Gloucester Catholic Junior Wins Girls Breaststroke Title at N.J. Meet of Champions

Riley Fitzpatrick beats out top girls swimmers after regularly competing against boys during the dual meet season.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Gloucester Catholic junior Riley Fitzpatrick won the girls breaststroke title at the 2026 New Jersey Meet of Champions, finishing with a time of 1:02.91. Fitzpatrick has regularly competed against male swimmers during the dual meet season, often beating out some of South Jersey's top boys swimmers. She finished sixth in the event in 2025 but was determined to win the title this year, overcoming a strong field that included defending champion Ayah Bedri of Kent Place.

Why it matters

Fitzpatrick's victory highlights the challenges and opportunities faced by female athletes who compete on co-ed teams in New Jersey high school swimming. While she has had to race against faster male competitors during the regular season, Fitzpatrick has used that experience to elevate her own performance and now stands atop the podium as a state champion.

The details

During the dual meet season, Fitzpatrick regularly competes against male swimmers from other programs across South Jersey. While the boys are generally faster, she has been able to hold her own, even beating some of the top male swimmers like Andrew Shepherd of Cumberland and Matt Roser of Woodstown. In the 2024-25 season, Fitzpatrick had 14 individual event wins, not including relays. At the 2026 Meet of Champions, she was determined to make the most of her opportunity to race exclusively against other girls, overcoming a strong field that included defending champion Ayah Bedri.

  • Fitzpatrick finished sixth in the girls breaststroke at the 2025 Meet of Champions.
  • The 2026 Meet of Champions took place on Sunday, March 2, 2026.

The players

Riley Fitzpatrick

A junior swimmer at Gloucester Catholic High School who has regularly competed against male swimmers during the dual meet season, often beating out some of South Jersey's top boys swimmers.

Ayah Bedri

The defending girls breaststroke champion at the 2026 Meet of Champions, representing Kent Place School.

Andrew Shepherd

A male swimmer from Cumberland High School that Fitzpatrick has competed against during the dual meet season.

Matt Roser

A male swimmer from Woodstown High School that Fitzpatrick has competed against during the dual meet season.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Guys like Andrew Shepherd (Cumberland) and Matt Roser (Woodstown) are some of the guys I had to go up against. They're definitely a lot faster than me, but I was able to hold my own. I went a 2:07 in the 200 IM, which was one of my best times this season. There are both pros and cons, but I really like it because it shows how much I've improved over the past couple years. And it's fun to say that I've beaten some guys.”

— Riley Fitzpatrick (nj.com)

“It was fun to race a ton of fast girls because I knew that I wasn't going to win easy this year. But I was very happy winning because even last year, like I knew that I could drop more time, I knew that I could get better. Coming into this meet and winning is nice. I'll be coming back next year to try to defend my title.”

— Riley Fitzpatrick (nj.com)

“I started to get a little nervous going into Sunday's final. But then I realized I've been training for this and just needed to trust all the work I've put in. It was really nice coming in first, knowing all the work is paying off and that I can do it.”

— Riley Fitzpatrick (nj.com)

What’s next

Fitzpatrick will look to defend her girls breaststroke title at the 2027 Meet of Champions.

The takeaway

Fitzpatrick's victory demonstrates the value of co-ed competition in high school swimming, as it has pushed her to elevate her performance and achieve success against elite female swimmers. Her story inspires other young female athletes to embrace the challenge of competing against boys and use it as motivation to reach new heights in their sport.