At the end of each season, The Herald-Tribune selects All-Area teams honoring the best athletes for every sport. Coaches from Sarasota and Manatee County schools are sent nomination forms and are asked to nominate and rate their athletes as well as those from other teams. That data combined with The Herald-Tribune’s research led to the selection of the All-Area teams.
FIRST TEAM
Danica Aten
School: Riverview
Year: Junior
Highlights: The Rams junior took 1st place in the 100-yard breaststroke at the district meet. At the regional meet, Aten repeated her top showing in the 100 breast, and at the Class 4A State Meet the future U.S. Naval Academy midshipman won the gold medal in 1:02.16.
Isabella Cardenas
School: Riverview
Year: Senior
Highlights: An All-Area selection last year, Cardenas placed 2nd in the district meet in the 100 breast, and 5th in the 200 Individual Medley. At the region meet, the Rams swimmer took 3rd in the 100 breast, and 3rd in the 200 IM. At the Class 4A State Meet, the future University of Denver swimmer took 5th in the 200 IM (2:02.97), and 7th in the 100 breast (1:04.74).
Clare Custer
School: Riverview
Year: Junior
Highlights: At the Rams’ district meet, Custer took 1st in the 500 free and 4th in the 200 free. She improved at the regional meet, finishing first in the 200 free and 500 free. At the Class 4A State Meet, the future swimmer for Harvard University placed 2nd in the 500 free (4:50.78).
Maeve Eckerman
School: Venice
Year: Senior
Highlights: An All-Area selection last year, Eckerman took 1st in the 100 free at the district meet, and 2nd in the 200 IM. At the regional meet, she finished 1st in the 100 free and 4th in the 200 IM. At the Class 4A State Meet, the future swimmer for the University of Georgia placed 2nd in the 200 IM (2:00.14) and the 100 free (50.01).
Natalie Franko
School: Sarasota
Year: Senior
Highlights: The Sailors swimmer placed 3rd in the 200 free and 6th in the 500 free at the team’s district meet. At the regional meet, Franko finished 5th in the 500 free and 7th in the 200 free. At the Class 4A State Meet, she took 4th in the 500 free (4:55.60).
Zoe Gruber
School: Out-of-Door Academy
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: An All-Area selection last year, the Thunder swimmer placed 2nd in the 200 IM and the 100 back at the district meet. At the team’s regional meet, Gruber took 1st in the 200 IM and the 100 back. At the Class 1A State Meet, she placed 7th in the 200 IM (2:06.26) and 8th in the 100 back (1:05.22).
Brynn Lavigueur
School: Riverview
Year: Junior
Highlights: The Rams swimmer placed 1st at the Rams’ district meet in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. At the regional meet, Lavigueur repeated her 1st-place finishes in both events. And at the Class 4A State Meet, the future swimmer at the University of Texas took gold in both, finishing the 200 IM in 1:59.31, and the 100 back in 52.67.
Riley Leach
School: Riverview
Year: Senior
Highlights: An All-Area selection last year, the Rams swimmer placed 4th in the district meet in the 200 IM and 3rd in the 100 breast. At the regional meet, Leach took 2nd in the 200 IM, and 4th in the 100 breast. At the Class 4A State Meet, the future swimmer at Liberty University placed 4th in the 200 IM (2:00.75) and 5th in the 100 breast (1:04.38).
Angelina Lista
School: Riverview
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: An All-Area selection last year, the Rams swimmer took 1st at the district meet in the 50 free and 100 fly. At the regional meet, Lista repeated her 1st-place showings in both events. At the Class 4A State Meet, she placed 2nd in the 100 fly (54.83) and the 50 free (23.57).
Sophia Malkowicz
School: Riverview
Year: Freshman
Highlights: At the district meet, Malkowicz placed 2nd in the 100 backstroke and the 200 IM. At the regional meet, she took 3rd in the 100 back, and 5th in the 200 IM. At the Class 4A State Meet, the Riverview freshman placed 4th in the 100 back (56.39) and 7th in the 200 IM (2:04.45).
Lauren Milbaum
School: Riverview
Year: Senior
Highlights: An All-Area Honorable Mention selection last year, Milbaum placed 3rd in the 500 free at the district meet, and 5th in the 200 free. At the regional meet, Milbaum again placed 3rd in the 500 and 5th in the 200. But at the Class 4A State Meet, the future swimmer at the University of Alabama won the gold medal in the 500 free (4:49.13).
Taylor Schwenk
School: Riverview
Year: Junior
Highlights: An All-Area selection last year, the Rams swimmer took 1st in the 200 free, and 2nd in the 500 free. At the team’s regional meet, Schwenk took 3rd in the 200 free, and 4th in the 500 free. At the Class 4A State Meet, the future swimmer at North Carolina State placed 3rd in the 500 free (4:55.39).
HONORABLE MENTION
Ruby Broadfoot, Manatee
Carmen Bunt, Out-of-Door Academy
Payton Griffin, Lakewood Ranch
Sofia Krajewski, Cardinal Mooney Catholic
Makala Milburn, Venice
Jessica Robie, Riverview
COACH OF THE YEAR
John Bruenning
School: Riverview
Highlights: Last year’s Coach of the Year for guiding the Rams to their third-straight Class 4A state title, Bruenning this year led the Riverview girls to a third-place showing at the Class 4A State Meet, recording 200 points, 106 behind first-place Braddock. This came after the Rams finished first at the Region 4A-3 Meet, scoring 380 points to 371.5 for second-place Sarasota. And at the District 4A-9 Meet, Riverview finished first with 577 points, 99 more than second-place Sarasota.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Introducing the Sarasota Herald-Tribune 2024 All-Area Girls Swimming Team
Reporting by Doug Fernandes, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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