Bulldogs swim teams continue winning ways

Courtesy photo

+ Enlarge

The Judge Memorial Catholic High School swim teams celebrate their 2025 state championship wins.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Judge Memorial Catholic High School swim teams took home championship trophies from the state competition, held Feb. 8 at Brigham Young University. This was the fifth consecutive state championship for the Judge boys swim team and the fourth for the girls team.

“The swim season is a very long one in high school sports, so it’s a bit of a roller coaster, so it’s very exciting to see everyone’s hard work pay off over such a long period of time,” said Griffin Hale, the Bulldogs swim coach. This is his first year in that position.

Key individual performances in 3A swim included senior Matt Eagar, who won gold in 100 backstroke (52.70), and took a silver in 100-yard butterfly (51.62).

“Matt is really strong, really an inspiring kid in and out of the pool, and watching him work alongside his team, I think really helped inspire him and everyone around them to excel and work as hard as they could,” Hale said.

Sophomore Shane Kahn placed second in 200 freestyle (1:47.61) and 500-yard freestyle (5:03.60). Senior Levi Galaviz took second in 50-yard freestyle (21.23) and 100-yard freestyle (47.55), while in 200-yard IM senior Teddy Fiscus made his mark at second place (1:59.57) and came in third in 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.17).

In the second event of the meet, the boys’ relay team clinched a victory in the 200-yard medley (1:37:44).

“That was an insane race; it was very, very exciting,” Hale said.

The boys relay team also took second in 400-yard freestyle (3:16:41) and third in 200-yard freestyle (1:33:65).

In the girls’ competition, Judge freshman Catherine Eagar, Matt Eagar’s sister, won gold medals in 200-yard IM with a time of 2:22.69 and in the 1200-yard backstroke (1:02:03).

“I can’t wait to see what she achieves,” Hale said. “I think, with the trajectory that she’s on the sky’s the limit.”

Bulldogs Amelia Connor and Sophie Canale also shone at state, taking first in 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.99) and 500-yard freestyle (5:50.53) respectively.

“It was really exciting to see [Connor] push herself so hard throughout the season, and then at state see all of those goals that she had set early on become realized,” Hale said, adding that he has known Canale for many years through coaching club teams. “So it was actually really exciting for me to have the opportunity to work with her again and see her race and in the pool.”

Judge senior Delaney Dolan also showed the results of her hard work with a second place in the 200-yard freestyle (2:01.93) and a third-place finish in 50-yard freestyle.

“Delaney Dolan, a really powerful and really good swimmer, had an amazing meet and a really good season and was always a really positive force in and out of the pool,” Hale said.

Junior Sophie Dupont came in third in 200-yard freestyle (2:03.87); and sophomore Madeline Page and junior Lucy Duberow also put in strong showings.

The Lady Bulldogs were also powerhouses in relay, coming in first in three events: the 200-yard medley (1:54:27), 200-yard freestyle (1:44:48) and 400-yard freestyle (3:49:31) .

These successes followed on the heels of regional first-place trophy wins for both the boys and girls.

Next year the Bulldogs will move up to the 4A division, but Hale isn’t worried about that, he said. “Judge is a very competitive team, and the team itself is made up of very good athletes, so I see that they have a very bright future ahead.”