GREAT FALLS — The 2024 state swim meet in Great Falls saw a changing of the guard in Class AA. The Missoula Sentinel girls (200 points) claimed their first state title since 1973, knocking off two-time defending champion Great Falls High (186 points) in a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final few races.
Bozeman (158 points) came from behind to claim the 2024 AA boys title, edging Helena Capital (151.5 points) and Billings West (148 points). The Hawks didn’t win a single individual event or relay but used superior depth to win a record 19th overall swimming title.
TEAM RESULTS | INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
In Class AB, the Billings Central dynasty continued. The Ram boys and girls each won their fifth consecutive team title in dominant fashion. The Billings Central boys scored 122 points, far outpacing second-place Polson, which scored 65 points.
The Central girls scored 106 points, while Havre finished in second place with 50 points.
The Sentinel girls claimed wins in both the 200-yard medley and freestyle relays to clinch the title. Adalynn Asher was the Spartans' only individual winner with a victory in the 100-yard backstroke (57.29).
Bella Pachek paced Great Falls High with wins in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle swims. The Bison also won the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Helena’s Garrett Krattiger turned in the most impressive individual performance, breaking a state record in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:39.74, breaking the all-class record of 4:39.90 set by Billings Central’s Jack Leuthold in 2018. Krattiger also won the 100-yard backstroke.
Other multi-event winners included Billings Senior’s Syler Pizzolato, who won titles in the AA boys 200-yard freestyle (1:45.53) and 100 butterfly (51.73), and CMR’s Georgia Hatzenbuller, who won the AA girls 100-yard butterfly (57.53) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.62).
Havre’s Britton Elliot won the AB girls 50-yard freestyle (25.86) and 100-yard freestyle (56.53). Billings Central’s Dylan Shelton won the AB boys 200-yard freestyle (1:50.02) and the AB boys 500-yard freestyle (5:05.41). His Rams teammate Daniel Apostol was a double winner in the AB boys 100-yard butterfly (52.20) and breast stroke (59.34).
Kelley Earley paced the Central girls with wins in the AB girls 100-yard butterfly (1:01.61) and 500 freestyle (5:26.70). Her teammate Teaghan Vaira won the AB girls 200 individual medley (2:23.52) and 100-yard breast stroke (1:13.43).
