FLEMING ISLAND - With region titles secured in their specialties, Clay High's Noah Stotler and Fleming Island's William Shoesmith are the top candidates for a state swim gold medal after region results were posted on Saturday.

Stotler, tops in the region 1-3A 200 free with a 1:38.45 finish, was nearly two seconds ahead of Ian Malone of Pensacola Washington who lost contact with Stotler at the 100-yard mark as Stotler surged with a four-count of 50s in 23.37, 24.79, 25.14 and 25.14. Malone blitzed the first 50 in 23.25 then fell off Stotler's pace.

In 2024, Malone was second in the 200 free with a 1:37.77 split while Stotler finished 13th with a 1:44.27. Chiles graduate Ethan Ekk, now at Stanford University, won the 2024 200 free in 1:35.56.

In the 500 free, Shoesmith, who was with Stotler in California over the summer for the SPEEDO Junior Nationals as part of the Bolles Sharks Swim Club, won the 500 free region title with a 4:28.54 split to finish nearly two minutes ahead of Lincoln Driesse of Nease High and Ponte Vedra's Chase Kendall in 4:37.26.

In 2024, Driesse finished fifth in 4:34.15 with Shoesmith eighth at 4:34.93. Five swimmers—from fourth to Shoesmith's eighth place—all finished with times between 4:34 and 4:35.

Ekk won and dominated this event also in 4:19.58 with Thomas Matheson of Bartram Trail a distant second in 4:27.85.

Stotler also finished second in the 100 butterfly with a 49.53 split to winner Luke Zardavetz of Nease's 48.92. Zardavets is the defending Class 3A champion with a 48.10 last year for his gold medal. In 2024, Stotler was 15th for Clay in 52.44.

Ridgeview High's David Murphy was seventh in the region 100 butterfly in 53.01 and also 22nd in the 100 free in 50.56 with the top 20 100 free finishers under 50 seconds.

Ridgeview also had sophomore Jackson Strickland at regions with an 11th in the
200 individual medley in 2:02.39 and 12th in the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.88.
For the team scores, Fleming Island's girls team, with a second to Fletcher at districts, finished a close third behind Ponte Vedra and Nease. Ponte Vedra amassed 529 points with Nease at 279 and Fleming Island at 206.

Clay was 14th.

For the boys, Fletcher edged out Chiles 284-272 with Fleming Island 10th at 80, Clay 13th, Orange Park 17th and Ridgeview 18th.

Region 1-3A results:
Clay girls: 200 Medley relay 7th, 200IM Kylie Elrod 11th, 50 free-Taylor Hildum 17th, 100 fly-Taylor Hildum 24th, 100 breast-Kylie Elrod 4th

Fleming Island girls: 200 medley relay 5th, 200 free-Elizabeth Loehr 7th, 200 free-Kinsey Yarbrough 8th, 200 free-Audrey Hall 24th, 200 free-Jake Hall 16th, 200IM Caroline Kuhl 8th, 200 IM-Klara Shoesmith 9th, 50 free Katelyn Moore 10th, 50 free-Brooke Reynolds 11th, 50 free-Summer Vanwagenen 14th, 100 Butterfly-Kinsey Yarbrough 6th, 100 Butterfly-Audrey Hall 21st, 100 free-Katelyn Moore 13th, 100 fly-Brooke Reynolds 17th, 100 fly-Carolina Kuhl 20th, 500 free-Elizabeth Loehr 4th, 500 free-Klara Shoesmith 12th, 200 free relay-2nd, 400 free relay-2nd

Orange Park boys: 200 medley relay 11th, 200IM Preston Williams 24th,
100 fly-Ashton Juarez 14th, 200 free relay 16th, 100 back-Dakota Blake 13th, 100 breast-Princeton Williams 21st, 400 free relay 13th

Clay boys: 200 medley relay 12th, 200 free-Noah Stotler 1st, 100 fly-Noah Stotler 2nd, 200 free relay-13th, 100 breast-Ajax Sgro 23rd

Fleming Island boys: 200IM-William Shoesmith 3rd, 1 Meter diving-Rylan Mills 6th, 100 fly- Jake Hall 23rd, 500 free-William Shoesmith 1st, 200 free relay 14th, 400 free relay-7th.

Ridgeview boys: 200IM-Jackson Stickland 11th, 100 fly-David Murphy 22nd, 100 breast-Jackson Strickland 12th

State selections (rank)

Clay: Girls 200 Medley relay (16th), Boys 200 free Noah Stotler (1st), 200IM Kylie Elrod (24th), 100 Fly Noah Stotler (3rd), 100 breast Kylie Elrod (7th)

Fleming Island: Girls 200 medley relay (12th), 200 free Elizabeth Loehr (11th), 200 Free Kinsey Yarbrough (13th), 200IM Caroline Kuhl (19th), 200IM Klara Shoesmith (20th), 200IM Williams Shoesmith (5th), 1Mtr Diving Rylan Mills (16th), 100 Fly Kinsey Yarbrough (18th), 500 free Elizabeth Loehr (8th), 500 free William Shoesmith (1st), Girls 200 Free Relay (5th), 100 breast Summer Vanwagenen (8th), Girls 400 free relay (5th), Boys 400 free relay (23rd)

Ridgeview: 200IM Jackson Strickland (22nd), 100 Fly David Murphy (18th), 100 breast: Jackson Strickland (23rd)