St. Cloud and Harmony repeated as team champions
After tying the Lady Longhorns a year ago, the Lady Bulldogs won their first outright swimming championship in school history, edging Harmony by just two points. (Photo/Taylor McFee)
Several meet records fell on Thursday afternoon, as St. Cloud and Harmony repeated as team champions at the 2026 Orange Belt Conference Swimming and Diving Championships at Markinson Aquatic Center.
After tying the Lady Longhorns a year ago, the Lady Bulldogs won their first outright swimming championship in school history – edging Harmony by just two points (182-180).
Santiana Meassick was one of the individual stars for St. Cloud, winning both 200 freestyle (2:05.36) and 100 free (1:02.01) in OBC Meet record time; while also swimming legs on the winning 200-Medley Relay and 200 free relay to claim four gold medals at the meet.
Elise Jurgens (200 medley relay, 200 free, 100 back) and Avery Powell (200 medley relay, 50 free, 500 free) also won three golds each for St. Cloud.
Still, it was the lone diving event that cost St. Cloud a solo team championship last year but pushed them over the top this year. Last season, Harmony out-scored St. Cloud 24-1 in the 1-Meter Dive during a 152-152 tie. This year, St. Cloud’s Autumn Mariciniak won the event with 184.55 points to pick up nine valuable team points. Although Harmony took the next three places, two other St. Cloud divers scored points as the Longhorns only managed an 18-16 advantage in the event.
“I can’t say enough about the effort our swimmers and divers put in today,” Bulldogs coach Tommy Jurgens said. “Autumn really came through for us in the diving and Santiana led an outstanding effort by our swimmers. Overall though, I would have to say our depth made the real difference this year.”
In last year’s event, just five swimmers accounted for 146 of St. Cloud’s 152 points. This year, the Lady Bulldogs saw 13 of their 16 swimmers record points.
Although they have a new coach in John Ross, nothing much changed on the OBC boys side as the Longhorns won for the team championship for a second straight year and fourth time in the last five.
Davin Mathis (200 medley relay, 100 breaststroke, 50 free and 200 free Relay) won four gold medals; while Mark Rivera and Jacob Thomas won three each as Harmony (186 points) easily out-distanced second place St. Cloud (126). Celebration (96) was third.
“It went pretty much as planned,” Ross said. “It was a nice reward for the months of hard work these guys have put in.” The first-year coach said he was especially pleased with the efforts of Rivera and Thomas. “Both those guys had exceptional meets and I was pleased that Jacob broke his own OBC record in the 500-free.”
Celebration’s Mahoud Morsy had a tremendous individual day, setting meet records in both the 100 back (54.02) and 100 butterfly (52.13); while also swimming a leg on the winning 400 free relay.
District swimming meets start next week.
2026 Orange Belt Conference
Swimming Championships Results
Boys Team Scores: 1. Harmony 186, 2. St. Cloud 126, 3. Celebration 96, 4. Gateway 24
200 Medley Relay: 1, Harmony (Jack Dubose, Davin Mathis, Michael Rivera, Angel Rodriguez-Ramos) 1:48.01, 2. St. Cloud, 3. Celebration
200 Free: 1. Jacob Thomas (Harmony) 1:55.30; 2. Dominick Velazquez (St. Cloud), 3. Nathan Callan (Harmony)
200 IM: 1. Crusoe Pennington (St. Cloud) 2:21.69; 2. Blake Scarlett (Harmony), 3. Kai Kim (Harmony)
50 Free: 1. Mathis (Harmony) 22.88. 2. Samuel Yaw (Celebration), 3. Owen Hill (St. Cloud)
1-Meter Diving: 1. Parker Kienzler (Harmony) 232.00; 2. Oliver Dorminey (St. Cloud), 3. Fernando Berroteran-Pardo (Harmony)
100 Fly: 1. Mahmoud Morsy (Celebration) 52.13*; 2, Jackson Wong (St. Cloud), 3. Angel Rodriguez-Ramos (St. Cloud)\
100 Free: 1. Rivera (Harmony) 50.75, 2. Yaw (Celebration), 3. DuBose (Harmony)
500 Free: 1. Thomas (Harmony) 5:14.68*; 2. Velazquez (St. Cloud), 3. Alessio D’Alessandro (Celebration)
200 Free Relay: 1. Harmony (Rivera, Thomas, Scarlett, Mathis) 1:35.93; 2. St. Cloud, 3. Celebration
100 Back: 1. Morsy (Celebration) 54.02*, 2. Rivera (Harmony), 3. Matias Arcay (St. Cloud)
100 Breast: 1. Mathis (Harmony) 1:04.38; 2. Scarlett (Harmony); 3. Pennington (St. Cloud)
400 Free Relay: 1. Celebration (Morsy, Fernando Lopes, Manuel Vazquez, Yaw) 3:37.62; 2. Harmony, 3. St. Cloud
Girls Team Scores: 1. St. Cloud 182, 2. Harmony 180, 3. Celebration 72, 4. Gateway 11
200 Medley Relay: 1. St. Cloud (Santiana Meassick, Elise Jurgens, Brooke Bonesteel, Avery Powell) 2:00.59; 2. Harmony, 3. Celebration
200 Free: 1. Meassick (St. Cloud) 2:05.36*; Zarraelis Muniz-Montana (Harmony). 3,Emily Quezada (Harmony)
200 IM: 1. Reagan Foster (Harmony) 2:27.74*; 2. Mackenzie Butner (Harmony), 3. Jurgens (St. Cloud)
50 Free: 1. Powell (St. Cloud) 26:03; 2. Raelyn Mathis (Harmony), 3. Zoe Valezquez (St. Cloud)
1-Meter Diving: 1. Autumn Marciniak (St. Cloud) 184,30, 2. Tatum Holl (Harmony), 3. Hailey Hervey (Harmony)
100 Fly: 1. Meassick (St. Cloud) 1:02.01*; 2. Bonesteel (St. Cloud); 3. Clara Valle (Gateway)
100 Free: 1. Foster (Harmony) 58.40, 2. Mathis (Harmony), 3. Muniz-Montoya (Harmony)
500 Free: 1. Powell (St. Cloud) 5:44.25, 2. Ivy Davis (Harmony), 3. Erika DeLa Cerda (St. Cloud)
200 Free Relay: 1. St. Cloud (Velazquez, Jurgens, Meassick, Marciniak 1:51.38; 2. Harmony, 3. Celebration
100 Back: 1. Jurgens (St. Cloud) 1:10.46; 2. Marciniak (St. Cloud), 3. Savannah Harden (Celebration)
100 Breast: 1. Butner (Harmony) 1:15.48*; 2. Davis (Harmony), 3. Sara Rodriguez-Rodrigues (Celebration)
400 Free Relay: 1. Harmony (Foster, Mathis, Davis, Butner) 4:00.39*; 2. St. Cloud
Girls-DIS
50 Free: Addison Buckley (Celebration) 1:00.11*
100 Free: Buckley (Celebration) 2:20.06
Boys-DIS
50 Free: Sabastion Montes (St. Cloud) 37.68
100 Free: Montes (St. Cloud) 1:21.30
