By WESLEY HALLMAN / Sports Editor

Three Spain Park High School swimmers captured individual state championships Dec. 3 in the Alabama High School Athletic Association swimming and diving championship meet at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center in Auburn.

Sophomore Will Freeman led the Jaguars with two individual state championships. Junior Corey Holmes and sophomore Madeline Held also won an individual state title.

Freeman successfully defended his boys’ 200-yard freestyle championship with his time of 1:40.11, which topped second-place finisher Michael Madden by more than two seconds.

Freeman also won his second consecutive boys’ 500-yard freestyle title with his time of 4:33.55, which edged Madden by more than four seconds.

Holmes captured his first individual state title in the boys’ 50-yard freestyle championship with his time of 21.04, which topped second-place finisher Alex Gray of Briarwood Christian by approximately half a second.

Held captured her first individual state championship in the girls’ 100-yard freestyle event. Held’s time of 52.17 edged second-place finisher Grace Molyneux of St. Paul’s, who had a time of 52.66. Held also finished in a two-way tie for second place with Ashton Ellzey of Baker in the girls’ 50-yard freestyle event with her time of 23.91.

The Spain Park boys’ swimming team finished in a two-way tie for sixth place in the boys’ team standings with UMS-Wright behind McGill-Toolen, Bob Jones, Fairhope, Auburn and Huntsville.

Briarwood Christian finished 13th in the boys’ team standings. Gray led the Lions with his runner-up finish in both the boys’ 50-yard freestyle event and 100-yard freestyle event.

Oak Mountain came in 37th overall in the boys’ team standings. Stone Byrum led the Eagles as he finished ninth overall in the boys’ 100-yard freestyle event.

The Spain Park girls’ swimming team came in ninth overall in the girls’ team standings.

Briarwood Christian finished in a two-way tie for 20th in the girls’ team standings. Mallory Mathias, who won the girls’ 500-yard freestyle title and girls’ 200-yard freestyle championship a year ago, led the Lions as she finished third overall in the girls’ 500-yard freestyle event and fifth in the girls’ 200-yard freestyle event..

Oak Mountain came in 22nd overall in the girls’ team standings. Maddie Kamman led the Eagles with her third-place finish in the girls’ 100-yard freestyle event.

Thompson finished 40th in the girls’ team standings. Kelsey Williams led the Warriors as she finished 14th overall in the girls’ 200-yard freestyle event.