BACK-TO-BACK: Frassati Catholic wins second straight Regional Championship
The Frassati Catholic High School swim team competed in the TAPPS East (District 3) Regional Swim Meet hosted at the University of Houston Saturday, January 18. Frassati Catholic brought home gold medals in five events, won silver in eight, and bronze in one with 26 medals overall. The Girls team won the East Regional Division II championship, their second regional championship in as many years, and took third among all Division levels in the Houston Regional.
Following the meet, Frassati Catholic coach Stephen Schmidt talked about the strengths of this team, "We have a great group of senior leaders that are the backbone of the Girls team. Their hard work throughout the season has put our program in a position to make a statement as we prepare for State." Schmidt reflected on the impact of senior leadership on Frassati Catholic swimming, "This is a group that's really built a legacy. Not only have they broken records, as a team and individually, they have left their mark on the younger members of the team. You can see the results of their leadership in the strong individual and team performances up and down our roster throughout the season."
Top-three finishers in events from the Houston Regional will automatically go on to the TAPPS Division II State Championship Meet on Thursday, February 6 in the Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio, TX. The current Frassati Catholic State qualifiers include: The Girls 400 Medley Relay, the Girls 400 Free Relay, the Girls 200 Free Relay, the Boys 200 Free Relay, Lauren Lacson in the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Breaststroke, Genevieve Manning in the 100 Free and the 50 Free, Emma Dihn in the 100 Fly and 50 Fly, Mia Natoli in the 200 Free and 100 Fly, Kevin Spartz in the 100 Free and 50 Free, and Anna Lackner in the 200 Individual Medley and the 100 Free. More qualifiers will be announced at the completion of the remaining TAPPS Regional Meets.
Coach Schmidt has been preparing the team for State competition all season. "For our seniors, I'm telling them to enjoy this moment. They've been building up to this for years and State will be their last opportunity to compete for Frassati Catholic. For the younger members on the team we've been encouraging them to find joy in the process. We've all been putting in the hard work, so this is the time to experience the fun of State-level competition and let that work pay off."
Results from the Houston East Regional:
Girls 400 Medley Relay, Gold: Anna Lackner, Lauren Lacson, Mia Natoli, and Genevieve Manning
Girls 400 Free Relay, Silver: Mia Natoli, Gabriella Borello, Natalia Kacprzak, and Emma Dinh
Girls 200 Free Relay, Gold: Emma Dinh, Anna Lackner, Lauren Lacson, and Genevieve Manning
Boys 200 Free Relay, Silver: Andrew Pye, Luis Esparza, John Okruhlik, and Kevin Spartz
Mia Natoli: Silver in 200 Free and 4th in the 100 Fly
Anna Lackner: Silver in the 200 IM and Silver in the 100 Free
Genevieve Manning: Gold in the 50 Free and Bronze in the 100 Free
Lauren Lacson: Gold in the 200 IM and Gold in the 100 Breaststroke
Emma Dinh: Silver in the 50 Free and Silver in the 100 Fly
Kevin Spartz: Silver in the 50 and 100 Free
Sophie Blakesley: 5th in 100 Breastroke
Gabriella Borello: 5th in the 100 Backstroke
