AHSAA SWIM CHAMPIONSHIPS: Scottsboro swimmers win gold in two events, claim medals in 10
Scottsboro teams post Top-5 state finishes
Story By Jason Bowen
Scottsboro swimmers were frequent visitors to the medal stand last weekend’s 2025 AHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships.
Scottsboro swimmers medaled in 10 of 14 events during Class 1A-5A state meet at the Huntsville Aquatics Center.
“Outstanding performances,” said Scottsboro coach Robert Fanning. “That is incredible. For comparison, we only had 4 total podiums last year combined. That speaks to the level of competition at this meet in terms of the sheer volume of teams with top notch swimmers. Credit the leaders on this team who chose to focus on what they could control and own their races.”
Scottsboro also recorded Top-5 finishes in the team standings. The Wildcats finished third in the Class 1A-5A Girls division (160 points) behind champion Arab (223) and runner-up LAMP of Montgomery (198). On the boys side, defending 1A-5A Boys state champion Scottsboro (159) was fourth behind state champion Randolph (254), runner-up Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (188) and third-place Boaz (173).
The SHS Boys produced two individual event state championships. Craft Sanders took the gold medal in the 100-yard Freestyle with a state-title winning time of 48.92 seconds, and he also teamed with Ben Bradford, Jacob Fanning, Ryder Linville to win gold in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:32.21.
That same relay team also captured a bronze medal in the 200-yard medley relay (1:44.87) and Sanders claimed a bronze medal with a third-place swim (22.27 seconds) in the 50-yard Freestyle while Linville finished ninth (23.33) and Bradford was 14th (23.86). Linville also placed fourth in the 100-yard Breaststroke (1:06.75) and Bradford finished seventh in the 100-yard Backstroke (1:00.51) while Fanning, Balin Hunnicutt, Brody Thompson and Eli Amour finished seventh in the 400-yard Freestyle Relay (3:46.24).
“Great success all season long — undefeated regular season in 5A and NAHSSL champs,” Coach Fanning said of the SHS Boys. “Special in so many ways, just not enough depth in a state qualifier type format to outpoint the private schools in total team score again this year. A lot of open spots to fill next year to be competitive to our standard.”
Meanwhile, Baylie Giles and Morelia Calderon-Diaz claimed four medals for the Scottsboro Girls.
Giles also set two new school-record times in her individual events. The sophomore was the state runner-up in the 100-yard Freestyle (54.24 seconds) and placing third in the 100-yard Backstroke (1:00.21), breaking her sister’s Paige’s previous school record in the backstroke.
Calderon-Diaz posted a state runner-up finish in the 100-yard Backstroke (1:09.58) and had bronze-medal finishes in the 100-yard Freestyle (54.47) and the 100-yard Butterfly (1:02.54), and Giles and Calderon-Diaz teamed with Breelynn Orgill and Vivien Hunnicutt to claim a silver medal with a second-place state finish (1:59.64) in the 200-yard Medley Relay and a third-place bronze medal finish in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay (1:47.67).
Orgill, Dayra Calderon-Diaz, Hannah Jenkins and Vivien Hunnicutt posted a fifth-place finish in the 400-yard Freestyle (4:11.08).
“The core group of ladies really took their workouts seriously in the offseason and did the extra things it takes to move up the ranks,” Coach Fanning said. “They probably got tired of hearing about the boys winning State last year and getting overlooked a bit. I hope they can keep that edge this offseason and continue to develop what it will take to make it to the top. Really just need a couple additions like a diver and a long free State qualifier to make a legitimate swim towards a title of their own.”
