Cole Gorsuch, Falmouth senior: After a winter away from high school competition, Gorsuch swept the 50-yard freestyle (21.13 seconds) and 100 free (47.08) at the Class A state meet. Those times rank fifth and 10th in Maine schoolboy history. As a sophomore, he won state titles in the backstroke and butterfly. Gorsuch has yet to decide on a college.
Josh Langworthy, Mt. Ararat junior: Langworthy won the Class A 100 backstroke by more than two seconds, in 54.79. He also placed third in the 100 free and swam on two victorious relays – the 200 medley and 200 free. His KVAC championship time of 54.39 in the backstroke was the second-fastest in the state this winter.
Gaffney McDonough, Morse junior: McDonough won the Class B 50 freestyle (22.01) and placed third in the 100 butterfly. He also swam on two runner-up relays – the 200 medley and 400 free. His KVAC championship times in the 50 free (21.52) and 100 fly (52.36) rank 11th and 20th in Maine schoolboy history.
Cormac McKenney, Cape Elizabeth senior: McKenney successfully defended his Class B state titles in the 100 butterfly (51.99) and 100 breast stroke (59.37). He posted the season’s fastest times in three events, and ranks seventh all-time in the 100 butterfly (51.37), 12th in the 100 breast (59.01) and 15th in the 200 individual medley (1:57.39). He plans to continue his career at a college to be determined.
Logan McVeigh, Cape Elizabeth junior: McVeigh won the Class B diving state title with a score of 321.70 points to help the Capers claim their third consecutive team championship. A former gymnast who started diving this winter, he was the only boy in either class to break the 300-point barrier this season, having won North Southwesterns with a 319.10 total.
Graham Plourde, Cape Elizabeth junior: Plourde won the 200 individual medley (2:01.59) and was runner-up in the 100 butterfly to help Cape Elizabeth extend its Class B title reign to three years. He also swam on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. He posted top-12 times this winter in six events and contributed to a state record (1:37.19) in the 200 medley relay.
Keegan Rowe, Mt. Ararat senior: A repeat Varsity Maine All-State selection, Rowe won the Class A 100 butterfly (53.82) and was runner-up in the 50 free. He posted top-3 times this season in four events (50 and 100 free, 100 fly, 200 IM) and top-12 times in the other four. He plans to continue his career at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Sebastian Shields, Thornton Academy senior: Shields earned Performer of the Meet honors in Class A by sweeping the 200 freestyle (1:51.93) and his second consecutive 500 free (4:55.83). He did likewise at South Southwesterns, winning the 100 and 200 free, and was named South Southwesterns Conference Swimmer of the Year. A former state spelling bee champion, he has yet to choose a college.
David Steinbrick, Cape Elizabeth senior: Back in December, Steinbrick shattered the school record with a 4:36.73 time in the 500 freestyle, second in Maine schoolboy history. At the Class A state meet, he won the 200 free (1:45.81) and 500 free (4:37.32) and anchored the winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. He plans to continue his career at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Sawyer Wright, Morse junior: Wright won the Class B 100 freestyle in 49.23 and was runner-up in the 200 free. He also swam on two runner-up relays (200 medley and 400 free) to help the Shipbuilders place second overall. He earned KVAC championships in both the 100 backstroke and 200 free.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Ben Raymond, Cape Elizabeth: For the third season in a row, the Capers emerged victorious in the Class B state championship meet. They won eight of the 12 events, including the opening and closing relays, to outdistance Morse by 135 points. Now in his 17th year, Raymond has guided Cape Elizabeth to 12 state titles – four for boys and eight for girls – while striking the right balance between purpose and play. Of the 24 boys in the program, an astounding 17 met state meet qualifying standards, including two divers. Yes, Raymond is blessed with top-end talent, but he also incorporates seasonal swimmers and those new to the sport. “That’s the challenge of coaching swimming in general, finding out where each individual swimmer needs to improve and adapting our training sessions to meet that kid’s individual needs,” Raymond said. “This boys’ group was a lot of fun.”
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