From Staff Reports

AUSTIN — Tyler Legacy freshman Madalyn Petty is a state champion.

Petty posted a time of 4 minutes and 45.05 seconds to win the Class 6A girls 500-yard freestyle on Saturday at the UIL Swimming and Diving State Meet at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center on the campus of The University of Texas.

Petty entered the 500 free as the top seed with a regional winning time of 4:50.02.

“I’m really excited, and I hope I win, but if I don’t then it’s not going to be the end of the world,” Petty said earlier in the week.

Petty swam a time of 4:49.17 in Friday’s prelims to earn a spot in Saturday’s final. Senior Avery Dillon of Lamar Fulshear, who had the top prelim time (4:48.98), finished behind Petty in the final with a time of 4:46.97. The rest of the field was at least eight seconds behind Petty

In the 200 free, Petty just missed the final with a time of 1:51.03. She won the consolation final with a time of 1:50.69, which resulted in a ninth-place finish overall. Petty’s time would’ve placed sixth in the final race.

Petty also swam on the 200 freestyle relay team with seniors Ellie Lemmert and Ava Greene and sophomore Ella Eckert with Sophomore Courtney Reilly and junior Emily Heller as alternates.

The 200 free relay team didn’t qualify for the finals.

Whitehouse’s Gabe Rogers made the finals in both of his events in Class 5A.

Rogers placed seventh in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 46.27, and he placed eighth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 57.41.