Eagle girls, Viking boys swim to county titles (PHOTOS)

DESTIN — Kathy Ritacco’s reclamation of the Niceville girls’ swimming program reached new heights on Tuesday night at the Destin YMCA pool as the Eagles snatched the Okaloosa County Championship away from perennial power Fort Walton Beach.

In just her third season at the helm of a program that had as few as 15 members three years ago, Ritacco’s team erupted when the final score was announced — Niceville 172.5, Fort Walton Beach 155.

Click here to view a photo gallery of the meet.

For senior Alexa Birmingham, who won the 100 butterfly and finished third in the 500 free, the celebration was a long time coming.

“It’s a very big accomplishment,” Birmingham said. “Ever since my freshman year, our girls have always been at the bottom. It’s nice to have other girls come in and build it up. … I think that’s helped a lot in getting us this beautiful trophy.

“It was nice to overcome Fort Walton for once.”

On the boys’ side, however, it was much of the same as Fort Walton Beach powered its way to a sixth consecutive county title. Fort Walton Beach held off Choctawhatchee 183-173 for the team title thanks in large part to the Vikings’ depth. It was that depth that allowed the Vikings to win the title despite watching a Choctaw swimmer place first in all but two events.

In six of the individual events won by Choctaw, a Fort Walton Beach swimmer finished second and third.

“It’s vital,” Vikings coach Pam Braseth said. “To be a team that wins championships, whether it’s at the county level or at district, you have to have depth.”

Michael Braseth (second 200 free, second 500 free), Levi Wilke (third 200 free, third 500 free), Joshua Williams (second 200 IM, second back), Joseph Mackenzie (third 200 IM, third 100 fly), Anthony Devine (second 100 fly), Zachary Duval (second 100 free), Jordan Day (third 100 free, third 50 free), Justin Hunt (second 100 breast) and Frank Bruechner (third 100 breast) helped the Vikings load up on points in individual events. Fort Walton Beach won the 200 free relay.

It short, it was a complete effort.

“It feels great,” Michael Rogers said. “I can say that I’ve gone my entire high school career with this trophy.”

Choctaw, behind a slew of first places, left the pool confident it can make another push toward state.

Patrick Whitehurst (first 200 free, first 100 back), Michael Whitehurst (first 200 IM, first 500 free), Alex Strom (first 100 fly, first 100 breast)  and Cody Bryson (first 100 free) each won their respective individual events, as through the first 14 events, the Indians stood even with Fort Walton Beach, 102-102. The Indians also secured the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay titles.

“They won every event but two,” Indians coach Jamie Garea said. “They’re exactly where they need to be. They did all they can do, they’re excited to go to districts.”

Niceville’s Dallas Montgomery won the 50 free with a time of 22.91 to help the Eagles finish third with 120 points and ahead of first-year program Rocky Bayou Christian, which finished with 21 points.

But it was the somewhat surprising surge made by the Eagles’ girls’ team that had Niceville buzzing afterward. Along with Birmingham’s win in the 100 fly, Rachel Gold (100 free) and Laura Nelson (100 back) supplied the team with first-place finishes while the Eagles’ 400 free relay team of Catherine Carden, Birmingham, Gold and Haley McWilliams came through with a meet-ending triumph that all but secured the program’s first county title.

Fort Walton Beach’s Brooke Arrington finished second in the 50 free and 100 free while Paige Regelman placed second in the 100 fly and third in the 200 IM. The Vikings won the 200 free relay.

Choctaw, which placed third as a team with 134.5 points, was paced once again by Amelia Strom (first 200 free, 100 breast), Olivia Strom (first 200 IM, first 500 free) and Jaide Lewis (first 50 free) individually. The Indians also placed first in the 200 medley relay.

Rocky Bayou Christian finished fourth with 33 points.

Okaloosa County Swim Championships

Boys

Team Scores: 1. Fort Walton Beach 183, 2. Choctawhatchee 173, 3. Niceville 120, 4. Rocky Bayou Christian 21

Top 3 Finishers

200 yard medley relay: 1. Choctaw A 1:44.68, 2. FWB A 1:48.95, 3. FWB B, 1:51.85; 200 free: 1. Patrick Whitehurst (C) 1:52.11, 2. Michael Braseth (FWB) 1:55.68, 3. Levi Wilke (FWB) 1:58.68; 200 IM: 1. Michael Whitehurst (C) 2:06.28, 2. Joshua Williams (FWB) 2:09.19, 3. Joseph Mackenzie (FWB) 2:13.19; 50 Free: 1. Dallas Montgomery (N) 22.91, 2. Cody Bryson (C) 23.37, 3. Jordan Day (FWB) 23.69; 100 Butterfly: 1. Alex Strom (C) 53.93, 2. Anthony Devine (FWB) 56.58, 3. Joseph Mackenzie (FWB) 58.73; 100 Free: 1. Cody Bryson (C) 51.89, 2. Zachary Duval (FWB) 52.92, 3. Jordan Day (FWB) 53.61; 500 Free: 1. Michael Whitehurst (C) 5:02.77, 2. Michael Braseth (FWB) 5:04.70, 3. Levi Wilke (FWB) 5:24.00; 200 Free Relay: 1. FWB A, 1:36.09, 2. FWB B, 1:38.26, 3. Choctaw A, 1:40.74; 100 Backstroke: 1. Patrick Whitehurst (C) 57.56, 2. Joshua Williams (FWB) 1:01.16, 3. Chase Turner (N) 1:02.44; 100 Breaststroke: 1. Alex Strom (C) 1:02.32, 2. Justin Hunt (FWB) 1:07.15, 3. Frank Bruechner (FWB) 1:09.29; 400 Free Relay: 1. Choctaw A, 3:29.70, 2. FWB A, 3:32.63, 3. FWB B, 3:33.91.

Girls

Team Scores: 1. Niceville 172.5, 2. Fort Walton Beach 155, 3. Choctawhatchee 134.5, 4. Rocky Bayou Christian 33

Top 3 Finishers

200 yard medley relay: 1. Choctaw A, 2:02.49, 2. Niceville A 2:04.57, 3. FWB A, 2:05.00; 200 free: 1. Amelia Strom (C) 2:06.82, 2. Rachel Gold (N) 2:07.37, 3. Catherine Carden (N) 2:15.37; 200 IM: 1. Olivia Strom (C) 2:17.09, 2. Haley McWilliams (N) 32:25.54, 3. Paige Regelman (FWB) 2:28.87; 50 Free:  1. Jaide Lewis (C) 27.01, 2. Brooke Arrington (FWB) 27.16, 3. Olivia Johnson (FWB) 27.50; 100 Butterfly: 1. Alexa Birmingham (N) 1:04.57, 2. Paige Regelman (FWB) 1:09.88, 3. Milbrey Parke (N) 1:10.10; 100 Free: 1. Rachel Gold (N) 1:00.02, 2. Brooke Arrington (FWB) 1:01.24, 3. Catherine Carden (N) 1:02.32; 500 Free: Olivia Strom (C) 5:20.89, 2. Haley McWilliams (N) 5:39.15, 3. Alexa Birmingham (N) 5:45.85; 200 Free Relay: 1. FWB A, 1:49.53, 2. Niceville A, 1:52.17, 3. FWB B, 1:54.71; 100 Backstroke: 1. Laura Nelson (N) 1:10.26, 2. Jaide Lewis (C) 1:11.45, 3. Samantha Shaw (C) 1:11.87; 100 Breaststroke: 1. Amelia Strom (C) 1:13.55, 2. Milbrey Parke (N) 1:16.55, 3. Megan Drake (FWB) 1:17.18; 400 Free Relay: 1. Niceville A, 4:01.43, 2. Choctaw A, 4:03.30, 3. FWB A, 4:04.52.