In the last few weeks, almost all of the GPAC Senior team have been busy wrapping up the high school season. The first stop on the way to the championship was the district meets held between UWF and Panama City.

1A

In the 1A division that includes Pensacola Catholic, several GPAC swimmers were crowned District champions. Sophomore Heidi Schellin took top honors in both the 200-yd IM and 100-yd breaststroke. Teammate Abby Barr won the 500-yd freestyle and the 100-yd backstroke, with Rebecca Holliman placing second in the latter. These three girls were also a part of the victorious 400-yd freestyle relay. For the boys, Geza Maruschak won the 100-yd freestyle. All four GPAC swimmers advanced to the 1A regional meet in Jacksonville.

2A

The 2A division, which includes in-town powerhouse B.T. Washington, and a vast majority of the GPAC Senior team, was a fast and impressive meet for the swimmers. To kick off the meet, the girls medley relay of Brooke Ferrara, Jacquie Kinman, Sophia Diagne and Bri Mount took first place, winning by almost 10 seconds. The boys also took first, featuring Senior teamers Steffen Mount, Will Rosasco and Cameron Walton. Grace Menzies, a freshman, won the 200-yd freestyle for Washington, as did teammate Steffen Mount, a junior. Steffan also went on to repeat the victory in the 100-yd freestyle as well. Freshman Sophia Diagne posted a life-best time in the 100-yd butterfly to win the crown.

 GPAC teammates Jenna Luth and Peyton Parra went 1-2 in the 500-yd freestyle for Washington, followed by their training partners Claren Anderson (Gulf Breeze), Catherine Petruska (Washington) and Alexis Tinker (West Florida). The girls 200-yd free relay featuring Diagne and Mount took first, as did the boys’ relay featuring Mount, Rosasco, Walton and Richard Trawick, all GPAC teammates.

Seniors Jacquie Kinman and Will Rosasco won the 100-yd breaststroke for Washington, and the girls’ 400-yd freestyle relay took first, featuring Ferrara and Kinman. This gave Washington a sweep of the meet’s relays for the girl’s side, and a dominant team victory for both the boys and the girls.

3A

Rounding out the district meets for GPAC swimmers was the larger 3A division, with some of the bigger high schools from the surrounding area. Pace High School seniors Nate Thomas and Olivia Weekley were the standouts for GPAC. Both Nate and Olivia were victorious, winning the 50-yd freestyle. Nate won the 100-yd free as well, and Olivia won the 100-yd butterfly. GPAC’s Alex Morris nabbed first place for the Patriots in the 100-yd backstroke, and placed second on the 100-yd butterfly.

After the district meets, 29 out of 31 GPAC swimmers advanced from the district level to compete at the high school regional meet. Congratulations to all of our regional qualifiers: Claren Anderson, Abby Barr, Grant Bridges, Sophia Diagne, Brooke Ferrara, Jillian Flowers, Scott Griffith, Rebecca Holliman, Brantly Keiek, Jacquie Kinman, Ryan Longley, Jenna Luth, Geza Maruschak, Logan Mead, Grace Menzies, Alex Morris, Bri Mount, Steffen Mount, Peyton Parra, Catherine Petruska, Nicholas Petruska, Bianca Phillips, Will Rosasco, Heidi Schellin, Nate Thomas, Alexis Tinker, Richard Trawick, Cameron Walton and Olivia Weekley.

GO GPAC!!!