"We were all thinking, 'I don't want to say anything out loud, but this is looking pretty good,'" said Hough's Payton Schrum.

Fourth a year ago, Hough capitalized on its prelim swims and rode the wave of momentum into finals and, ultimately, to the second-year school's first team state title in any sport, compiling 314 points. Panther Creek of Cary, thought to be Hough's closest competition entering the meet, was disqualified in two relays and finished second with 190 points.

"It was a heck of a weekend," said Hough coach Tim Queen. "It was just pretty much a team effort. All the kids stepped their game up big time."

A bulk of Hough's points came in three events. Hough prevailed in two girls' relays, with the wins in the 200-yard medley and 400 freestyle providing 40 points each. The Lady Husky divers, led by state champion Blair Timberlake's score of 377.50, combined for 37 points.

Hough's fourth win in the girls' championship came from Emily Allen in the 100 freestyle, with a time of 50.29 seconds. A standout freshman, Allen swam to a runner-up finish in the 50 freestyle, with a time of 23.29 that would have been a 4A record had Hannah Lincoln of Leesville Road not swam a 23.26.

"She swam well beyond her years," said Queen.

Allen also swam anchor on the winning 200 medley relay, joining Ali Kitchens, Ally Dupay and Heather Merritt in the event. And when she touched the wall as the anchor on the 400 freestyle relay team, it helped Hough put a bold-faced exclamation point on its victory.

The best for last

By the time the final girls' event rolled around — event 23 of 24 on the day — it was clear Hough's girls were going to capture the 4A title. No more breakthrough moments were needed. The pressure was off.

But the 400 freestyle relay team of Katie O'Brien, Merritt, Schrum and Allen — swimming in that order — was not of a mind to take it easy. In fact, the quartet turned in the swim of the meet, posting a time of 3:25.69, which set a new state record — for all classes — by 3.54 seconds. They won by 3.66 seconds over Panther Creek.

"The whole place was screaming," said Queen.

The four set a regional record Feb. 4 in Huntersville, but swam their best when it counted most.

"The bond between the four of us was unreal," said Schrum. "The support we all have for each other, we knew we could do something special when we dove in."

The girls' swim also inspired the Hough boys' 400 relay team, said Peter Brumm, who teamed with Patrick Cowley, Jack Manchester and Andrew Botelho to win the meet's final event — the one immediately after the girls' 400 relay — in 3:07.58.

"We were right on the side of the pool cheering for them," said Brumm. "Having them shatter the state record really gave us the excitement. I think everyone in the pool swam faster because of that."

Hough boys take 2nd

The Hough boys also moved up three spots in the team standings from last year, taking second after finishing fifth in the program's first season.

Hough totaled 213 points in the boys' meet, 52 behind champion Providence, which won for the third straight year.

"I was really proud of how we held up," said Brumm. "We really came together."

Brumm won the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:39.07. It was the fourth individual state title for the senior who won 1A/2A titles in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly while attending Lake Norman Charter and won the 100 butterfly last year at Hough. A disqualification for flinching on the starting block at regionals — a call Brumm said was correct — cost him a chance to defend his butterfly title, but Brumm said the team aspect of high school swimming inspired him to swim his best.

"He put it behind him real well and moved forward," said Queen. "He was as focused as ever to do all the events he did. It was a little redemption for him."

Hough also picked up a victory in boys' diving, with Harrison Mitchell scoring 462.80 to edge Athens Drive's Anthony Gallante by 0.75 points.

"I told him he blew that second place kid out," joked Queen. "I told him, 'Next time, make it close.'"

Second (and 3rd) that

Hough supplemented its victories with six second-place finishes and three thirds.

In the girls' championship, joining Allen's runner-up finish in the 50 freestyle, Merritt took second in the 200 freestyle and the 100 backstroke, and Dupay placed third in the 200 individual medley. Dupay, O'Brien, Schrum and Shannon Bauer took third in the 200 freestyle relay.

Jack Manchester placed second in the boys' 500 freestyle and third in the 200 freestyle. He joined Brumm, Cowley and Andrew Petry on the runner-up 200 medley relay team, while Petry, Brumm, Botelho and Jeffery Manchester took second in the 200 freestyle relay.

Corcoran leads Vikes

North Meck had two swimmers qualify for the state meet, Sean Corcoran and Molly Sanborn, while Marc Brittain represented Hopewell in Cary.

Corcoran placed fifth in the boys' 100 butterfly and ninth in the 100 backstroke. Brittain was 10th in the 100 breaststroke. Sanborn finished 10th and 11th in the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle, respectively.