Baylor Wins Two of Three State Swimming Titles
Baylor won the combined and boys’ state swimming championships and finished runner-up in the girls’ competition at the TISCA State Championships this winter. It was the 13th consecutive combined championship for the AquaRaiders, who more than doubled the second place team’s point total. For the Baylor boys, who outscored McCallie 315-257, it was the fifth state title in six years.
Baylor senior Trey Freeman, one of the most decorated swimmers in Baylor history, ended his high school career in fine fashion, earning state championships in the 200 and 500 freestyle events. His time of 1:33.06 in the 200 broke his own state record and set a new national high school record as well. Junior Jack Kirby was also a two-event state champ, winning the 100 freestyle and the 100 backstroke. Senior Luis Sebastian Weekes won a state crown in the 200 individual medley. The Baylor boys won two more state titles in the relay events with Kirby and seniors Weekes, Zach Althoff, and Piotr Kurleto winning the 200 medley with the fastest time posted in the country. The Raiders tacked on a championship in the 400 free relay that included Freeman, Kurleto, Althoff, and Kirby.
Junior Addison Smith won a state championship for the Baylor girls, taking first in the 50 freestyle. She also added a second place finish in the 200 freestyle. Junior Elodie Nix was second in the one-meter diving competition, and two Baylor relays finished as state runners-up – the 200 freestyle (junior Jamee Mitchum, sophomore Jewel Gordon, freshman Dallas Woods, Smith) and the 400 freestyle (Smith, sophomore Sarah Riley, senior Angara Sinclair, Mitchum).
Eighth Straight Title for Girls Highlights Tennis State Success
The Baylor girls’ tennis team won an eighth straight state championship, edging GPS 4-3 for the title. After the Bruisers took the doubles point, singles wins by senior Lauren Carelli, junior Landie McBrayer, sophomore Anna Hawkins, and senior Lilly Mooney sealed the deal for the Red Raiders. The crown is the twelfth overall for the Baylor girls, all won since 1993.
In an all-Baylor girls’ doubles final, Carelli (second from left) and Mooney (third from left) defeated teammates McBrayer (second from right) and senior Presley Thomas (third from right) for the state title. True to the Baylor spirit, it was a fight, with Carelli and Mooney prevailing in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. The doubles crown is the seventh won by Baylor players and the first since McCall Morgan ’14 and Samantha Caswell ’14 in 2014.
The Baylor boys were state runner-up in the team competition, falling to Montgomery Bell Academy in the championship. Senior Brandon Kali (left photo) won the state boys’ singles championship, winning Baylor’s tenth singles title and becoming the first singles champion from Baylor since Bo Seal ’09 repeated in 2006 and 2007. Junior Benji Taverne (right photo, left) and sophomore Hunter Smith (right photo, right) teamed up to win the state boys’ doubles championship, the 15th title for Baylor and the first since Eric Roddy ’12 and Marko Mandic ’14 won in 2012.
Raiders Take Fourth Consecutive State Softball Championship
Baylor scored the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and again in the bottom of the ninth, before sophomore Macy Ann McKnight drew a two-out bases-loaded walk to push across sophomore Sophie Piskos with the winning run in the bottom of the tenth, giving the Raiders (33-3) a 4-3 win over GPS and a fourth consecutive state softball championship. The state title is the 12th for the Raiders, the fourth in a row, and the seventh in eight years. All of Baylor’s titles have come in streaks, 1993-1994, 2003-2005, 2011-2013, and 2015-2108. Baylor coach Kelli Smith ’95 has seen them all, as a player in 1993 and 1994 and as head coach for all other championships.
Soccer Team Wins Championship in Shootout with McCallie
After two hours of physical, defensive soccer, Baylor beat McCallie with a 4-3 penalty kick shootout advantage to win the 2018 state championship. PKs by senior Eemeli Makela, sophomore Nathan Webb, and senior Mats Pokela made it 3-2 in Baylor’s favor after four rounds, and it was 3-3 when senior Patrick Urey came through, finding the net and giving the Raiders the state title. The state championship is the eighth for Baylor and the first since 2012. The Raiders ended the season with a 16-3-3 record. Baylor coach Curtis Blair also led the Baylor girls’ team to the state championship last fall.
Baylor Wears State Baseball Crown
Baylor returned to the state baseball throne, walloping Memphis University School 12-4 in the championship game. In their three tournament wins, the Red Raiders scored 31 runs and pounded out 41 hits. The middle of the Raider order – freshman Cooper Kinney, senior Teddy Lepcio, junior Stan King, and sophomore Christian Martin – was a combined 18-for-33 (.545), with 20 RBIs in the last two games. Baylor finished 24-6, won the region championship, and was 4-0 against McCallie this season. The state championship is the third for Baylor and the first since 2006.
Records Fall as Packer, Hayes, Relays Lead Girls to Second at State
Sophomore Makayla Packer won state championships in the 100 meter and 200 meter dashes, and anchored a state champion 4 X 200 meter relay team at the state championship meet. Senior Kayla Hayes (above right) added a state title in the 100 meter hurdles and placed second in the 300 meter hurdles. Packer set new Baylor records in the 100 (11.94) and 200 (24.64), both breaking her own records. The 4 X 200 meter relay team of (pictured above, left to right) Packer, seniors JuToreyia Willis and Cheyenne Lindsey, and junior Maddie Sims won the title in 1:42.76, breaking the old record of 1:43.65 held by Alex Cannon ’11, Kelly Pannell ’12, Emily Wilson ’13, and Grace Stewart ’13. The fourth place 4 X 100 meter relay of Willis, freshman Miah Flanagan, Lindsey, and Packer set a new school record in 49.18. The old record was 49.25, held by Shirley Barrett ’08, Sarah Gawthrop ’09, Kiera Payne ’09, and Kate McKenzie ’07. Baylor was second in team points to champ Brentwood Academy. The Raiders also won the Optimist Championships and another region championship this season.
A 52-year-old Baylor record fell at the boys’ state track meet as the Baylor 4 X 200 meter relay team of seniors (pictured above, left to right) Jaylon Baker, Mike Benning, and Brendon Harris and junior Patton Ford won the event’s state championship. The foursome finished in 1:29.30, breaking the 1966 record of 1:29.50, set by Ricky Davis ’66, Ralph Lorino ’66, Rob Healy ’69, and Mark Longley ’66 on Rike Field’s old cinder track. The Raiders finished fifth in the team standings at the state meet and were second at the Optimist Championships and at the region meet this season.
Baylor Runner-Up at State Duals, Boasts Three Individual State Champs
The Baylor wrestling team finished runner-up at the state duals championships this season. The Raiders won quarterfinal and semifinal matches easily before falling to Christian Brothers 32-28. Baylor ended the duals season with a 14-3 record and finishes as state runner-up for the eighth time, the last coming in 2016. Baylor has won nine state duals championships since 2001, exactly half of the last 18 titles.
Baylor had three champions, five finalists, and 11 medalists at the traditional state wrestling tournament, finishing in third place in the team standings. Christian Brothers was the state champion. Champions for the Raiders were junior Andrew Pace (left) at 138 pounds, junior Mason Reiniche (center), winning his second state title at 160, and senior Riley Westlake (right) at 180 pounds. Other Baylor finalists were senior Austin Atchley at 145 and former state champ sophomore Connor Duffy at 170. Baylor now boasts 105 individual state championships. Reiniche finished runner-up in the 160 pound weight class at the National Prep Wrestling Championships in February. Reiniche was runner-up at 152 pounds at the National Preps last year. Pace finished sixth in the 138 pound division at the National Preps.
Raiders Represented at State Basketball Final Four
For the first time in Baylor history, both boys’ and girls’ basketball teams made appearances in the state final four this season. The Baylor boys beat Briarcrest 45-44 in the semifinal game, thanks to a free throw by senior Tré Jackson with one second left to play but fell 50-44 to Brentwood Academy in the championship game. Seniors Niko Simpkins and Patrick Urey and freshman Randy Brady were named to the All-Tournament team. The Raiders finished the season, Coach Austin Clark’s final season, with a 19-7 record highlighted by a regular season sweep of McCallie.
The Baylor girls lost their state semifinal game to eventual champion Brentwood Academy but had a 20-win season, finishing 20-10, highlighted by a sixth consecutive championship at the annual Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps tournament in December. Senior JuToreyia Willis kept another six-year streak alive for Baylor, becoming the sixth straight Baylor player to be named the tournament MVP, following Mya Long ’17 last year and four consecutive MVP titles for Kaleigh Clemons ’16. Willis was joined on the All-Tournament team by senior Cheyenne Lindsey and freshman Raegyn Conley.
