Johnson County boys state swim meet preview

 

 

 

Sunflower League or East Kansas League teams have won the boys swimming and diving state championship in 12 of the last 13 seasons.

If the eastern part of the state is to reign supreme again, here are the most likely contenders (in alphabetical order):

Blue Valley North

The Mustangs were one of the strongest teams during the regular season, but they were overtaken at the East Kansas League meet, finishing second to BV Northwest. Coach Derek Berg said his team set itself back in that meet with a lackluster performance in preliminaries. If the Mustangs have learned from that mistake, they could well be in the thick of things come Saturday afternoon. Total swimmers/divers going to state (including relay alternates): 15.

Blue Valley Northwest

The Huskies rallied two weekends ago for something of an upset when they topped BV North for the East Kansas League championship. They will have a couple swimmers contending for individual championships, but they will need to maximize all point opportunities to claim a team title. Total swimmers/divers going to state (including relay alternates): 16.

Olathe East

The Hawks have never won a boys swimming and diving state title, but they’ve come close – like last year, when they finished second, a mere two points behind state champion SM East. Loaded with top-tier swimmers, the Hawks have a chance at their first championship if their depth comes through with enough points. Total swimmers/divers going to state (including relay alternates): 19.

Shawnee Mission East

The Lancers don’t have the same firepower they had in recent years. They probably won’t have an individual state champion. But it’s hard to count out a program that has won the last four state titles and claimed its sixth consecutive Sunflower League championship two weekends ago. The Lancers’ strength is their depth. Total swimmers/divers going to state (including relay alternates): 21.

Here are a few events worth watching for local interest:

•200-yard freestyle: Last year, BV Northwest’s Nathan Welchlin won the state title, but he’s swimming the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly instead this year. But Olathe East’s Joe Knight, who was second, and Hawks teammate Cris Smith, who was third, are both back in the event.

•200 individual medley: BV North’s Nathan Hoisington is the defending state champion in this one, and topped his state time at the league meet earlier this month.

•1-meter diving: Olathe Northwest’s Brandon Stoppelmoor was the state runner-up last season. But his freshman teammate Clark Thomas has been unstoppable this year. They could finish 1-2 in the event.

•500 freestyle: Olathe East’s Austin Acheson is the reigning state champion in this event.

•100 breaststroke: BV North’s Hoisington was state runner-up last year, but BV Northwest’s Luke Musser swam a 57.69 at the EKL championships. That is faster than the state championship-winning time (58.37) from last year.

KANSAS STATE SWIM MEET

 

•WHEN: Friday – swimming preliminaries at 1 p.m., diving preliminaries at 6 p.m.; Saturday — diving semifinals at 10 a.m., finals for all events begin at 12:30 p.m.

•WHERE: Capitol Federal Natatorium at Hummer Sports Complex in Topeka

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-02-17 14:20:00

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