Jesuit Swimming and Diving Breaks Two School Records as Five Rangers Punch Tickets to State

Jesuit Swimming and Diving recently competed at the 2024 UIL Region 2-6A Championships. The Rangers scored 229.5 points, finishing third behind Prosper High School and Flower Mound High School. Jesuit earned 4 berths and will send 8 athletes (including 3 alternates) to the UIL 6A State Meet, which will happen on February 23-24 at the University of Texas in Austin. This marks the most athletes sent to the state meet since 2022 when Jesuit sent four athletes.

Highlights

200 Medley Relay- The Rangers broke the first of three school records in this event. The Rangers secured third in this event, earning a call-up to state. Freshmen Jonah Ruhl led off the relay, splitting a 24.67 backstroke split. Senior William Savarese, who was participating in his final regional competition, came up with a 25.18 on the breastroke. A pair of sophomores closed out the relay, with Luke Lary splitting a 23.01 on the fly and Sam Kennington splitting a 21.81 on the freestyle. In Prelims, they finished with a time of 1:36.24, but finished with a record-setting time of 1:34.67 in the finals. The previous school record was 1:35.25, set in 2006 by Matt Thompson, Brooks Haller, Hamilton Jordan, and Andy Osterland.

“It was exciting to look up at the scoreboard and see that we had brok the school record” -Sam Kennington ’26

200 Free- Freshman Jonah Ruhl continued his already stellar freshman season with a third-place finish in this event. Ruhl finished with a 1:41.76, going out in a 49.24 and coming back in a 52.52. Despite the third-place finish, he just missed out on a call up time, which was a 1:40.59.

200 I.M.- Senior William Savarese took the win for the Rangers with a time of 1:48.59, punching his ticket to state. He won the event by over three seconds and is the second fastest automatic qualifier, behind Keller’s Maximus Williamson.

500 Freestyle- William Savarese took his second win of the meet.  He won the event by 6 seconds, finishing with a time of 4:26.61. Sophomore Sebastian Suwanda came up eighth for the Rangers, touching at a time of 4:54.83. In addition, Savarese is four seconds off his own school record, which is a 4.22:59. He currently sits as the fourth seeded automatic qualifier. He stands behind Southlake Carrol’s Max Hatcher, San Antonio Reagan’s Grant Lily, and Keller’s Cooper Lucas.

400 Freestyle Relay- Jesuit won its preliminary heat with a time of 3:12.11. In the finals, the team of Freshman Jonah Ruhl, Sophomores Luke Lary and Sebastian Suwanda, and Senior William Savarese would smash that time with a 3:05.98 to secure 2nd, along with an automatic qualification to state. On top of that, they also broke the school record (3:07.69), swam by James Savarese, Leonardo Pelaez, Alexander Hung, and William Savarese. Ruhl led off with a 46.98. Lary and Suwanda followed, splitting a 46.58 and a 47.51, respectively. William Savarese brought it home, pulling away from Flower Mound at the last 25, splitting a 44.91.

“i’m just so happy to be able to leave a leagacy at the school. it’s amazing to do something groundbreaking with my teammates” -Luke lary ’26

Jesuit Swimming and Diving 2024 State Team

William Savarese- Captain

Jake Follett*

Flynn Hughes*

Sam Kennington

Luke Lary

Oliver Miller*

Jonah Ruhl

Sebastian Suwanda

*- denotes alternate

Looking Ahead

Up next, it’s the season finale for the Rangers at the University Interscholastic League 6A Swimming and Diving Championships. Jesuit will head to the University of Texas’s Lee and Joe Jamail Swimming Center for the preliminaries on February 23rd. Finals will take place the next day, on February 24th. 

Stay tuned to the Roundup for more Swimming and Diving state coverage!