PCHS Bulletin – Paige Harlow
Published Date – November 19, 2025
The PCHS swim team closed out its season with a string of memorable performances at the FHSAA State Series, marking this season with success and a widespread sense of accomplishment.
The District Championship was held on November 1 at the Southwest Rec Center in Largo, where the Girls team finished 5th and the Boys 3rd overall out of 10 schools. Beyond the team standings, PCHS swimmers qualified for 18 regional events, the most in school history. That included six relays and twelve individual events.
Senior captain Heidi Privett delivered one of the biggest highlights of the meet. In the 100-yard breaststroke, she surged ahead in the final stretch to take first place, automatically qualifying for Regionals. Her time of 1:16.24 also broke the school record. Privett later qualified in the 50 freestyle as well.
Switching to the Boys team, the 200 Medley Relay finished second, and freshman Camden Macek took second in the 50 freestyle. Both results secured automatic Regional berths.
Other individual regional qualifiers included senior captain Cheney Morris in the 50 and 100 freestyle, sophomore Izabella Palacios in the 200 and 100 freestyle, sophomore Addison Thiers in the 500 freestyle, sophomore Ryan Davis in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke, and freshman Kaleb Nonnemaker in the 100 butterfly.
The Regional Championship, held November 8 at the same pool, brought a different atmosphere. Both the Girls and Boys teams finished 8th out of 20 schools, but the results went beyond placement. Nearly every swimmer dropped time, with many achieving season-best or lifetime best swims.
For senior captain Cheney Morris, Regionals were the perfect finale to her four-year varsity career. After chasing a sub-26 second 50 freestyle since she first joined the team, she finally broke through with a time of 25.84. Morris leaves PCHS with her name on seven school records, a trip to States as a junior, and the distinction of serving as captain her senior year.
Sophomore Izabella Palacios and junior Ella Stanford stepped into key relay positions, showing the team’s younger swimmers are ready to carry the torch. On the Boys side, freshman Camden Macek emerged as the team’s lone state qualifier. His 48.59 in the 100 freestyle earned him the #21 seed at States. In one of the closest margins of the meet, he missed qualifying in the 50 freestyle by just .01 seconds, a reminder of how competitive the state series can be.
Sophomore Ryan Davis continued to make strides, dropping significant time in his individual events and contributing to relays. Freshman Kaleb Nonnemaker also stood out, excelling in the 100 butterfly and swimming on all three Boys relay teams. Known for saying he just tries to “swim pretty,” Nonnemaker’s smooth style translated into speed and results.
This season concluded on November 15, with Camden Macek representing PCHS at the Class 3A State Championship at the FAST Center in Ocala. His performance at Regionals showed that he was ready to compete against the fastest swimmers in Florida. He dropped .03 seconds for a new personal record of 48.56 in the Boys 100 yard freestyle, as well as finishing 20th.
For the rest of the team, Districts and Regionals were proof of how far PCHS swimming has come. From breaking records to qualifying for the most events in school history, this year’s roster has set a new standard. The mix of experienced seniors and rising underclassmen points to a bright future for the program.
Coach Courtney Lancaster summed it up best: “Every race was a highlight. This has been a season of grit, and we are extremely proud of the effort thrown into the pool when it mattered most.”
Coach Savanna Finley echoed that sentiment. “I am so proud of every single swimmer this season, so many new to the team and even new to swimming and they threw it all in the pool and crushed it!”