By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Swimmers from Harmony and St. Cloud compete at the 2A-3 regional in St. Petersburg today with an opportunity to advance to next week’s state meet.

Harmony’s boys and girls won the 2A District 7 championships at Winter Haven’s Rowdy Gaines Swimming Complex last week and will send two dozen competitors to today’s regional. The diving competition was held Friday.

Harmony’s boys won for the fifth time in eight seasons. It was the Lady Longhorns’ first district championship.

Harmony’s girls won the 200 free relay (1:53.05) and 400 free relay (4:14.11) and the 200 medley relay. The boys won the 400 free relay (3:25.19).

The individual champs were Katy Davis (50 free, 27.07; 100 free, 57.70); Mitchell  Mungall (200 free, 1:55.89) and diver Larry McVicker (422.80).

Davis also swam on both of Harmony’s champion relay teams along with Lindsey Saute, Kendall Knight, Olivia Missigman, Jasie Howard and Juliya Watson.

Harmony’s medley relay also qualified with Saute, Knight, Missigman and Howard.

Qualifying as individuals were Watson (200 free, 2:28.65; 500 free, 6:30.18); Kylie Joachim (200 IM, 2:45.46; 100 back, 1:19.16); Knight (50 free, 28.39; 100 breast stroke 1:18.76), Missigman (100 fly, 1:11; 100 back, 1:16.60) and Saute (100 free, 1:01.73; 100 back, 1:10.54).

“We have been blessed with a great group of kids this year. We were thrilled for them winning the district championship,” Lady Horns Coach Lori O’Rourke said. “We are hoping to see them swim their best times at the regional meet.”

Swimming the boys 400 free relay were Mungall, Luke Roberts, John Roberts and Sam Steele.

Qualifying individually for the Harmony boys are Mungall in the 200 free and 500 free (5:19.31), Peter Swafford (200 free, 2:05.02; 500 free, 5:41), Brandon Graber in the breast stroke and 200 IM (2:14.08), Josh Saute in the 200 IM (2:33), Luke Roberts (50 free, 22.85; 100 free, 50.02),  Steele (50 free, 23.64; 100 fly, 57.43), Michael Driscoll (50 free, 24.72),  Christian Smith (diving, 331.65), Brice Howard (100 fly, 1:00.90; breast stroke, 1:03.68), Jonathan Jacobson (100 fly, 1:07.97), John Roberts in the 100 free (52.38) and 200 free, Jesse Tetreault (50 free; 100 free, 55.27) and Brendan Maloney in the backstroke (1:11.94).

Harmony’s Graber broke the school record (1:02.76) in the breast stroke, placing second.

“We were thrilled with the guys’ success at district and being able to move 15 onto regionals,” Horns Coach Terry Brown said. “I don’t think the guys have peaked yet. Hopefully, we will advance several onto state and at the indoor venue (the Orlando International Y, site of the state meet) we hope to see a marked improvement in times.”

St. Cloud also will be represented at the 2A-3 regional as Samantha Deason won the 200 IM championship (2:32.46) and also qualified in the breast stroke (1:15.92).

Marissa Leaton (6:15.34) qualified in the 500 and Matt Sullivan (1:13.34) competes in the backstroke.

Divers Madison Clayton (325.15) and Giancarlo Diaz (283.95) also qualified.

Five swimmers and divers from Osceola High and two Gateway swimmers advanced to the 3A-1 regional at Jacksonville Thursday. They advanced from the 3A-3 district meet at the Orlando International Y last week in what is regarded as one of the most difficult districts in the state.

Osceola’s Paul Gursky advanced in the 50 free (23.02) and 100 free (51.06), and Kendall Castillow (5:54.44) competed in the 500 free and the 200 free.

Divers Jordan Parrish (364.10), Jordan Copeland (360.53) and Joshue Herrera (294.20) also advanced.

Gateway’s Suanny Zamora (1:08.86) qualified for the backstroke and Melissa Morgan (26.83) advanced in the 50 freestyle.

The state meet is at Orlando next week.