Douglas Miles

Your Prep Sports

DUBUQUE – In swimming, it is one thing to have roster depth.

It is another to have depth that can reach the top of the podium.

The West High boys’ swimming team looked the part of a legitimate state-championship contender after it swept all three relay races and four different swimmers won individual events at a district meet Saturday at the Dubuque Community School District Aquatic Center.

“Really, really happy with how the guys did,” West High coach Byron Butler said after his team won eight of 11 events and claimed the team title with a whopping 488 points. “Just the effort level that they put in throughout the day and what they have been doing all season. Really, really pleased with their performances.”

West High easily distanced itself in the team race from second-place Dubuque Hempstead (323 points).

Sophomore Holden Carter – a Liberty High student – was the only West High swimmer to post multiple individual wins when he claimed the title in both the 100-yard butterfly (in 51.33 seconds) and the 100-yard backstroke (52.30).

Carter was also a part of victorious relay quartets in the 200-yard medley relay (with seniors Boyd Skelley, Jordan Christensen and Kirk Brotherton) and the 400-yard freestyle relay (with Christensen, senior Damon Conzemius and sophomore Max Gerke).

“I liked my 100 back, especially,” said Carter, who entered the meet ranked fourth in the 100 butterfly. “I really needed a good swim for the season and especially for this meet. I feel like my swim was pretty good. Relays were fine. 100 fly could have been better. I psyche myself up a lot. Mental is a pretty big part for me.”

Brotherton and Christensen both shined in their respective signature events.

Brotherton – a Liberty High student and the state’s leader in the 50-yard freestyle – sprinted to victory in event with a blistering time of 20.78 seconds, which earned him the second seed at next Saturday’s state meet.

Christensen – ranked third in the 100-yard breaststroke and the defending state runner-up in the event – claimed victory in it in just 57.24.

He will be the No. 4 seed at the state meet.

“We are happy with it, we’re not content,” Brotherton said. “We have got areas to improve on this next week, physically and mentally. I think that is just what we are going to be focused on. As far as how this meet went, it was pretty good. It is more about just the team atmosphere and enjoying what could be a swimmer’s last meet. We just want to make sure that everyone feels that love and that connection that West High is known for on the swim team.”

Gerke won the 500-yard freestyle in 4:48.05 and, like Carter, tallied a pair of relay wins.

In addition to the aforementioned 200 relay victory, Gerke helped West High to a win in the 200-yard freestyle relay alongside Skelley, Conzemius and Brotherton.

By the end of the meet, the sophomore duo of Carter and Gerke had combined for three individual wins in addition to two relay crowns apiece.

“Having those guys on our team is just amazing,” Christensen said. “Having those young guys to be able to age and develop as they go on already having the speed that they have as underclassmen and then maturing more as their high school season goes on is really exciting to see.”

Overall, West High qualified 11 individual swimmers – eight of which will participate in two individual events – across all eight individual events in next Saturday’s state championship meet at the University of Iowa pool in Iowa City.

Both its 200 medley and 200 free relay will be seeded third, while its 400 free relay will be seeded ninth.

“We are a little inconsistent with some of our performances today,” Butler said. “So just getting some consistency, staying focused. I think my group was just making this meet up a little bit more than it needed to be. Just getting them in a relaxed, confident mindset is going to be my big focus this week because they have done tons of training. I can’t imagine that they are going to swim slow at the CRWC next week.”

With 284 points, City High placed fourth in the team standings at the district meet.

Sophomore Joe Polyak – a Regina student – won the district crown in the 200-yard individual medley in 1:56.49.

“I like that it combines all four strokes,” said Polyak, who will be seeded 10th at the state meet. “So, you can’t have a weak point. You have to be good at everything.”

Polyak will also be seeded 10th in the 100 breaststroke after placing third at the district meet.

He is one of two Little Hawks, the other being junior John Weigel, to qualify in two individual events.

Weigel is seeded eighth in the 100 freestyle and 15th in the 1000 backstroke.

Junior Kento Yahashiri is the highest-seeded swimmer in an individual event for Iowa City High as he is positioned eighth in the 100 breaststroke.

“He is another really good racer,” City High Coach Mandi Kowal said. “So, to see that, it just puts such a pep in your step. And John, actually his back has been bothering him and to see him perform the way he did today and kind of work through it and still get PR’s is really awesome. This group has been a really fun group.”

City High also qualified all three of its relay squads, with its 200 medley relay team receiving the highest seed at No. 14.

District Meet

At Dubuque Community School District Aquatic Center

Team scores – 1. West High 488; 2. Dubuque Hempstead 323; 3. Cedar Falls 308; 4. City High 284; 5. Decorah 183.5; 6. Dubuque Senior 146; 7. Waterloo 128; 8. Clinton 65.5.

Event winners; area placewinners

200 medley relay – 1. West High (Boyd Skelley, Jordan Christensen, Holden Carter, Kirk Brotherton), 1:34.54; 3. City High (John Weigel, Kento Yahashiri, Joe Polyak, Will Larson), 1:39.59; 4. Cedar Falls (John Butler, Cole Wilson, Drew Langner, Graham Fry) 1:40.69.

200 freestyle – 1. George Holesinger (DH) 1:41.45; 2. Max Gerke (ICW) 1:45.96; 4. Lukas Swanson (ICW) 1:48.39; 6. Damon Conzemius (ICW) 1:49.23; 7. Kento Yahashiri (ICH) 1:51.66; 9. James Kardos (ICH) 1:56.29; 19. Drew Brown (ICH) 2:25.53.

200 IM – 1. Joe Polyak (ICH) 1:56.49; 2. Jordan Christensen (ICW) 1:57.67; 5. Nikolas Sung (ICW), 2:01.08; 6. Samuel Ruelas (ICW) 2:05.57; 16. Woodbury Rogers (ICH) 2:36.50; 18. Owyn Noble (ICW) 2:41.44.

50 freestyle – 1. Kirk Brotherton (ICW) 20.78; 3. Christian Janis (ICW) 22.15; 4. Will Larson (ICH) 22.22; 6. Barrett Coffey (ICW) 22.31;12. Charlie Pfohl (ICH) 23.74; 20. River Vanderhoef (ICH) 25.81.

100 butterfly – 1. Holden Carter (ICW) 51.33; 2. Andy Luo (ICW) 53.10; 4. Samuel Ruelas (ICW) 56.25; 14. Lars Hackathorn (ICH) 1:04.18; 17. River Vanderhoef (ICH) 1:07.00; 18. Grant Bumsted (ICH) 1:07.23.

100 freestyle – 1. George Holesinger (DH) 45.45; 2. Kirk Brotherton (ICW) 46.11; 3. Boyd Skelley (ICW) 47.56; 4. John Weigel (ICH) 47.66; 7. Quinn Wubbena (ICW) 50.03; 8. Chase Loftus (ICH) 50.29; 12. Charlie Pfohl (ICH) 53.25.

500 freestyle – 1. Max Gerke (ICW) 4:48.05; 2. Lukas Swanson (ICW) 4:52.88; 5. Damon Conzemius (ICW) 5:03.26; 8. James Kardos (ICH) 5:15.29; 9. Grayson Wills (ICH) 5:15.66; 17. Woodbury Rogers (ICH) 6:22.46.

200 freestyle relay – 1. West High (Boyd Skelley, Damon Conzemius, Max Gerke, Kirk Brotherton) 1:25.86; 3. High (Kento Yahashiri, Chase Loftus, Joe Polyak, Will Larson) 1:30.60.

100 backstroke – 1. Holden Carter (ICW) 52.30; 3. John Weigel (ICH) 53.09; 4. Boyd Skelley (ICW) 53.37; 6. Andy Luo (ICW) 56.68; 8. Grayson Wills (ICH) 59.43; 14. Lars Hackathorn (ICH) 1:04.80.

100 breaststroke – 1. Jordan Christensen (ICW) 57.24; 2. Kento Yahashiri (ICH) 58.94; 3. Joe Polyak (ICH) 59.09; 8. Chase Loftus (ICH) 1:03.11; 9. Nikolas Sung (ICW) 1:03.28; 12. Gavin Keeney (ICW) 1:04.89.

400 freestyle relay – 1. West High (Max Gerke, Holden Carter, Damon Conzemius, Jordan Christensen) 3:14.74; 4. City High (Will Larson, Chase Loftus, Charlie Pfohl, John Weigel), 3:22.54.

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