Backed by an impressive preliminary session the Wichita-Heights boys team (287 points) won the Kansas 5-1A state title comfortably over Blue Valley Southwest(211) and Blue Valley West(201).
Wichita Heights started off the meet hot winning the 200 Medley Relay (1:38.57) just missing the state record by 35 one-hundreths of a second. Rose Hill(1:39.95) and Blue Valley-Southwest (1:42.45) touched second and third in the championship heat.
Topeka-Hayden senior John-Martin Schmidt could not get under his state record from last years championships(1:41.25) but still walked away with the gold for the second consecutive year(1:41.83). Younger brother Robert Schmidt joined his big brother on the podium touching second(1:48.16) with Wichita-Heights senior Dillion Cullinan(1:49.20) collecting the bronze.
Wichita-Heights senior Bryce Blattner(1:53.73) started strong and held off Kevin McGowan(1:57.23) and Anderson Maginn(1:58.76) for the 200 individual medley state title.
Gavin Smith of Rose Hill touched at 21.45 to win the state championship in the 50 Free. Even when Wichita-Heights did not take gold they were not far away with teammtes Dylan Jensen and Dawson Gatenbein keeping the lead safe with 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the splash and dash.
Blue Valley West senior and Louisville signee Daniel Fecteau shattered the former state record of Adam Lower(460.45) with an impressive 533.55. He will be in good hands with former Olympic bronze medalist Kongzheng KZ Li as his coach this coming fall in Kentucky.
Gavin Smith doubled up winning the 100 butterfly(51.86) but the Wichita-Heights depth began to become more apparent as the meet continued with Gatenbein(52.79) and Cullinan(54.26) placing 2nd and 4th respectively in the final.
John-Martin Schmidt would miss out on another state record(46.75) but this time addding his name alongside Glenn Trammel as the only two boys in state history to win 5 individual state titles over the course of their career. 50 free runner-up Jensen would have to settle for another silver(48.34) with Louie Carter of Bishop Miege(48.75) coming in 3rd.
Sophmore Noah Baden would add to Rose Hill high school’s title count with his own in the 500 Free(4:45.58). Bonner Springs freshman Ryan Downing(4:52.75) and Robert Schmidt, adding to his medal tally this time with a bronze(4:56.24), rounded out the 500 freestyle podium.
Wichita Heights 200 Freestyle relay(1:29.58) anchored by Gatenbein’s 21.39 would break the only swimming state record of the evening set by Bishop Miege’s sprinting quartet at last years’ championship.
Bryce Blattner continued his winning way’s moments later in the 100 backstroke(51.25) defeating top seed Kevin McGowan(52.10) of Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights and freshman Anderson Maginn(54.57).
Baden would end the state title tally at four for Rose Hill High School winning the 100 breastroke(57.74). Blue Valley -West junior Jordan Cowen(58.91) and Wichita Collegiate’s Trent Pirner(1:01.58) would place second and third on the evening with Wichita State junior Creighton Sanders not far behind (1:02.27) touching sealing the state title for the team.
Clinching the state championship did not phase the Wichita-Heights 400 free relay with Bryce Blattner (3:20.47) running down Blue Valley-Southwest (3:21.06) to give the senior his 4th state title on the evening. Newton High School would claim their first medal of the finals session with their relay team touching 3rd (3:26.07).