By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
2024 Colorado Girls’ High School State Championship – 4A
- February 6-8, 2024
- Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center, Thornton, Colorado
- Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
- Meet Results (PDF)
Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs, home of the Olympic Training Center, successfully defended their 2023 state title to win their 2nd girls’ swimming & diving title in school history and 7th across all sports.
Girls’ high school swimming & diving in Colorado has three classifications: 3A, 4A, and 5A. 4A is the middle-tier of schools by enrollment.
Led by US Junior National Team member Madison Mintenko, Pine Creek won 7 out of 11 events en route to a dominant victory, more-than-doubling the score of the runners-up from Broomfield High School.
Top 5, Team Standings:
- Pine Creek High School – 567
- Broomfield High School – 265
- Cheyenne Mountain High School – 243.50
- Monarch High School – 240.50
- Centaurus High School – 209.50
Mintenko, a junior, shattered her own Class 4A Record in the 200 freestyle with a 1:44.35. That broke her own record of 1:45.93 from last year; in two seasons, she’s taken 2.6 seconds off the class record.
She has one more season to chase the all-classes state record of 1:43.15 that was set in 2012 by 5-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin.
Mintenko came back later in the session to win and set another record in the 500 free in 4:44.75 – winning by over 19 seconds. That was another title defense and another class record, beating her 4:47.70 from last year’s meet. Franklin holds that record too in 4:41.72.
Mintenko has been faster in both races – 1:43.92 in the 200 free and 4:39.24 in the 500 free – but both of those swims were done at about 400 feet above sea level in Austin, Texas. Thornton is located at over 5,000 feet of altitude, which by USA Swimming’s altitude conversions would get her 1.2 seconds of benefit in the 200 free (1:42.15) and 5 seconds in the 500 free (3:39.75).
“Really, just trying to improve year after year after year is the goal,” Mintenko said. “And being able to do that also with my team is amazing.
“It’s definitely in the back of my mind. I’m thinking about it 100 percent,” Mintenko said. “I’ve just got to put the work in and just get better and better and I’m so happy that I will be able to have one more year and be here with my team no matter what.”
Madison Mintenko is the daughter of Lindsay (Benko) Mintenko, a three-time Olympic relay medalist and former World Record holder in the 400 free in short course meters, and Mike Minetnko, a 2005 World Championship silver medalist. Her mom Lindsay is currently USA Swimming’s National Team Director – the first woman to hold that role.
Madison Mintenko also grabbed a pair of relay wins. The combination of Izzy Burton (back – 26.54), Elizabeth Gray (breast – 31.16), Kamdyn Swanson (fly – 26.06), and Mintenko (21.93) finished in 1:45.69, winning by more than two seconds ahead of Monarch High’s runner-up relay.
Mintenko’s anchor split was the fastest in the field by more than two seconds.
Monarch’s relay included notably a 29.37 breaststroke split from sophomore Audrey Shambo and a 25.16 fly split from junior Eliza Lennox. They’ll return that entire relay next season to contend for the state title.
Mintenko also anchored the winning 400 free relay which just-missed the 4A State Record by about three-tenths of a second. Lily Kemmerer (54.00), Izzy Burton (51.18), Kamdyn Swanson (53.75), and Mintenko (48.79) combined for a 3:27.72. It was again Monarch who finished 2nd, this time in 3:37.21. Lennox was again a standout – touching in 50.74 for the 2nd-best split in the field.
Lennox also won the 50 free individually in 23.41, out-touching Highlands Ranch’s Renee Burton (23.55); and again in the 100 free in 51.16, outtouching Pine Creek’s Burton (51.70).
Those are both lifetime bests – including a 100 free time that knocked a second off her 3rd-place time from last year’s state meet. She’s an uncommitted high school junior.
Even without Mintenko, Pine Creek won the 200 free relay as part of a relay sweep at the meet. That group included Evelyn Morris (25.68), August Ricca (25.49), Lily Kemmerer (25.21), and Jacquelyn Erickson (24.16), combining for a 1:40.54. Golden High School finished 2nd in 1:41.62.
“The girls worked really hard all season and they knew it going in,” Pine Creek head coach Kent Nelson said. “We’re a large team and they all season long have stuck together. As you can see just by their interaction as a team, we really promoted that. So, it’s fun to go back to back like that. A lot (of teams) don’t get to do that, so we’re excited.”
Besides Mintenko and the relay wins, Pine Creek also got a win from uncommitted senior Kamdyn Swanson in the 100 back. She finished in 56.89, her lifetime best, after placing as runner-up last year. She’s the only individual champion out of five graduating for Pine Creek, but her sophomore teammate Lily Kemmerer becomes the de facto favorite to supplant her after finishing 2nd in 57.63.
Later in the session, junior Izzy Burton got her 2nd of what would be 3 wins (including 2 relays) when she won the 100 back in 56.12. That promoted her from 2nd place last season as well.
The junior class is the strength in Class 4A, with probably the three best collegiate prospects out of the meet falling in the class of 2025. Another winner from the junior class is Samantha Synsvoll from Cheyenne Mountain, who won the 200 IM in 2:05.03 in her first high school state meet (2:03.83 with the altitude conversion).
Monarch’s Audrey Shambo was 2nd in the 200 IM in 2:07.33, but she climbed to the top of the podium later in the meet in the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.34 – giving her a nearly three second margin of victory. Combined with Lennox’s two titles, she helped lead her team to a 4th place finish. That’s a one spot improvement for the Coyotes under new head coach Amber Austin – who coached the boys’ team for the last nine season but moved over to lead the girls in the winter season this year.
Niwot High School’s Elizabeth Fay won the 1-meter springboard diving title after finishing 3rd last year.
Centaurus falls? Mullen rises?
SwimSwam: Madi Mintenko Shatters 4A Records to Lead Pine Creek to 2nd-Straight Title
You must be logged in to post a comment Login