Bishop England girls’ swim team eyes third straight state title

The Bishop England High School girls’ swimming team will go after its third consecutive state championship with pretty much the same cast of characters from last fall, but at a different classification.

 

The Bishops hope to make a splash Oct. 15, when the South Carolina High School League holds its Class AAAA girls’ state championship at the Carolina Natatorium on the campus of the University of South Carolina in Columbia. The boys’ Class AAAA championships will be held two days later at the same venue.

 

The Bishops claimed the Class AAA state title last season. Since then, the Bishops were reclassified as a Class AAAA school because of a complex multiplier system used to level the playing field because of perceived enrollment advantages.

 

Coach Rose Van Metre, who is in her 18th year at the helm of the BE swim program, said a few of the schools that will challenge BE for the state championship are familiar foes.

 

“It seems like a lot of a teams moved up with us,” Van Metre said. “We will see some of the teams we saw at AAA, schools like Gray Collegiate and Daniel. Both are good teams, and there are some good swimmers scattered across the state. It should make for a good meet.”

 

Both the girls’ and boys’ teams have fared well this season. Both teams won the Class 6-AAAA region championships. The Bishop girls were 9-1 with their only setback coming in a meet against Wando and Lucy Beckham high schools. The boys team has solid performers and went 7-4.

 

The girls’ team is led by junior gold-medal performer Ellie Chalupsky, who helped the Bishops edge Gray Collegiate for the title in 2023. She won four gold medals last year.

 

She won the 100-yard butterfly, and the 100 backstroke. Chalupsky was a member of the gold-medal winning 200- and 400-yard relays, which included Mia Devito, who is back for her senior season.  Carley Foust also was on the 400 free relay team. Another BE swimmer to watch is Katie Kitlowski.

 

Coach Van Metre said Chalupksy has the potential to swim at the NCAA Division I level.

 

“She’s really talented, and a lot like (Wando swimmer) Megan Kingsley, who swam for the University of Georgia and tried out for the (U.S.) Olympic team.”  

 

The boys’ team, which will compete Oct. 17, finished third last year at the Class AAA state meet.

 

Owen Fritts will help lead the BE boys’ bid for a top five finish. Last year, he was on the 200-yard freestyle relay team that finished first. 

 

He also beat out teammate Justin Hafner to win the 100 freestyle. He was a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay team that captured a silver medal. Fritts brought his medal count to three gold and one silver as he also won the 50-yard freestyle.

 

Fritts is a leader and mentor. He’s a very technical swimmer who knows how to “tweak it to perfection,” Van Metre said. “The hard work has paid off for him.” 

 

Connor Good and eighth grader Jack Cahill are primed for the final meet of the season.