Kingwood Swimming and Diving took the Texas 6A championship by storm February 13-15, competing against the top aquatics programs in the state. The boys team came in 1st, bringing back the state title that Kingwood last held in 2009. The girls team raced to an impressive second place finish.    

This year, the Lady Mustang swimmers only lost two dual meets during the regular season, against The Woodlands and Dallas-area powerhouse, Southlake Carroll. The Lady Mustangs took home the state runner-up title this year, after a fifth place finish in 2019.  The girls had many podium swims and gave first place team, Southlake, a real challenge. The swims that earned podium spots for the girls were:

Girls 200 Medley Relay – 3rd

(Abigail Ahrens, Meredith Fagen, Alexis Newman, and Madison Lloyd)

Girls 500 Free- Kylee Grafmiller, 2nd

Girls 100 Back – Alexis Newman, 2nd

Girls 100 Back – Abigail Ahrens, 3rd

Girls 400 Free Relay* – 3rd

(Kylee Grafmiller, Alexis Newman, Sophie Ebert, and Serena Gould)

*New School Record

The boys team had some phenomenal swims throughout the championship season. This year, the Mustangs were STATE CHAMPIONS, edging past both The Woodlands and Southlake Carroll. Their victory was a true team effort with the following podium swims:

Boys 200 Medley Relay* – 2nd

(Garret Green, Owen Pickering, Luke Langley, Victor Tremblay)

New School Record*

Boys 200 Free Relay- 3rd

(Victor Tremblay, Connor Little, Garret Green, Gabe Roberts)

I asked some of the swimmers to comment on the team’s impressive dominance at State and on the season overall:

What do you feel was the most important factor in the team’s success this year?

Owen Pickering (12): “ We succeeded largely due to our incredible team depth. Our victory at state was the definition of a team victory.   Without any one of our swimmers, we wouldn’t have taken first (literally). More than that, we have each other as consistent training partners and can rely on one another to pull our weight.” 

“What was your greatest motivation this season?”

Sophie Ebert (12):  “My greatest motivation this season has been my teammates. They have helped me to push myself to better myself and reach my goals. If I am not having a good practice, they encourage me to not give up. We share certain expectations for success and through our shared goals, we were able to accomplish amazing things this season.” 

Looking back, what was your best memory of the meet?

Abigail Ahrens (12):  “My favorite memory from State 2020, was after my last individual race the 100 back. Madi. Alexis, and I had a goal from the beginning of the year to all make A final and get as many points as possible for our team. After the race, we looked at the scoreboard and saw 2,3,4 a near perfect sweep. Getting out of the water we had a big group hug filled with tears. I will cherish that moment forever, because it embodied the value and bond this team has.” 

Congratulations Kingwood Swimming and Diving on your great success in the water this year!