McDonogh's boys swim team finished fifth among independent schools in Swimming World Magazine's national high school championships -- a ranking of teams based on the best times for each team's athletes as if they had been posted in a true national title swim meet.

The Eagles' Giles Smith, now a freshman at Tennessee, finished first in the 50 freestyle with a time of 19.74 seconds, a national independent schools record. Smith also ranked in the Top 10 in the 100 freestyle.

Two Eagles relays also made it into the Top 10: the 200 freestyle with Smith, Brian Sweeney, Jess Stephens and Drew Kosgarea and the 400 freestyle with Smith, Ian Slater, Kosgarea and Stephens.

This is the third national ranking for coach Scott Ward's Eagles program. The boys, led by Mike Wheeler, were ranked after the 1997-98 season and the girls, led by Anne-Marie Botek, were ranked in the 2004-2005 season. Botek was the national runner up in the 100 butterfly that season.