Picture this: a whirlwind of splashes, records shattered, and legacies cemented in the high-speed lanes of high school swimming. The 2025 Swammy Awards have just crowned their High School Teams of the Year, and it's a story of unyielding dominance that leaves us all wondering about the future of the sport. For beginners diving into the world of competitive swimming, think of it like a relay race where teams pass the baton of success—literally and figuratively—building unstoppable momentum. But here's where it gets controversial: do these powerhouse programs inspire the next generation, or do they create an uneven playing field that discourages rising stars from smaller schools? Let's break it down step by step, shall we?
One team etched their name into history by smashing a national record in a thrilling relay, while the other extended a legendary streak in one of America's most competitive swimming hubs. As a result, the Santa Margarita girls from California and the Bolles boys from Florida stand tall as the 2025 Swammy Award recipients for High School Team of the Year.
Let's start with the Santa Margarita girls' squad, who clinched their sixth straight California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division I title way back in May. For those new to the scene, the CIF is like the championship league for high school sports in California, where teams battle it out in various divisions based on size and skill level. Leading the charge was rising star Teagan O'Dell, a current freshman at Cal and the 2023 World Junior Champion in the 200 backstroke—a race where swimmers alternate between backstroke and other strokes over 200 meters. O'Dell capped off her high school journey in spectacular fashion, securing victories in the 200 individual medley (IM)—a grueling event combining four different swimming strokes—and the 100 backstroke. She clocked an impressive 1:53.96 in the 200 IM and a swift 51.27 in the 100 backstroke, showcasing her versatility and speed.
O'Dell didn't swim solo; she anchored two victorious relay teams, proving that teamwork is the secret sauce in swimming. First up was the 200 free relay, where she kicked off with a blazing leadoff leg of 22.39 seconds, helping her team touch the wall at 1:31.55. Her teammates included Chloe Stinson (clocking 22.94), Victoria Mori (23.86), and Gracyn Aquino (22.36). Then, in the 400 free relay, O'Dell's 48.61 leadoff split propelled the group to a winning time of 3:22.76, with Eileen Song (51.74), Valentina Delgado (51.25), and Sammy Cummins (51.16) rounding out the squad. And this is the part most people miss: Santa Margarita also swept the 200 medley relay with a combined effort from Aquino (25.70), Song (29.31), Stinson (24.16), and Mori (23.03), highlighting how a well-oiled machine can dominate multiple fronts.
What really set Santa Margarita apart was their sheer dominance at the meet. They were the only squad to surpass 200 points, racking up a whopping 229.5 and leaving second-place San Ramon Valley in the dust by a massive 82 points. It's a testament to their depth and consistency—qualities that turn good teams into legends.
Now, flipping to the boys' side, the Bolles squad from Florida snagged Team of the Year honors for the second year running after shattering a national record in the 200 medley relay at the Florida 1A State Championships. If you're unfamiliar, the medley relay is a fast-paced event where each swimmer specializes in a different stroke: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle. The Bolles foursome of Krish Jain (21.95), Michigan-bound Lucas Young (24.37), Harvard-commit George Dovellos (21.03), and NC State-bound Liam Carrington (19.32) posted a blistering 1:26.67, eclipsing the prior mark of 1:26.75 held by Hinsdale from Illinois. This wasn't just a one-off; it marked the 17th state title in the last 18 years for Bolles' boys in this event alone, underscoring a dynasty that's hard to ignore.
Bolles didn't stop there—they owned the meet, claiming nine out of the available events and piling up 619 points en route to their 38th consecutive state championship. Standout performances included Duke-commit Charlie Zuhoski winning the 200 IM in 1:47.03 with a personal best, while others like Dovellos (100 fly in 47.25), Carrington (100 free in 42.66), Jain (100 back in 47.36), and Thi Rai (100 breast in 53.44) all topped their fields in record-breaking fashion. Even in the relays, Bolles shone: the 200 free relay team of Carrington, Dovellos, and others finished in 1:20.29, and the 400 free relay, featuring Dovellos, Carrington, Georgia-commit Nicholas Kwan, and Zuhoski, clocked 2:55:23. It's the kind of all-around excellence that sparks debates—does this level of success breed healthy rivalry, or does it suggest an overreliance on recruiting top talent that smaller programs can't match?
Shifting gears to the honorable mentions, because every great story has its supporting cast. The Carmel girls from Indiana kept their long-standing empire intact, bagging their 39th straight state title. Spearheaded by Alex Shackell, who made history as the first swimmer in Indiana to win four consecutive state championships in the 100 fly—a butterfly event where speed and technique are everything—Shackell finished her high school era with an astounding 14 state titles, seven of them individual. Adding to her résumé, she competed in the prelims for the U.S. team that took gold in the 4x100 medley relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Over the summer, Shackell was crowned Female National Athlete of the Year by MaxPreps, a nod to her incredible journey.
On the boys' side, the St. Xavier team from Kentucky maintained their storied run, securing their 37th consecutive state championship and a remarkable 61st overall. Current Michigan freshman Alex Thiesing and Virginia freshman Thomas Mercer led the charge. Thiesing smashed a state record in the 200 freestyle with 1:35.04, besting the old mark of 1:35.76 from 2018. He also triumphed in the 100 freestyle at 43.82. Mercer, meanwhile, shattered his own state record in the 200 IM, finishing at 1:43.61— just seven hundredths faster than his previous best—and later claimed the 100 backstroke in 47.55. Both stars contributed to winning efforts in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays, showing how individual brilliance fuels team glory.
To wrap up, let's take a quick look back at the previous Swammy winners to appreciate the patterns: 2024 went to Carmel (IN) Girls and Bolles (FL) Boys; 2023 to Carmel (IN) Girls and Keller (TX) Boys; 2022 to Carmel (IN) Boys; 2021 to Bolles (FL) Boys; 2020 to Carmel (IN) Boys; 2019 to Baylor (TN) Girls; 2018 to Fossil Ridge (CO) Girls; 2017 to Carmel (IN) Girls; 2016 to Carmel (IN) Girls; and 2015 to Carmel (IN) Girls. It's clear some names keep popping up, raising eyebrows about whether this reflects sheer talent or systemic advantages.
But here's the big question that might divide fans: Are these dominant dynasties, like Bolles and Carmel, the heart and soul of high school swimming, pushing everyone to aim higher, or do they unfairly overshadow talented underdogs, potentially harming the sport's diversity and excitement? And in an era where recruiting and training programs are more intense than ever, should we celebrate these achievements as milestones or question if they're creating a monopoly on success? I'd love to hear your take—do you agree that these teams deserve the spotlight, or do you think it's time for a shake-up to level the playing field? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and let's spark a conversation! For more on standout athletes like Alex Shackell, check out her bio on SwimSwam.
