Boys Swimming and Diving State Meet: Finals Recap
Posted: Saturday, March 2, 2024 - 9:46 PM
Breck/Blake earned its eighth consecutive team championship in Class A, while Edina returned to the championship podium after a one-year absence in Class AA.
Breck/Blake senior Josiah March and Hutchinson junior Conner Hogan both set Class A records in the finals. St. Cloud Tech sophomore Micah Davis and Rosemount junior Lucas Gerten set Class AA and all-time records in the evening session.
Class A
The co-op of Breck/Blake won its eighth consecutive team title with 327 points. It was the 10th title overall for Breck/Blake. In addition to the past eight years, the Bearstangs also won in 2009 and 2010. St. Thomas Academy placed second with 224 points and Hutchinson was third at 209.
Breck/Blake won four individual events and all three relays on its way to the championship. Senior Andrew Colgan led the charge for the Bearstangs, finishing in the top spot in both the 200 individual medley (1:51.72) and the 100 breaststroke (54.43).
Junior Henry Webb and senior Josiah March were the final two individual winners for Breck/Blake. Webb won his second consecutive title in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:37.31 and March earned his second consecutive championship in the 500 freestyle in 4:32.99. March’s time was also a new Class A record.
The team from Breck/Blake earned its seventh consecutive championship in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:31.92. Webb, Colgan, junior Dominic Bollettieri and senior Colin Craig were members of that team. The squad of senior Cayden Liao, Colgan, Bollettieri and March added a fourth consecutive title in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:25.44.
Breck/Blake earned its final points by winning its third consecutive championship in the 400 freestyle relay. Webb, March, ninth-grader Teddy Frerichs and Liao completed that race in 3:07.05.
Conner Hogan, a junior from Hutchinson, was the only other competitor to win two individual events. He captured his second consecutive title in the 50 freestyle (20.13) and also won the 100 freestyle (43.80). His time in the 100 was also a Class A record.
Class AA
In the Class AA team competition, Edina improved on last year’s runner-up showing and won its 15th championship with 289 points. The Hornets won previously in 1965, 1967, 1968, 1984, 1986, 1987, 2004, 2008-2010 and 2019-2022.
Minnetonka finished second with 283 points this year and Prior Lake was third with a score of 252.
Edina won one two individual events and one relay on its way to the championship. Junior Jiarui Xue earned his second consecutive crown in the 500 freestyle (4:25.19) and senior Rohan D’Souza Larson won the 50 freestyle (20.55).
The Hornets also claimed the top spot in the 200 freestyle relay, winning in 1:23.13. D’Souza Larson, Xue, senior Jack Goepfrich and sophomore Joe Hemberger were the members of that squad.
Sophomore Micah Davis of St. Cloud Tech and sophomore Evan Witte of Minnetonka were the only competitors to win multiple titles. Davis successfully defended his crown in both the 200 freestyle (1:36.74) and the 100 butterfly. His time of 46.94 in the butterfly was both a Class AA and all-time state meet record.
Witte captured his first championship in the 200 individual medley (1:48.41). He won his second consecutive title in the 100 freestyle (44.59).
Lucas Gerten, a junior from Rosemount, was the final individual to successfully defend his 2023 title. Gerten earned his third consecutive championship in one meter diving with 539.60 points, a Class AA and all-time state meet record.
Complete results are posted here
