina Sterlacci (100 fly, 100 breast), Abigail Shapiro (500 free), Reagan Flynn (100 back), Sidney Whitfield (500 free)
River Ridge: Katelyn Kirves (diving), Natalie Vasilakos (200 free)
Seminole: 400 free relay, 200 medley relay, Jordan Gorham (200 IM, 500 free), Sydney Sheppard (200 IM, 100 fly), Kendall Laplante (diving)
Shorecrest: 400 free relay, Sarah Lankford (200 free, 500 free), Taylor Emerson (200 IM, 100 fly), Sophie Elwyn (diving)
St. Petersburg: 200 free relay, 200 medley relay, Shay Cassidy (200 IM), Kelly Harris (200 IM, 100 breast), Alanna Growe (500 free)
St. Petersburg Catholic: Jessica Antonio (diving); Steinbrenner: 400 free relay, 200 free relay, Justine Answeeney (100 free)
Sunlake: Audrey Ballash (200 IM), Elise Ballash (200 IM), Hannah Barton (50 free, 100 fly), Tori Eurell (50 free), Alex Sprague (50 free)
Tampa Catholic: Lauren Conway (200 IM, 100 fly)
Tarpon Springs: Amanda Silva (100 breast)
Tampa Prep: 200 free relay, 400 free relay, Ava Carter (200 free), Isabella Weinstein (100 back), Laura Smith (100 breast)
Wesley Chapel: Brooke Duncan (50 free, 100 free), Taylor Watson (diving)