2026 StarNews All-Area girls and boys swimming groups

The 2025-26 highschool swim season in North Carolina introduced a shift within the panorama, with new contenders rising and established applications reinforcing their place on the prime.

No crew made a louder assertion than South Brunswick. The Cougars delivered the world’s most dominant displaying of the winter, sweeping each the girls and boys NCHSAA 5A state championships on Feb. 12. It marked a defining second for this system.

Individually, South Brunswick’s Peyton Stegman supplied the world’s lone particular person state title, capturing the ladies 200-yard freestyle.

The season, nevertheless, didn’t unfold with out disruption. A late-January winter storm pressured the cancellation of all regional meets, altering the normal postseason path. Instead, the highest 32 swimmers and 24 relay groups who had already met regional qualifying requirements have been granted entry into the state championships, creating a singular and unpredictable end to the 12 months.

Through all of it, Wilmington-area athletes continued to ship. From dominant relay teams to particular person breakthroughs, the area as soon as once more proved its depth within the pool.

Here are the 2026 StarNews All-Area girls and boys swimming groups.

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2026 StarNews All-Area Girls Swimmer of the Year: Peyton Stegman, Soph., South Brunswick

The solely space swimmer to assert a person state title this winter, Stegman racked up 12 first-place finishes earlier than acing the 200-yard freestyle subject on the NCHSAA 5A State championship. The sophomore led South Brunswick, which claimed the general crew state title on each the ladies and boys aspect, to one among its finest swimming seasons ever.

2026 StarNews All-Area Girls Swimming First Team

Heidi Bollenbacher, Jr., Laney: Collected 12 first-place finishes this winter, together with Carolina Coast Conference titles within the 100-yard freestyle and 200 particular person medley. Finished 14th within the 100 freestyle within the NCHSAA 8A state championship.

Lucy Hastings, Fr., New Hanover: Earned first-place finishes on eight events, together with convention titles within the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle.

Violet Derry, Jr., Ashley: Won the Carolina Coast Conference title within the 50 freestyle whereas taking second within the 100 butterfly. Finished twelfth within the 50 free within the NCHSAA 7A state championship.

Sophia Wert, Jr., Ashley: Earned 5 first-place finishes because the junior claimed the CCC title within the 100 breaststroke.

Katie Andrison, Sr., Topsail: Had eight first-place finishes, together with a convention title within the 100 backstroke. Finished eighth within the occasion within the 7A state closing.

Camren Reaves, Sr., Topsail: Finished ninth within the 500 freestyle and 14th within the 100 butterfly on the 7A state championship. Had 4 first-place finishes in regular-season motion.

2026 StarNews All-Area Girls Swimming Second Team

Devin Price, Hoggard; Summer Spencer, Laney; Coco Uebbing, Hoggard; Opal Boehmer, South Brunswick; Brynn Miles, Ashley; Kaylee Jarvis, West Brunswick.

2026 StarNews All-Area Boys Swimmer of the Year: Ryker Eder, Sr., Ashley

The space’s most dominant boys swimmer completed second within the 100-yard breaststroke on the NCHSAA 7A state championship. He received each particular person convention occasion he competed on this winter, together with Carolina Coast Conference titles within the 100 breaststroke and 100 butterfly. Eder’s time of 51.45 seconds within the 100 butterfly was adequate for tenth total at states.

2026 StarNews All-Area Boys Swimming First Team

Avery Butner, Sr., Ashley: Earned a convention title within the 100 freestyle as he racked up seven first-place finishes this winter.

Oliver Boehmer, Jr., South Brunswick: Finished second within the 50 freestyle and third within the 100 backstroke on the NCHSAA 5A state championship. Also helped South Brunswick, which received the general boys title, to a first-place end within the 200 freestyle relay and a second-place end within the 200 medley relay.

Michael Best, Fr., South Brunswick: Took bronze within the 200 particular person medley and silver within the 500 freestyle within the 5A state championship. Contributed to each of South Brunswick’s relay inserting groups.

Bryson Edwards, Sr., Ashley: Finished seventh within the 100 backstroke at states after gathering seven first-place finishes this winter, together with two convention titles.

Behrett Petroff, Jr., Hoggard: Placed fourth within the 50 freestyle and ninth within the 100 breaststroke on the NCHSAA 8A state championship. Also received a CCC title within the 50 freestyle.

Evan Sevast, Sr., South Brunswick: Recorded bronze finishes within the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle on the 5A state championship. Also contributed to each of South’s relay inserting groups at states and took second within the 100 freestyle within the CCC championship.

2026 StarNews All-Area Boys Swimming Second Team

Jakob Boehmer, Jr., South Brunswick; Hampston Frank, New Hanover; Will House, Laney; Horace Mayo, Hoggard; Stephen Butner, Ashley; Garrett Ellison, Cape Fear Academy.

All-Carolina Coast Conference Girls Selections

Co-Swimmers of the Year: Violet Derry, Ashley; Sophia Wert, Ashley

Coach of the Year: Tammy Pruden, Hoggard

Team Sportsmanship: South Brunswick

First Team

200 Medley Relay: Mackenzie Carroll, Ashley; Sophia Wert, Ashley; Violet Derry, Ashley; Brynn Miles, Ashley; 200 Freestyle: Lucy Hastings, New Hanover; 200 Individual Medley: Heidi Bollenbacher, Laney; 50 Freestyle: Violet Derry, Ashley; 100 Butterfly: Lucy Hastings, New Hanover; 100 Freestyle: Heidi Bollenbacher, Laney; 500 Freestyle: Summer Spencer, Laney; 200 Freestyle Relay: Brynn Miles, Ashley; Samone Vermeulen, Ashley; Sophia Wert, Ashley; Violet Derry, Ashley; 100 Backstroke: Katie Andrison, Topsail; 100 Breaststroke: Sophia Wert, Ashley; 400 Freestyle Relay: AJ Jackson, South Brunswick; Opal Boehmer, South Brunswick; Kennedy Gordon, South Brunswick; Peyton Stegman, South Brunswick; Diving: Kathryn Joy, Laney

Second Team

200 Medley Relay: Katie Andrison, Topsail; Ellison Gosma, Topsail; Camren Grace Reaves, Topsail; Lilah Wells, Topsail; 200 Freestyle: Peyton Stegman, South Brunswick; 200 Individual Medley: Katie Andrison, Topsail; 50 Freestyle: Brynn Miles, Ashley; 100 Butterfly: Violet Derry, Ashley; 100 Freestyle: Sophia Wert, Ashley; 500 Freestyle: Kaylee Jarvis, West Brunswick; 200 Freestyle Relay: Heidi Bollenbacher, Laney; Camille Still, Laney; Asheford House, Laney; Summer Spencer, Laney; 100 Backstroke: Peyton Stegman, South Brunswick; 100 Breaststroke: Summer Spencer, Laney; 400 Freestyle Relay: Katie Andrison, Topsail; Colleen Sandlin, Topsail; Lilah Wells, Topsail; Camren Grace Reaves, Topsail; Diving: Haven Richardson, Topsail

All-Carolina Coast Conference Boys Selections

Co-Swimmers of the Year: Ryker Eder, Ashley; Bryson Edwards, Ashley

Coach of the Year: John Pellizzari, Ashley

Team Sportsmanship: Hoggard

First Team

200 Medley Relay: Stephen Butner, Ashley; Ryker Eder, Ashley; Bryson Edwards, Ashley; Elijah Seetzer, Ashley; 200 Freestyle: William House, Laney; 200 Individual Medley: Bryson Edwards, Ashley; 50 Freestyle: Behrett Petroff, Hoggard; 100 Butterfly: Ryker Eder, Ashley; 100 Freestyle: Stephen Butner, Ashley; 500 Freestyle: Michael Best, South Brunswick; 200 Freestyle Relay: Stephen Butner, Ashley; Bryson Edwards, Ashley; Elijah Seetzer, Ashley; Ryker Eder, Ashley; 100 Backstroke: Bryson Edwards, Ashley; 100 Breaststroke: Ryker Eder, Ashley; 400 Freestyle Relay: Evan Sevast, South Brunswick; Michael Best, South Brunswick; Jakob Boehmer, South Brunswick; Oliver Boehmer, South Brunswick; Diving: Declan Post, Ashley

Second Team

200 Medley Relay: Fritz May, Hoggard; Behrett Petroff, Hoggard; Hance Mayo, Hoggard; Evan Oblinger, Hoggard; 200 Freestyle: Hampton Frank, New Hanover; 200 Individual Medley: Michael Best, South Brunswick; 50 Freestyle: Elijah Seetzer, Ashley; 100 Butterfly: Hance Mayo, Hoggard; 100 Freestyle: Evan Sevast, South Brunswick; 500 Freestyle: Hampton Frank, New Hanover; 200 Freestyle Relay: Hance Mayo, Hoggard; William Rowe, Hoggard; Evan Oblinger, Hoggard; Behrett Petroff, Hoggard; 100 Backstroke: Stephen Butner, Ashley; 100 Breaststroke: Behrett Petroff, Hoggard; 400 Freestyle Relay: Beckett Overton, Laney; Connor Stein, Laney; Max Barber, Laney; William House, Laney; Diving: Daniel Ridlon, Hoggard