Pure and utter dominance has been on full display on Tuesday and Wednesday night at the 2024 GHSA Swimming and Diving State Championships as the Wesleyan Wolves swim club took home nine gold medals in the past two days, and also winning back-to-back team championships in both boys and the girls.
The Wolves have taken over the first two days of the state championships for the Class 1A-3A, earning first place in a plethora of events such as: girls diving, boys 50-yard freestyle, girls 200-yard IM, the girls and boys 200 and 400-yard freestyle relays and both girls and boys overall teams state champions.
“While it is great to talk about individual athletes which is part of the process, I really do want to emphasize that this was a team first effort,” said Wesleyan swimming and diving coach Kevin Kadzis. “It really was a team first attitude, and every swimmer and every diver embraced that.”
Though they controlled the pool in the relays as a team, the Wolves had three representatives win their individual events on their way to another state championship. Junior Max Perry played a pivotal role in Wesleyan’s victory yesterday as he placed first in the boys 50-yard freestyle (21.03) and second place in the 100-yard freestyle. Perry came in second in the event last season and was able to get over the hump in this year’s state championship.
As a sophomore last season, Hattie Wasmuth was named the 2023 1A-3A Swimmer of the Year. This season as a junior, Wasmuth picked up right where she left off, securing a victory in the 200-yard IM (2:06:45) and second place in the 100-yard backstroke.
“Max was really instrumental in developing over the course of the year,” said Kadzis. “He is a junior but has a lot of experience in big meets and stepped into the role as a leader very nicely. Hattie is our most decorated swimmer from top to bottom right now, we build the girls lineup around her and she is very versatile. Both athletes are very important.”
While Wesleyan had a big boost from their upperclassman, sophomore Abbey Suits stole the show on Tuesday by taking home first place in diving (545.60) by a very close margin of four points. As a freshman last season, Suits placed second overall in the state championships and was poised to return to this year’s postseason to take home the gold.
The two state championships won by the Wesleyan Wolves at the 2024 GHSA Swimming and Diving State Championships are the fifth and sixth swimming and diving state championships that the school has won.
While they are celebrating their state championships and more than proud of their accomplishments, the Wolves and Kadzis know it’s going to take the same amount of work, if not more for Wesleyan to go for three in a row.
“We’re going to continue to lean into our process, that has proven that we can be in position to do our best when it matters most,” said Kadzis. “Every year is different and every team has a unique dynamic. We want to be consistent and I think the future is bright for Wesleyan Swim and Dive.”
Loading ...
