The Wildcats Place First on the National Catholic Championships

BALTIMORE, MD – Saint Ignatius used relay depth and dash pace to headline a powerful weekend on the National High School Catholic Swimming Championships, with the Wildcats powering to wins in each the boys 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard freestyle relay and including a premier particular person dash title in a loaded two-day area at Loyola University Maryland.
The Wildcats set the tone early within the boys’ 200-yard medley relay A-final, touching first in 1:30.72. Saint Ignatius constructed its benefit leg by leg, opening in 23.39 on the backstroke earlier than extending the margin on breaststroke and butterfly. Anchor sprinter Thor Johannessen closed the race in 21.19, securing the win and giving the staff a key early relay title within the national-caliber meet.

Saint Ignatius carried that momentum into the 200-yard freestyle relay, the place the Wildcats posted a successful time of 1:23.96 within the A-final. The quartet strung collectively aggressive, front-loaded splits, with a 21.68 lead off adopted by legs of 20.82 and 21.51 earlier than a 19.95 anchor introduced the relay house. The time stood because the quickest mark within the occasion’s championship ultimate and underscored the Wildcats’ power in dash relays in opposition to prime Catholic packages from throughout the nation.

Johannessen additionally delivered one of many meet’s standout particular person performances within the boys’ 50-yard freestyle. The Saint Ignatius sprinter captured the A-final in 20.37, backing up his relay work with a decisive wire-to-wire win within the premier dash occasion. His 50 free victory, mixed with the anchor duties on the medley relay, positioned Johannessen as one of many prime dash specialists of the championships.

For the Wildcats, the gathering of relay titles and a signature dash win highlighted each depth and top-end pace in a championship setting that featured full prelims, finals, and deep fields in each occasion. With a number of swimmers contributing key legs and standout splits throughout the relays, the Wildcats demonstrated a balanced lineup able to scoring closely in high-pressure finals periods.

When all was stated and carried out, the Wildcats completed with a staff rating of 277.5. It can be the primary time in program historical past that the Saint Ignatius swimming and diving program would win the National Catholic Championships. They would are available first out of 47 groups. 

As the postseason image takes form, the Wildcats’ performances in Baltimore present a powerful benchmark heading into championship meets later within the winter. Saint Ignatius leaves the National Catholic Championships with momentum, confirmed relay mixtures, and a marquee sprinter main the best way in opposition to among the strongest Catholic faculty packages within the nation.