Your Prep Sports

MARION – The members of the West High swim team were sitting up in the balcony of the Linn-Mar Aquatics Center just waiting after Saturday’s district meet.

And hoping.

The Trojans easily won the 400-yard freestyle relay to conclude the meet, only to be disqualified for having a swimmer re-enter the water following his leg of the relay.

The DQ would not have had cost West High the district title, but it would have been a huge blow to its state title aspirations next Saturday.

If it had stood, the top-ranked Trojans would not have had that relay at state.

For 45 minutes, head coach Byron Butler was in meetings with meet officials, before making a call to Iowa High School Athletic Association.

Butler finally emerged from the meeting, shouting: “Let’s go”

That sent the Trojan swimmers into a wild celebration.

The ruling in its favor capped a stellar day of swimming for West High.

The Trojans won seven of the 11 events scoring 479 points. Host Linn-Mar was second with 356 followed by City High with 275.5.

Butler said a disqualification would have “ruined the day for our kids.”

He received the following explanation from the officials.

“Our second swimmer, Luke Nichols, exited the pool and was exhausted,” Butler said. “He was sitting on the side and his foot re-entered the water and they ruled it re-entry into the water and called it a disqualification. It had no impact on the race.”

With his relay safely qualified for state, Butler said his team had one of the best meets ever by an Iowa prep boys team.

“I say this with all humility, but this was the highest powerpoint swim by any team in Iowa history,” he said. “That was our goal coming in. We wanted to qualify 24 guys in 24 swims and all three relays.”

Senior James Pinter and freshman Diggory Dillingham were part of four wins each for the Trojans.

Pinter won the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Dillingham continued his domination of the sprints, taking the 50 and 100 freestyles.

In fact, West dominated the two sprint freestyles, going 1-2-3 in both events.

Pinter and Dillingham were also on two winning relay efforts.

“I’m unbelievably proud of them,” Butler said of his team. “They just blew me away. You can look back at some of the old Cedar Rapids Washington teams when they were dominating and this was right up there with that performance.

“We had so many guys come through with great swims today,” continued Butler. “We are definitely looking forward to (the state meet) next week

Iowa City High’s Forrest Frazier is on a mission in his final prep season.

The senior won a pair of events, taking the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke. The three-time state champion is peaking at the right time.

“He’s right where we want him to be,” said City High Coach Zane Hugo. “He’s chasing some all-time records and hopefully he will finish strong next week.”

Frazier was named the meet’s outstanding swimmer while Butler and the West staff received the coaching honor from district coaches.

IHSAA District Swim Meet

At Linn-Mar Aquatic Center

Team scores – 1. West High 479; 2. Linn-Mar 356; 3. City High 275.5; 4. Decorah 217.5; 5. Cedar Rapids Washington 213; 6. Burlington 133; 7. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 117.5; 8. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 98.5; 9. Keokuk 91

Individual results

200 yard medley relay – 1. West High (James Pinter, Jordan Christensen, Izaak Hajek, Michael Kimball) 1:33.16; 2. City High (Caleb Coons, Forrest Frazier, Isaac Weigel, Will Larson) 1:34.75, 3. Linn-Mar 1:38.43.

200 freestyle – 1. James Pinter (ICW) 1:40.08; 2. Cooper Callahan (L-M) 1:42.11; 3. Isaac Weigel (ICH) 1:43.73.

200 individual medley – 1. Forrest Frazier (ICH) 1:49.15; 2. Aiden Carstensen (L-M) 1:53.91; 3. Dylan Jones (CRK) 1:56.29

50 freestyle – 1. Diggory Dillingham (ICW) 20.87; 2. Michael Kimball (ICW) 21.52; 3. Kirk Brotherton (ICW) 21.73

100 butterfly – 1. Nick Cavanah (L-M) 49.96; 2. Izaak Hajek (ICW) 50.54; 3. Gus Grimstad (DEC) 51.36

100 freestyle – 1. Diggory Dillingham (ICW) 47.06; 2. Michael Kimball (ICW) 47.69; 3. Boyd Skelley (ICW) 48.26

500 freestyle – 1. Cooper Callahan (L-M) 4:37.38; 2. Isaac Weigel (ICH) 4:38.42; 3. Bryce Edens (ICH) 4:51.38

200 freestyle relay – 1. Iowa City West (Kirk Brotherton, Luke Nichols, Michael Kimball, Diggory Dillingham) 1:25.69, 2. Linn-Mar 1:28.01, 3. Burlington 1:30.47

100 backstroke – 1. James Pinter (ICW) 50.20; 2. Nick Cavanah 51.45, 3. Aiden Carstensen (L-M) 51.46.

100 breaststroke – 1. Forrest Frazier (ICH) 54.18; 2. Dylan Jones (CRK) 57.14; 3. Jordan Christensen (ICW) 57.33

400 free relay – 1. West High (Diggory Dillingham, Luke Nichols, Izaak Hajek, James Pinter) 3:08.00; 2. Linn-Mar 3:09.30; 3. City High (Isaac Weigel, Bryce Edens, Chase Loftus, Forrest Frazier) 3:14.04

District Athlete of the Year – Forrest Frazier, Iowa City High

District Coaching Staff of the Year – Byron Butler, West High

Other City High and West finishers

200 freestyle – 6. Damon Conzemius (ICW) 1:47.11; 8. Nikolas Sung (ICW) 1:47.22; 13. Mark Krysan (ICH), 1:52.48

200 individual medley – 4. Izaak Hajek (ICW) 1:57.70; 5. Jordan Christensen (ICW) 1:58.91; 8. Luke Nichols (ICW) 2:01.94; 12. Chase Loftus (ICH) 2:11.36; 13. Kento Yahashiri (ICH) 2:11.72

50 freestyle – 16. Will Larson (ICH) 23.98; 20. Joe Kueter (ICH) 24.36; 24. Bigad Gaber (ICH) 25.77

100 butterfly – 5. Caleb Coons (ICH) 52.57; 6. Luke Nichols (ICW) 53.07; 16. John Weigel (ICH) 1:02.03; 19. Jared Coiner (ICH) 1:06.09

100 freestyle  – 7. Mark Krysan (ICH) 50.71; 10. Chase Loftus (ICH) 52.01; 20. Bigad Gaber (54.67)

500 freestyle – 4. Nikolas Sung (ICW) 4:53.10; 5. Damon Conzemius (ICW) 4:54.55; 7. Andy Luo (ICW) 4:55.74; 13. Joe Kueter (ICH) 5:18.66.

200 free relay – 4. City High (Caleb Coons, Will Larson, Chase Loftus, Bryce Edens) 1:32.01

100 backstroke – 4. Caleb Coons (ICH) 52.78; 6. Boyd Skelley (ICW) 54.33; 8. Parth Patel (ICW) 55.84; 13. John Weigel (ICH) 1:03.64; 19. Grayson Wills (ICH) 1:09.62.

100 breaststroke – 5. Tate Happel (ICW) 1:00.83; 9. Kento Yahashiri (ICH) 1:04.02; 25. Truman Thompson (ICH) 1:17.99

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