Oviedo junior Danielle Giddens and Lake Brantley sophomore Keira Druck continued strong seasons with impressive victories as their teams went 1-2 in the Class 4A District 3 swimming and diving meet at Lake Howell.
Giddens was first in all four of her events, including the 50-yard freestyle, which she won with a season-best time of 23.50 seconds. She also won the 100 free at 51.79 and anchored the winning 200 and 500 free relay races to lead the Lions to the championship.
Druck cruised to wins in the 200 free (1 minute, 53.34 seconds) and 500 free (4:59.27) and swam the butterfly leg for the first place 200 medley relay for Brantley, which finished second.
Both girls have proven they can go faster as they rev up for the FHSAA 4A state meet on Nov. 7 in Ocala.
Early this season, Druck broke a 23-year-old school record with a 1:49.45 time for the 200 free in the Lake Brantley Invitational. She clocked a second career best on the same day with a 4:54.70 in the 500 free.
“I think so far that was my best (meet),” Druck said Tuesday. “I wasn’t expecting at all to get those times. Normally, I’m always nervous for the 200. I wasn’t nervous at all that day.”
Giddens, who is 16, clocked her career-best 50 free time of 23.43 in the 2025 state meet, where she finished fourth. Her 100 free best of 51.50 came in a March club meet in Orlando.
“She has the attitude. She likes to race,” said veteran Oviedo coach Charlie Rose. “She’s gotten a lot stronger this year.”
Giddens became serious about swimming after her family moved from Virginia to Seminole County and she signed up for the Blue Dolfins swim club, where Rose is a head coach. Last week she committed to swim in college for Wyoming.
Druck, 15, got into swimming age 6 by following her sister, Kahlen, into the pool. Kahlen, a Lake Brantley junior, gave up competitive swimming in favor of playing water polo. Keira stuck with swimming.
“When I watched my sister swim, all I wanted to do was find a way to get in the pool,” she said.
Brantley coach Gabe Parnell said Keira practices with the Patriots and also trains in early mornings and Saturdays with her swim club, Windermere Lakers. She placed eighth in the 200 free and 10th in the 500 in last year’s state meet and is aiming for a much better showing this year.
Lake Brantley sophomore Keira Druck won the girls 200 yard freestyle and 400 free races in the Class 4A District 3 swim meet. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Winter Park, led by dynamic junior Denzo Senekal, won the 4A-3 boys title with 557 points. Oviedo was second at 463.5.
Seminole swept the 4A District 2 boys and girls team titles. Windermere did the same in 4A-4.
Lake Nona’s girls and the Dr. Phillips boys won 4A District 5 titles.
Lyman’s boys and Edgewater’s girls were the 3A District 4 champs.
Senakal was 4-for-4 in his district races, including wins in the 200 free (1:41.22) and 100 backstroke (51.76); along with two relay victories. Brothers Kike and Lucas Morano also won individual races and swam on two first place relays for the Wildcats.
Winter Park junior Denzo Senekal, led the Wildcats to the Class 4A District 3 team title. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Seminole senior Will McWard and junior John Slater traded boys victories and both played key roles in relay wins. Slater won the 50 free at 21.10, just ahead of McWard’s 21.21. McWard won the 100 free at 47.49 to Slater’s 47.66.
Windermere outscored Lake Minneola 441 to 425 in a tight 4A-4 boys race and topped West Orange 398 to 339.5 on the girls side. Lizzy Johnson, a junior, had four girls first place finishes for the Wolverines. Jack Reburn, a Lake Minneola sophomore, won the boys 200 free (1:44.11), 500 free (4:35.67) and anchored the winning 200 free relay.
Saturday’s talent-ladened 4A Region 1 meet includes Oviedo, Lake Brantley, Winter Park, Seminole, Windermere and Lake Minneola. The diving portion is Friday morning at the Rosen Center & Fitness Center in Orlando. Swimming starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at Brantley.
The Rosen Center is hosting Saturday’s 4A Region 2 meet and the 1A Region 2 meet, which has powerhouse Montverde Academy on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
The 1A and 2A district meets are unfolding this week — including 1A-4 with Montverde, Lake Highland Prep and Windermere Prep at the National Training Center in Clermont on Wednesday.
Lake Nona cross country junior Arabella Duffell has run a personal best 17:13 time that ranks her fourth fastest in the state. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Cross country
Sanford Seminole won Saturday’s District Preview Meet hosted by Winter Park. The individual race was a photo finish with Winter Park’s Jackson Palk running 16:49.1 and Oviedo’s Nathanial Watson crossing the line right behind him at 16:49.9. Ocoee’s Mason Taylor was third at 16:59.
Winter Park won the girls meet and Lake Nona standout Arabella Duffell made it look easy for the individual title at 18:36.0.
District meets are next week, Monday through Saturday.
Golf
It’s district tournament time this week — the first step toward the state finals at Mission Inn. Check Sentinel Varsity for results.
In a warm up to postseason play St. Cloud teammates Arnold Pouncy and Ayden Febres both shot 5-under-par 67 to lead their team to the Orange Belt Conference boys title at Royal St. Cloud. The Bulldogs totaled 284 with Harmony second at 297.
In girls play, Winter Park totaled 127 to win the Windermere 9-Hole meet at Orange Lake Resort & Country Club Legends nine-hole walking course. Bishop Moore (132) was second, Windermere (137) third. The leading individuals were Bishop Moore’s Emma Sanabria at 26 and Winter Park’s Phah Smitasin at 27.
Seminole swim star Will McWard delivers ‘winner-take-all’ relay leg | Varsity Weekly
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.