It is difficult to imagine any swimmer having a better state meet than Lainey Mullins.
The Tower Hill junior won two individual events – lowering her own state record in one – and helped two relay teams break state records as the Hillers won their third straight team title at the DIAA Girls Swimming and Diving Championships.
That standout performance on Feb. 26 at the University of Delaware’s Rawstrom Natatorium made Mullins the choice as the Delaware High School Swimming Coaches Association’s Girls Swimmer of the Year.
Mullins’ individual titles came in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles. She finished the 200 in 1:47.69, beating her old mark of 1:48.32 set as a freshman in 2020.
“I knew it would be a super close event. There was a ton of competition,” Mullins said. “The state record was something on my mind. I was shooting for it and am glad that I could score those points for my team.”
The Hillers needed every bit of her effort, as Tower Hill was locked in a three-way battle with Charter of Wilmington and Ursuline going into the final event – the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Mullins swam the anchor leg as the Hillers won in 3:31.36, breaking the previous state record of 3:32.49 set by Charter in 2013.
“Coach [James] Erhardt said whoever wins this race wins the state title,” Mullins said. “That’s what we did. We knew we had to bring our ‘A’ game, and I’m glad it worked out in our favor.”
The same foursome – Grace Gilbert, Brooke Griffin, Sydney DeBaecke and Mullins – also combined for a state title in the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:36.82, breaking their own two-year-old record of 1:37.18.
DeBaecke, who also won the 100-yard backstroke, and Gilbert joined Mullins on the All-State first team as the Hillers edged Charter by 5½ points for the team championship.
Brandywine’s Rachel Bockrath was also on the All-State first team after sweeping the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, with her 100 time of 49.81 breaking Kaitlyn Jones’s nine-year-old state record of 49.96.
Other event winners on the first team were Charter’s Georgia Colborn (100 butterfly), Wilmington Friends’ Kira Agne (200 individual medley), Appoquinimink’s Jordan Tierney (100 breaststroke) and Newark Charter’s Madelyn Hiller (1-meter diving).
Other members of the All-State first team include Conrad’s Katelyn Fitzgerald and Alyssa Napier, Ursuline’s Mackenzie Brandt and Caitlin Horning, Concord’s Rylee Waslyn, Padua’s Madison Testa and Sussex Central’s Madelyn McTeer.
Freelance reporter Kevin Phillips contributed to this article.
Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ
All-State girls swimming
First team
Lainey Mullins, jr., Tower Hill
Rachel Bockrath, so., Brandywine
Sydney DeBaecke, sr., Tower Hill
Kira Agne, jr., Wilmington Friends
Georgia Colborn, so., Charter of Wilmington
Jordan Tierney, sr., Appoquinimink
Katelyn Fitzgerald, jr., Conrad
Mackenzie Brandt, sr., Ursuline
Alyssa Napier, fr., Conrad
Rylee Waslyn, sr., Concord
Madison Testa, jr., Padua
Grace Gilbert, so., Tower Hill
Madelyn McTeer, sr., Sussex Central
Caitlin Horning, so., Ursuline
Madelyn Hiller, fr., Newark Charter
Second team
Gracie Maughan, Sussex Academy; Rowen O’Donoghue, St. Mark’s; Mary Kate Keegan, Ursuline; Lenya Ryan, Mount Pleasant; Natalie Johnson, Ursuline; Delanie McKenzie, Charter of Wilmington; Kristin Maile, Charter of Wilmington; Alexandra Phillips, Charter of Wilmington; Isabella Caraballo, Ursuline; Logan Bagley, Padua; Victoria May, Caesar Rodney; Abigail Rhodunda, Concord; Rozlyn Wynn, Charter of Wilmington; Brooke Griffin, Tower Hill; Kayleigh Reburn, Newark Charter.
Third team
Lila Fanelli, Tower Hill; Elizabeth Maher, Archmere; Yohanna Hailu, Charter of Wilmington; Delaney McHugh, Newark Charter; Victoria Phillips, Charter of Wilmington; Caroline Forde, St. Andrew’s; Ellie Johnson, Ursuline; Saryn McCullough, Newark Charter; Elizabeth Rainey, St. Andrew’s; Megan Price, Padua; Emily Murphy, Padua; Aisha Fontaine, Middletown; Rayne Sheats, Conrad; Emma Hopkins, St. Andrew’s; Marina Chakar, Brandywine.
