NISD swimmers and divers advance to UIL state competitions

A total of 16 student-athletes from across Northwest ISD will represent the district at the upcoming UIL Swimming and Diving State Meet in Austin, Texas. Swimmers and divers from each of the district’s three comprehensive high schools — Byron Nelson, Eaton and Northwest — qualified for the meet based on their performances in regional competition.

Junior Lauren Durbin — who broke two longstanding school records at the 5A regional swim meet in Mansfield — qualified for state in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke events with times of 24.44 and 1:00.28, respectively. Luke Peterman totaled a state-qualifying score of 278.85 in the in 1 meter diving competition, securing his spot as the only freshman from the district to advance to the state championships. 

Northwest High School swimmer Lauren Durbin 

Northwest High School diver Luke Peterman

State-bound members of the Eaton High School swim and dive team 

For the third year in a row, the Eaton Eagles have qualified for the UIL Swimming and Diving State Meet after shattering eight school records at regions. Junior Maggie Meyers posted an All-American qualifying score of 412.5, a new school record in 1 meter diving. Junior Gavin Peterman broke school records in both the 50 and 100-yard freestyle races, with verified times of 21.31 and 46.11. Eagle sophomore Evan Witte finished the 500-yard freestyle race with a state qualifying time of 4:35.35, also earning himself a new school record. 

Peterman, Witte, sophomore John Aegerter and junior Reeve Ferber broke the Eaton High School swimming record in the 400-yard freestyle relay event, posting a time of 3:09.88. Ferber, Witte, Peterman and sophomore David Roach also broke a longstanding school record in the 200-yard medley relay with a final time of 1:37.46.

The Byron Nelson High School girls relay team posted state-qualifying times at regions in both the 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relays. The quartet of senior Colorado State commit Azalea Shepherd, senior Reagan Gerard, junior Karen Zhou and junior Lily Lenzer broke the previously held 200-yard medley school record by nearly a full second, posting a finals time of 1:48:78. 

Byron Nelson's Reagan Gerard, Lily Lenzer, Karen Zhou and Azalea Shepherd

Shepherd and Lenzer also qualified for state in their respective individual events. Shepherd secured times of 24.06 and 52.18 in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle races, while Lenzer broke her own individual school record in the 100-yard back event, beating her previous time of 57.98 by nearly half a second. 

After shattering a previous school record by nearly two seconds, the Byron Nelson boys 200-yard medley relay placed second at regions, also qualifying them for state. Lake Forest College commit Shea Stauffer, senior Jarrod Carmody, sophomore Naga Maddula and senior Robert Hood posted a final relay time of 1:36.74, easily beating their preliminary qualifying time of 1:38.35

Byron Nelson relay team members Shea Stauffer, Jarrod Carmody, Naga Maddula and Robert Hood

Both the 5A and 6A UIL Swimming and Diving State Meet will take place February 18 and 19 at the University of Texas’s Lee and Joe Jamail Swim Center. For more information, please visit the UIL website.