SULPHUR — Westlake’s Talen Garrard looked to his left and saw defending state champion Cooper May trying to pull away in the final 25 yards of the Division III 100- yard butterfly finals.

But the sophomore found another gear and surged to the wall to defeat University High’s May for his first state championship and first in school history at the state swim meet Thursday at Sulphur Parks and Recreation Aquatic Center.

“On that turn, I saw (May) and he had me, but I just buckled down, put my head down, took one breath and gave it my all,” Garrard said. “It feels really good.

“I have worked since I was 4 and put all that effort in. I am very thankful. It keeps me in shape. It is a very different sport. It is disciplined. It makes me feel really good.”

He narrowly beat May by .04 seconds with a personal-best time of 53.82.

He said he had his first swimming lessons when he was 3 at the behest of his grandparents and credits them with getting him started on the path to a state championship.

“My pawpaw and mawmaw live on the river and they wanted me to take swimming lessons,” Garrard said. “It is really because of them. They got me into it. My mawmaw and pawpaw sit out there for three hours, waiting on me for practice and I am in here putting in the work and swimming. It is all thanks to them.”

A few events earlier, Garrard had his first chance at a gold medal. He was even with E.D. White Catholic’s Cade Poimboeuf’s during the breaststroke portion of the 200 individual medley, but Poimboeuf took the lead in the freestyle and finished in 2:01.75, while Garrard was runner-up (2:02.52).

Garrard also swam the lead leg on the Rams’ fourth-place 400 freestyle relay team (3:54.69).

Garrard was the lone Southwest Louisiana swimmer to medal at the Division III meet, while two missed a podium spot.

St. Louis Catholic’s Jake Wing placed fourth in the 50 freestyle (23.44), while Jennings freshman GraceAnne Patrick took fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:04.90) and 500 freestyle (5:42.86).

E.D. White won its seventh consecutive boys team championship and fifth consecutive girls.

Bell City junior Grant Granger entered the finals as the fourth seed in the Division IV 100-yard butterfly but jumped up a spot to medal.

He placed third with a time of 59.98, beating out Pope John Paul II’s Cole Hutson by .29 seconds for the last podium spot.

 

Division III

Boys

Team scoring

1, E.D. White, 465.5; 2, St. Charles, 278; 3, Patrick Taylor, 140.5; 4, University, 140; 5, Episcopal, 134; 6, Berwick, 126; 7, St. James 121; 8, Westlake, 105; 8, Vandebilt, 105; 10, Loyola, 78; 11, St. Louis, 76; 12, Newman, 63; 13, Parkview Baptist, 61; 14, St. Michael, 45; 15, Brusly, 42.

Individual

200 freestyle — 1, Owen Klingman, EDW, 1:45.81; 2, Thomas Daigle, EDW, 1:47.78; 3, Josh Ng, Brusly, 1:48.19.

200 IM — 1, Cade Poimboeuf, EDW, 2:01.75; 2, Talen Garrard, WHS, 2:02.52; 3, Jack McConnell, EPIS, 2:05.16.

50 freestyle — 1, Thomas Husbands, EDW, 21.01; 2, Luke Husbands, EDW, 21.28; 3, Gus Nicolosi, LCP, 21.49.

100 butterfly — 1, Talen Garrard, WHS, 53.82; 2, Cooper May, UHIGH, 53.86; 3, Cooper Bilello, EDW, 55.70.

100 freestyle — 1, Gus Nicolosi, LCP, 46.72; 2, Luke Husbands, EDW, 47.91; 3, Thomas Daigle, EDW, 48.83.

500 freestyle — 1, Owen Klingham, EDW, 4:50.72; 2, Aiden Templet, EDW, 4:56.29; 3, Josh Ng, Brusly, 5:06.99.

100 backstroke — 1, Cade Poimboeuf, EDW, 54.21; 2, Robby Eutsler, JCC, 55.00; 3, Cooper May, UHIGH, 55.75.

100 breaststroke — 1, Thomas Husbands, EDW, 58.77; 2, Jack McConnell, EPIS, 1:03.04; 3, James Cunddiff, EDW, 1:03.53.

Relays

200 medley — 1, E.D. White (Cade Poimboeuf, James Cundiff, Cooper Bilello, Thomas Husbands), 1:39.42; 2, St. Charles Catholic, 1;46.73; 3, University High, 1:49.89

200 freestyle — 1, E.D. White (Luke Husbands, Thomas Husbands, Thomas Daigle, Owen Klingman), 1:27.97; St. Charles Catholic, 1:37.75; 3, Patrick F. Taylor, 1:38.38.

400 freestyle — 1, E.D. White (Luke Husbands, Thomas Daigle, Cade Poimboeuf, Owen Klingman), 3:17.35; 2, St. Charles Catholic, 3:35.90; 3, Berwich, 3:51.74.

Girls

Team scoring

1, E.D. White Catholic, 379; 2, Episcopal, 353; 3, Archbishop Hannan, 228; 4, University, 217; 5, St. Charles Catholic, 198; 6, Patick Taylor, 110; 7, Isidore Newman, 84; 8, Vandebilt Catholic, 78; 9, St. Louis Catholic, 58; 10, St. James, 57; 11, Parkview Baptist, 56; 12, Jennings, 42; 13, Berwick, 40; 14, Loyola College Prep, 33; 15, St. Michael, 32.

Individual

200 freestyle — 1, Elizabeth Benoit, EDW, 1:55.59; 2, Sarah Senn, AHAN, 2:04.25; 3, Lucy Cramer, PBS, 2:11.63.

200 IM — 1, Leea Breeding, EDW, 2:14.38; 2, Riley Roedel, UHIGH, 2:16.28; 3, Liliana Latour, EPIS, 2:20.56.

50 freestyle — 1, Ryli Cazenave, EDW, 25.27; 2, Iris McNamara, AHAN, 25.37; 3, Faith Kubricht, EPIS, 25.74.

100 butterfly — 1, Elizabeth Benoit, EDW, 57.78; 2, Bailey Van Hoogstraten, UHIGH, 59.08; 3, Olivia Malancon, EPIS, 1:01.14.

100 freestyle — 1, Rylee Simoneaux, EPIS, 52.37; 2, Iris McNamara, AHAN, 55.80; 3, Ryli Cazenave, EDW, 56.07

500 freestyle — 1, Bailey Van Hoogstraten, UHIGH, 5:20.08; 2, Sarah Senn, AHAN, 5:33.19; 3, Elise Bennett, EPIS, 5:33.76.

100 backstroke — 1, Rylee Simoneaux, EPIS, 54.92; 2, Elise Bennett, EPIS, 1:00.88; 3, Abby Palermo, AHAN, 1:02.29.

100 breaststroke — 1, Leea Breeding, EDW, 1:08.81; 2, Liliana Latour, EPIS, 1:09.93; 3, Sydney Foret, EDW, 1:14.91.

Relays

200 medley — 1, Episcopal (Ryle Simoneaux, Ryann Richard, Elise Bennett, Liliana Latour), 1:52.14; 2, E.D. White, 1:52.39; 3, University High, 1:59.13.

200 freestyle — 1, Episcopal (Rylee Simoneaux, Faith Kubricht, Lilliana Latour, Grace Cieleiski), 1:42.79; 2, Archbishop Hannan, 1:43.17; 3, E.D. White, 1:48.82.

400 freestyle — 1, E.D. White (Elizabeth Benoit, Morgan Sacco, Leea Breeding, Ryli Cazenave), 3:43.53. 2, Archbishop Hannan, 3:47.92. 3, Episcopal 3:53.47.

 

Division IV

Boys

Team scoring

1, Pope John Paul II, 300; 2, Episcopal of Acadiana, 241; 3, Calvary Baptist, 210; 4, Dunham, 167; 5, Ascension Episcopal, 210; 6, Ascension Christian, 125; 7, St. Martin’s, 127; 8, Metairie Park Country Day, 110; 9, Holy Savior Menard, 96; 10, Westminster Christian, 86; 11, Bell City, 66; 12, Riverside Academy, 53; 13, Glenbrook, 43; 14, Acadiana Renaissance, 38; 15, Cedar Creek, 36; 16, Choudrant, 32; 16, Ascension Catholic, 32; 18, Lake Arthur, 29; 19, Catholic-New Iberia, 25; 20, Haynesville, 18; 21, Central Catholic, 11; 21, First Baptist Christian, 11.

Individual

200 freestyle — 1, Zachary Ponder, CBA, 1:40.38; 2, Eric Ring, PJP, 1:44.69; 3, Austin Landry, ACHS, 1:49.95.

200 IM — 1, Camdyn Napper, CCS, 2:00.65; 2, Jack Groce, CHOU, 2:01.97; 3, Samuel Ponder, CBA, 2:04.60.

50 freestyle — 1, Adam Stelly, WC, 22.30; 2, Hayden Cowen, DUN, 23.17; 3, Owen Broussard, ESA, 23.25.

100 butterfly — 1, Wyatt Combs, PJP, 52.67; 2, Eli Haase, CBA, 56.03; 3, Grant Granger, BC, 59.98.

100 freestyle — 1, Adam Stelly, WC, 48.79; 2, Owen Campbell, PJP, 50.36; 3, Hayden Cowen, DUN, 51.94

500 freestyle — 1, Zachary Ponder, CBA, 4:37.52; 2, Eric Ring, PJP, 4:44.54; 3, Austin Landry, ACHS, 5:02.76.

100 backstroke — 1, Samuel Ponder, CBA, 54.97; 2, Owen Campbell, PJP, 55:30; 3, Eli Haase, CBA, 56.02.

100 breaststroke — 1, Wyatt Combs, PJP, 1:00.70; 2, Owen Broussard, ESA, 1:02.81; 3, Camdyn Napper, CCS, 1:02.95.

Relays

200 medley — 1, Pope John Paul II (Owen Campbell, Wyatt Combs, Eric Ring, Cole Hutson), 1:42.18; 2, Calvary Baptist, 1:44.45; 3, Episcopal of Acadiana, 1:51.40.

200 freestyle — 1, Calvary Baptist (Samuel Ponder, Eli Haase, Jackson Morton, Zachary Ponder), 1:33.89; 2, Episcopal of Acadiana, 1:39.07; 3, Pope John Paul II, 1:42.77.

400 freestyle — 1, Pope John Paul II (Zayne Sterbenz, Owen Campbell, Wyatt Combs, Eric Ring), 3:22.89; 2, Dunham, 3:53.17; 3, Ascension Christian, 4:03.03.

Girls

Team scoring

1, Episcopal of Acadiana, 265; 2, Calvary Baptist, 233; 3, Pope John Paul II, 224; 4, Ascension Episcopal, 171; 5, Cedar Creek, 155; 6, Riverside Academy, 115; 7, Ascension Christian, 102; 8, Metairie Park Country Day 91; 9, McGehee, 72; 10, Holy Savior Menard, 57; 11, Dunham, 53; 12, Glenbrook, 52; 13, Houma Christian, 47; 14, St. Martin’s, 44; 15, Bell City, 39; 16, Acadiana Renaissance, 31; 16, Ascension Catholic, 31; 18, Westminster Christian, 29; 19, Opelousas, 28; 20, Sacred Heart, 24; 21, Centerville, 21; 22, Haynesville, 1.

Individual

200 freestyle — 1, Macy Monday, CBA, 2:01.09; 2, McKenzie Jones, CCS, 2:01.65; 3, Anna Chelette, HSM, 2:07.64.

200 IM — 1, Brooke Gill, AES, 2:12.56; 2, Claire Roper, CBA, 2:14.27; 3, Jiya Lodha, ESA, 2:29.28.

50 freestyle — 1, Mady Hill, PJP, 24.43; 2, Braylee Ladner, PJP, 25.80; 3, Bella Bourque, ESA, 25.83.

100 butterfly — 1, Mady Hill, PJP, 57.73; 2, Juliette Magner, StM, 59.32; 3, Bella Bourque, ESA, 1:01.80.

100 freestyle — 1, Braylee Ladner, PJP, 55.61; 2, Anna Chelette, HSM, 56.86; 3, Evie Landry, ACHS, 59.11.

500 freestyle — 1, Macy Monday, CBA, 5:19.93; 2, Taylor Frick, PJP, 5:27.44; 3, McKenzie Jones, CCS, 5:37.48.

100 backstroke — 1, Claire Roper, CBA, 58.90; 2, Taylor Frick, PJP, 59.06; 3, Juliette Magner, StM, 1:00.37.

100 breaststroke — 1, Brooke Gill, AES, 1:05.77; 2, Aubreigh Armentor, ARC, 1:18.26; 3, Jiya Lodha, ESA, 1:18.80.

Relays

200 medley — 1, Pope John Paul II (Taylor Frick, Mady Hill, Braylee Ladner, Madison Talazac), 1:59.23; 2, Calvary Baptist, 2:01.06; 3, Episcopal of Acadiana, 2:05.19.

200 freestyle — 1, Episcopal of Acadiana (Jiya Lodha, Ciara Farmer, Ella Walton, Bella Bourque), 1:50.02; 2, Calvary Baptist, 1:56.08; 3, Metairie Park Country Day, 2:02.33.

400 freestyle — 1, Pope John Paul II (Madison Talazac, Braylee Ladner, Taylor Frick, Mady Hill), 3:53.17; 2, Calvary Baptist, 4:11.30; 3, Cedar Creek, 4:24.69.