Olathe East wins state swimming title

TOPEKA | Since the school opened in the early 1990s, the Olathe East boys swimming and diving program has waited for its first state championship. As the team’s coach from the start, Dave Youker has waited.

Waited through close calls like last year when the Hawks finished two points short of first place. Waited through three, maybe four runner-up finishes, for that matter — Youker isn’t totally sure of the count. But it doesn’t matter now.

The Olathe East boys became Kansas swimming and diving state champs for the first time Saturday. The wait is over.

“I’m really proud of all the kids, and if you saw from the stands, it means a heck of a lot more than just our team,” Youker said. “It means last year’s team, and two, three, four years ago … It’s fun being a part of something larger than myself.”

The Hawks tallied 325 points and won by a conquering margin at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. Blue Valley North was second with 274, and four-time defending state champ Shawnee Mission East took third with 262.

“I can’t imagine how he feels right now,” Hawks senior Austin Acheson said of Youker. “I feel absolutely lucky to be one of the swimmers to actually give him that finally.”

Acheson played a leading role. He was chosen the athlete of the meet after winning the 500-yard freestyle championship in a state meet record time of 4 minutes, 34.54 seconds.

Since coming close to the record in preliminaries Friday, friends and competitors alike had been wishing him luck on breaking it. Acheson, who also won the 500 freestyle state title last year, was tired and sore when the championship race began Saturday, but he could hear the crowd behind him like never before.

And as he broke the previous record of 4:35.02, the Hawks were well on their way to making their own history.

Two events later, Olathe East sophomore Ben Scheffer claimed the 100 backstroke state championship in 51.47. And the Hawks’ 400 freestyle relay of Scheffer, senior Cris Smith, freshman Ben Bravence and senior Joe Knight capped the meet in fitting style — winning that state title in 3:10.47.

“It’s awesome,” Scheffer said. “I don’t know what else to say.”

Acheson also placed third in the 200 individual medley; Knight was second in the 200 freestyle and third in the 100 butterfly; Bravence took third in the 500 freestyle and fourth in the 200 freestyle; Smith was third in the 200 freestyle and fifth in the 100 butterfly; Scheffer finished fourth in the 100 butterfly; and senior David Wagner placed fourth in diving, among other individual highlights for the Hawks.

BV North junior Nathan Hoisington repeated as state champion in the 200 individual medley, finishing in 1:51.08, and placed second in the 100 breaststroke. And BV North sophomore Griffin Peavey won the 100 breaststroke state title in 57.61.

“It’s very fun, but at the same time, I really want a state team title,” Hoisington said.

BV Northwest senior Nathan Welchlin closed his varsity career with a 50 freestyle state championship (21.44) and a second-place finish in the 100 butterfly.

Last season, he won the 200 freestyle state title. As he reflected Saturday, he thought of how far he had come since his freshman year.

“I’ve accomplished a lot,” Welchlin said. “I went from scoring two points my freshman year at state (to 37 individually Saturday) … I’ve moved mountains.”

BV Northwest also won the 200 medley relay state title with Welchlin, Luke Musser, Nathan Rommel and Branden Schoofs in a time of 1:36.18.

Olathe Northwest freshman Clark Thomas won the state diving championship with a score of 468.95, while his senior teammate Brandon Stoppelmoor placed second.

SM East won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:27.23 with Jon Reene, Clay Finley, Hunter Stevenson and Spencer Sherard.

•SPLIT COMING: The Kansas state championships will be split into separate 6A and 5A-1A meets beginning next winter, said David Cherry, an assistant executive director with the Kansas State High School Activities Association.

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-02-21 22:15:02

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