Unveiling the 2023-24 Volusia-Flagler All-Area Boys Swim Team
The DeLand Bulldogs controlled the top regular-season meets once again.
They won the Record Breaker Invitational and snatched their third consecutive Five Star Conference title. Once the postseason arrived, they turned in the best Volusia-Flagler performance in their district and region. Because of that, DeLand is appropriately represented on this list.
But they weren’t the only ones who enjoyed 2023.
Seabreeze, the runner-up at the Record Breaker and Five Star meets, captured a district championship. The Sandcrabs charged all the way to fifth place at the Class 2A state meet, the highest of any local team regardless of FHSAA classification.
At the 3A level, a New Smyrna Beach swimmer advanced to states. Volusia-Flagler talent filled regional events at all four classifications.
Here is the team:
HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING:Unveiling the 2023-24 Volusia-Flagler All-Area Girls Swim Team
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The Volusia-Flagler High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the athlete of the year nominees for boys swimming. The winners will be announced during the live show on Monday, June 3, at the Ocean Center.
The show is presented with the support of Halifax Health. This award is sponsored by Amish Home Furnishings.
During the live show, athletes of the year in 30 state-sanctioned sports will be honored. In addition, top teams, coaches and overall athletes will be honored as will a Courage Award winner. Nominated athletes who RSVP will receive a complimentary ticket to the event thanks to sponsors. Details on how additional tickets can be obtained will be available soon.
For more information about the show and to opt into email updates, visit its website and you can follow it on Facebook.
The Volusia-Flagler High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country. This year, one school from the area will win a $1,000 donation to its school’s athletic department through our School Spirit Contest. Details on how to vote for your school will be coming soon.
Nominees
Massimo Brunacci, DeLand: The junior was the Volusia-Flagler area’s top 100-yard breaststroke swimmer with a time of 1:00.46, good for seventh at the Region 1-4A meet. There, he also placed 18th in the 200-yard individual medley (2:03.63), eighth in the 200-yard freestyle relay and ninth in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Cole Conlan, Seabreeze: The junior put forth area-best times in the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard freestyle and fell less than 0.2 seconds off the top spot in the 100-yard backstroke. At the 2A state meet, he placed second in the 100-yard butterfly (50.14) — an event he won at regionals — and fourth in the 100-yard backstroke (51.85). He also posted a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay and a sixth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay.
Timothy Dobyns, DeLand: The sophomore established himself among the area’s elite long-distance swimmers, claiming the 500-yard freestyle at the Five Star Conference meet and slotting 12th with a time of 5:17.76 at the District 3-4A meet. He also ranked 13th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:58.53) at districts.
Drew Dyett, New Smyrna Beach: The senior tied for 11th in the 50-yard freestyle (22.09) and 15th in the 100-yard freestyle (48.60), both local high marks, at the 3A state meet after finishing as the runner-up in each race at regionals. His 400-yard freestyle relay team also garnered seventh in Region 2-3A.
Kai McMeeking, Seabreeze: As just a freshman, McMeeking tied for fourth in the 100-yard freestyle (49.71) and placed seventh in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.71) at the Region 2-2A meet. Both his relay teams won regional titles and finished fifth in the 200-yard medley and sixth in the 200-yard freestyle at the 2A state meet.
Carlos Mize, DeLand: The senior gathered a 10th-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:01.47) and a 24th-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle (1:58.88) at the Region 1-4A meet. He also contributed on the eighth-place 200-yard freestyle relay team and 10th-place 200-yard medley relay team.
Martin Montalvo, Seabreeze: The junior placed inside the top 10 in all four events he entered at the 2A state meet. Individually, Montalvo finished second in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 51.66 and ninth in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:58.29. His relay teams ended up fifth in the 200-yard medley and sixth in the 200-yard freestyle.
Sam Peters, Matanzas: The senior tied for 14th in the 50-yard freestyle (23.11) and ranked 16th in the 100-yard freestyle (50.53) at the Region 1-3A meet. He added a 12th-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay and 14th-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay.
Mark Sauskojus, New Smyrna Beach: The senior took eighth in the 100-yard butterfly (58.06) at the Region 2-3A meet. He previously won the event in District 4-3A. Sauskojus also placed 14th in the 100-yard backstroke (1:06.00) and seventh in the 400-yard freestyle relay at regionals.
Gavin Thomas, DeLand: The sophomore tallied a 14th-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke (58.88) and a 22nd-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (57.10) at the Region 1-4A meet. His groups claimed ninth in the 400-yard freestyle relay and 10th in the 200-yard medley relay.
Theodore Vanderbilt, Matanzas: The junior placed 21st in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.04) and 24th in the 100-yard butterfly (56.44) at the Region 1-3A meet. He helped his 200-yard freestyle relay team to 12th and his 200-yard medley relay group to 14th.
Toma Vedder, DeLand: The junior captured 12th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.03 and 20th in the 100-yard freestyle in 51.74 at the Region 1-4A meet. In the 400-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay, his teams slotted ninth and 10th, respectively.
Other Athletes of Note
Elijah Alvarez, Father Lopez: In addition to his seventh-place district finish in the 100-yard butterfly, the sophomore secured 17th in the 500-yard freestyle at the Region 1-1A meet. He also had relay placements of sixth in the 400-yard freestyle and 10th in the 200-yard medley.
Matthew Alvarez, Father Lopez: The freshman swam to eighth in the 100-yard freestyle (51.16) and 13th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.86) at the Region 1-1A meet. Alvarez also helped his 200-yard freestyle relay to fifth and his 400-yard freestyle relay team to sixth.
Gavin Brown, DeLand: The senior posted a 16th-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, closing with a time of 59.32 at the Region 1-4A meet. In three regional relay appearances, his squads claimed eighth in the 200-yard freestyle, ninth in the 400-yard freestyle and 10th in the 200-yard medley.
David Cothran, University: At the Region 1-4A meet, Cothran placed 19th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.56.
Dante DiPietro, Seabreeze: The senior tied for 10th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.05) and finished 11th in the 200-yard individual medley (2:13.93) at the Region 2-2A meet. He tacked on an eighth-place mark in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Ryan Herdel, Father Lopez: The junior netted a 13th in the 50-yard freestyle (23.66) and 17th in the 100-yard freestyle (54.12) at the Region 1-1A meet. His relay teams placed fifth in the 200-yard freestyle relay and sixth in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Landon Howard, Father Lopez: The junior took 14th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:07.06) and 23rd in the 50-yard freestyle (24.65) at the Region 1-1A meet. He and his partners combined for fifth in the 200-yard freestyle relay and 10th in the 200-yard medley relay.
Parker Lindsay, Spruce Creek: The junior placed 14th in the 200-yard individual medley (2:20.74) and 16th in the 100-yard backstroke (1:03.76) at the District 3-4A meet. At regionals, his 200-yard medley relay team claimed 15th.
Christopher Murphy, New Smyrna Beach: After recording a 57.34 in the 100-yard butterfly to rank second at districts, the senior placed 9th in the same event (58.35) at the Region 2-3A meet. His relay squad was seventh in the 400-yard freestyle at regionals.
Aiden Orzo, Atlantic: Orzo finished seventh in the 200-yard freestyle (1:58.85) and 11th in the 100-yard freestyle (52.33) at the Region 2-2A meet. In his two relay races, his teams finished 10th in the 400-yard freestyle and 16th in the 200-yard freestyle.
Tyler Smith, Seabreeze: Smith placed 15th in the 100-yard freestyle (52.83) and 17th in the 50-yard freestyle (24.23) at the Region 2-2A meet. At 2A states, he served on the fifth-place 200-yard medley relay team and sixth-place 200-yard freestyle relay team.
Connor Wiles, Spruce Creek: The senior notched a pair of 15th-place finishes — in the 100-yard butterfly (1:00.91) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.73) — at the District 3-4A meet. He advanced to regionals with two relay teams and placed 15th in the 200-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle there, too.
Top Coach
Kati Kaye, DeLand: Kaye’s Bulldogs won the Record Breaker Invitational and Five Star Conference meet, the two biggest Volusia-Flagler events in the regular season, and then placed fourth in District 3-4A and ninth in Region 1-4A.
Honorable Mention
Atlantic: Gavin Hardy, Colby Moody
DeLand: Devin Davidson, Jake Naumovitz, Duke Neubecker, Declan Pickren, Riley Williams
Father Lopez: Jonathan Cotton, Sebastian Fernandez, Addison Florez, Joseph Romeo, Jack Svajko
Flagler Palm Coast: Aidan Lafferty, James Payne
Matanzas: Keaton Lasicki, Oliver Morris, Leo Peters
New Smyrna Beach: Samuel Perryman, Tanner Steen
Seabreeze: Carter Eby, Jake Eisner, Jordan Eisner, Asa Fernandez, Arthur Simpson
Spruce Creek: Adnan Dasouki, Kyle Kwong, Jake Lazo, Dewan Lodia, Reid McComb, Rocco Wilson
University: Cooper Price