State Champs

The Jesuit High School swimming team finished off another District and Region championship season with perhaps the best day of swimming in school history at the Class 2A State Meet on Saturday (Nov. 7) in Stuart.

Jesuit equaled last-season’s school-best State runner-up team finish, finishing just 5.5 points shy of winner Plantation American Heritage, 250 to 244.5, as the title chase came down to the final event. Jesuit came within a few strokes of becoming the first Hillsborough County school since 1946 to win a State swimming championship.

“Brotherhood, heart, and determination lead to a night to remember,” head coach Bill Shaffer said.

Several Tigers returned from Stuart as individual State Champions and many more brought home State medals, led by Tommy Shaffer ’16. Shaffer captured the State title in the 100 freestyle and swam a leg on two championship relays, the 200 medley and 200 freestyle.

Shaffer teamed with Byrne Litschgi ’16, Chris Jennings ’18, and Matthew Dieffenthaller ’19 to claim the 200 medley title in a school-record time. The 200 freestyle championship team - which is pictured on the homepage, along with coach Shaffer - was comprised of Shaffer, Litschgi, Will Sands ’17, and Sam Sands ’18 and swam an All-American consideration time.

Litschgi also earned two silver medals, in the 100 backstroke (All-American consideration time) and 200 individual medley. The 400 freestyle relay also placed second, with swimmers Will and Sam Sands, Dieffenthaller, and Stephen Dawes ’17.

Other top finishers for Jesuit included Shaffer in the 50 freestyle (4^th); Sam Sands in the 100 freestyle (5^th) and 200 freestyle (7^th); Diego Perez ’18 in diving (7^th); Jennings in the 100 breaststroke (7^th); Will Sands in the 50 (11^th) and 100 freestyle (16^th); John Jansen ’18 in the 200 IM (15^th), Dawes in the 50 freestyle (15^th), and Tyler Carreja ’19 (16th) in the 100 backstroke.

Click here for a Bright House Sports Network story with video

Click here for a Tampa Bay Times story.

View a photo slideshow from State swimming below: