The Spartan Girls and Boys Varsity Swimming & Diving teams closed out their season as the 4A Division runners-up in the Southwest Preparatory Conference Championship Meet in mid- February at the Keller Natatorium near Dallas-Fort Worth. Numerous Spartans stood proudly on the medal podium, as they celebrated setting three new SPC records in the pool.

“There’s a lot of talent in this group,” commented Head Coach Tom Andrew. “Earning a second-place finish in the very competitive 4A Division is admirable, and something our seasoned swimmers should be really proud of. I’m excited to see how the boys and the girls teams continue to develop once the new St. Stephen's Aquatic Center opens next fall.”

Spartan Swimming & Diving SPC Results 

First Place

Boys 400-yard freestyle relay -  Levi Skaistis ’26, Austin Ross ’26, Tristan McCain ’26, Watt Wilkinson ’25 (3:06.98) *SPC RECORD

Boys 200-yard medley relay - Watt Wilkinson ’‘25, Austin Ross ’26, Tristan McCain ’26, Levi Skaistis ’26 (1:32.49) *SPC RECORD

Boys 100-yard breaststroke - Levi Skaistis ’26 (55.68) *SPC RECORD

1m diving - Rhett Smerklo ’27

Girls 200-yard medley relay - Lucy Middleton ’25, Reena Desireddi ’28, Campbell Walker ’28, Ashna Ross ’28 (1:49.64)

Girls 200-yard individual medley - Reena Desireddi ’28 (2:07.14)

Girls 100-yard backstroke - Savvy Horne-Lalande ’27 (1:04.43)

Boys 100-yard backstroke - Austin Ross ’26 (50.75)

Boys 500-yard freestyle - Tristan McCain ’26 (4:34.23)

Boys 100-yard freestyle - Watt Wilkinson ’25 (46.75)

Boys 100-yard fly - Austin Ross ’26 (49.08)

Boys 50-yard freestyle - Watt Wilkinson ’25 (21.45)

Boys 200-yard individual medley - Levi Skaistis ’26 (1:51.20)

Boys 200-yard freestyle - Tristan McCain ’26 (1:39.24)

Second Place
Girls 400-yard freestyle relay - Savvy Horne-Lalande ’27, Ashna Ross ’28, Campbell Walker ’28, Reena Desireddi ’28 (3:44.56)

Girls 100-yard breaststroke - Reena Desireddi ’28 (1:05.85)

Girls 100-yard butterfly - Campbell Walker ’28 (59.48)

Girls 50-yard freestyle - Lucy Middleton ’25 (25.50)

Boys 100-yard freestyle - Gerard Borrell ’28 (4:54.91)

Third Place

Girls 50-yard freestyle - Ashna Ross ’28 (25.54)

Fifth Place

Girls 200-yard freestyle relay - Lucy Middleton ’25, Paulina Clark ’26, Clara Rogers ’25, Savvy Horne-Lalande ’27 (1:47.98)

Girls 100-yard backstroke - Lucy Middleton ’25 (1:06.51)

Boys 100-yard backstroke - Tijl Peeters ’26 (56.84)

Boys 200-yard freestyle - Gerard Borrell ’28 (1:49.17)

Sixth Place

Boys 50-yard freestyle - Tijl Peeters ’26 (23.03)

Seventh Place

200-yard freestyle - Paulina Clark ’26

“I’m super proud that both teams earned 4A runner-up finishes,” said Athletic Director Jon McCain. “We were competitive in all of the events offered in the meet. You can’t ask for much more than that.” 

Swimmers who finish in the top three places earn All-SPC Honors. The following Spartans earned a spot at the podium and All-SPC Honors this year:

Gerard Borrell ’28

Reena Desireddi ’28

Savvy Horne-Lalande ’27

Tristan McCain ’26

Lucy Middleton ’25

Ashna Ross ’28

Austin Ross ’26

Levi Skaistis ’26

Rhett Smerklo ’27

Campbell Walker ’28

Watt Wilkinson ’25

The Spartans Girls Varsity Basketball team wrapped up their Southwest Preparatory Conference tournament with a fifth place finish in the 4A Division. 

After dropping the first-round game to Houston Christian, 59-42, the Spartans bounced back against Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart (Houston, TX) with a commanding 48-10 victory. In the final game, the team battled St. John’s School (Houston, TX) and ended with a 54-33 win. After the tournament, Donnica Armstrong ’25 earned All-SPC Honors.

“Our team showed resilience and determination throughout the conference tournament,” stated Girls Basketball Program Head Dustin Armstrong. “Winning two out of three games and closing with a strong victory over St. John’s to take the consolation championship is a testament to our growth and grit. I’m proud of the way these girls competed and represented our program.”

The Boys Varsity Basketball came into the tournament with a 3-5 conference record in North Zone games. As the six-seed, the Spartans fell 45-70 to a talented Greenhill (Addison, TX) side, who moved on to become the tournament champions. While the lead changed several times in the Spartans’ second-round game against the Kinkaid School (Houston, TX), St. Stephen’s couldn’t maintain control in the final quarter, ultimately dropping the game, 44-56. Senior Captain Gabe Sahely ’25 earned All-SPC honors.

While managing a tough transitional year for Spartan Basketball, Head Coach Christian Spencer says sees the potential in this program.

“This season, I was very proud of how we set the tone for what it means to be a Spartan athlete,” said Coach Spencer after the tournament. “Next year, we look forward to building on that foundation to continue our upward trajectory.”

The Boys Varsity Soccer team finished in 5th place in the 4A Division at the Conference Championships. After a first-round upset by Kinkaid (Houston, TX), the team dominated their second-round game against Houston Christian, finishing 4-0. The Spartans battled back on the consolation side, defeating St. John’s School (Houston, TX), 5-3, in the fifth-place game. 

The Spartans boasted five different goalscorers over the last two matches — Nithiyan Dhyaneshwar ’27, Wylie Halloran ’26, Taj Potter ’26, Dawson Burrell ’25 and Henry Shore ’25. Despite the disappointing result in the first match of the tournament, the team refocused to finish the tournament with a couple of victories. Jack Jojola ’25 earned All-SPC honors.

“While the result wasn’t what we had hoped for, I’m proud of the way our boys competed and responded after the first-round loss," said Soccer Program Head Shane Maguire. "With many athletes returning next year, we’re in an excellent position to come back stronger at SPC."