Sussex Academy delivered a strong finish to its 2025–26 campaign at the Delaware High School Swimming and Diving Championships, held February 26–28 at the University of Delaware. The girls’ team placed sixth out of 26 teams with 135 points, finishing just six points behind Sanford for a top-five position, while the boys tallied 80 points and finished tenth out of 25 teams.

The Seahawks also celebrated major postseason honors. Senior Christian Wright was named Second-Team All-State for the boys. On the girls’ side, Anna Mumford earned First-Team All-State recognition, Gretchen Maughan was selected to the Second Team, and Victoria Evans was named as Honorable Mention. All four athletes will be honored at the state swimming and diving banquet later this month.

The girls’ team produced several standout performances throughout the championship weekend. The 200-yard medley relay team of Evans, Maughan, Mumford, and Samantha Petty earned third place in the state with a time of 1:51.43, breaking the school record they had set the previous day in preliminaries. The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Petty, Emi Obertubbesing, Camila Figueroa, and Caitlin Perchiniak finished 13th overall in 1:49.86, and the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Mumford, Evans, Maughan, and Perchiniak placed eighth in the championship final with a 3:49.90.

Mumford added a silver medal in the 200-yard freestyle with a 1:53.69 and later captured the state championship in the 500-yard freestyle, winning by more than 12 seconds with a time of 5:00.83. Maughan placed tenth overall in the 200-yard individual medley with a 2:18.04, while Evans finished eighth in the championship final of the 100-yard backstroke in 1:02.45. In the 100-yard breaststroke, Maughan earned second place in the state with a 1:07.36, and Obertubbesing added a 16th-place finish in the consolation final with a 1:15.42. Additional contributions in preliminaries came from Eliza Evans, Kendall Rhodes, and Madeline Perchiniak.

The boys’ team also delivered a strong state meet. The 200-yard medley relay team of Michael Whitaker, Jackson Proctor, Angel Figueroa, and Wright placed seventh in the championship final with a time of 1:44.09. The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Wright, Whitaker, Figueroa, and senior Kieran Probert finished sixth in the championship final with a 3:24.53, just two days after setting a new school record of 3:23.54 in preliminaries.

Wright earned eighth place in the championship final of the 50-yard freestyle with a 22.73 and added another eighth-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle with a 50.20. Figueroa set a new school record in the 100-yard butterfly during the consolation final, finishing 11th overall with a 53.09, and later placed 15th in the 100-yard backstroke with a 57.58. Additional boys who contributed in preliminaries included Edward Hale and Cale Argo both swimming their first state championships.

Between the boys’ and girls’ teams, Sussex Academy broke ten school records this season, and both captured Henlopen Division titles. The girls also added a conference meet championship to their resume. It marks one of the most successful years in program history. Head Coach Tom Martiner praised the team’s effort and consistency, saying, “This group showed tremendous heart all season, and the state meet was a perfect example of how hard they’ve worked. From our All-State swimmers to the athletes who stepped up in prelims, everyone contributed to an outstanding finish. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and excited about the future of Sussex Academy Swimming.”

The Seahawks will celebrate their accomplishments at a team banquet later this month, where athletes, families, and coaches will recognize the achievements of a record-setting season.