Eden Prairie wins Class 2A boys' swimming and diving title

Coming into the Class 2A swimming and diving championships, Eden Prairie wanted to start fast in the 200-yard medley relay to gain momentum early.

The Eagles burst out of the gates, and then some. Austin Pham, Griffin Back, Joshua Withers and Jordan Greenberg finished in 1:30.70, besting the state record by more than a second. Minnetonka finished just one-hundredth of a second behind.

"We knew Minnetonka had a really good medley relay," coach Kelly Boston said. "That was a heart-stopper. They shattered the record."

Eden Prairie capitalized on its early momentum en route to the championship, scoring 335 points at the Jean Freeman Aquatic Center on the University of Minnesota campus. Minnetonka came in second at 262.5, followed by Eagan with 255.

"All four of us before the relay knew that we had to go as fast as we could to set the tone for everyone else, and if we won that, it would carry over through the rest of the meet," said Greenberg, a senior. "We're glad we did that."

Greenberg won the 50 freestyle in 20.22. Back, also a senior, took the 100 freestyle in a record 44.80. But later on, in the 400 freestyle relay, Back hit a new mark again with a 44.74 split. Back also won the 200 IM.

"I'm happy with all of my times," Back said. "It feels really good."

Withers also etched his name in the record books. The sophomore topped his previous Class 2A record with a 48.56.

"I would've liked to take a little bit more time off of my swim," Withers said. "I'm not really that fresh right now, but it was definitely nice to get a best time because my previous best was sitting there for 365 days."

Mitch Raihle of Spring Lake Park won the 1-meter diving championship for the second consecutive year, besting the rest of the field by nearly 60 points.

"There's definitely room to improve on going into college. … But I'm very happy with how I performed today," said Raihle, who will dive at North Dakota.

Corey Lau, a junior, set a Class 2A record in the 100 breaststroke with a 54.90, helping to pull Minnetonka into second place over Eagan.

"It felt really good to knock that [record] off," Lau said. "It felt cool to get that second place trophy."

Class 1A: St. Thomas Academy triumphs

With only the 400 freestyle relay remaining in the Class 1A championships, St. Thomas Academy had already clinched its fifth consecutive title. But that didn't stop seniors Hunter Nielsen, Tommy Weiss, Eric Ruzicka and Warren Sexson from putting on a show. Coach John Barnes made sure of it.

"I go, 'This is your chance. Everyone remembers the last relay. This is your chance to leave a legacy with a hell of a swim,' " Barnes said he told his swimmers.

The foursome finished first in 3: 06.11, setting a Class 1A record, to propel St. Thomas Academy to 430 points. Breck/Blake finished second with 239 points, followed by Simley at 176.

Sexson also set Class 1A records in the 200 and 500 freestyle. He bested his own 500 mark as the repeat champion in that event.

"My team always pushes me to do my best," said Sexson. "I train with the best, which helps a lot."

Red Wing's Hunter Connelly set a record in the 100 backstroke at 48.8 seconds. Nathan Stone of Simley took first in the 1-meter diving event.

But no team could match St. Thomas Academy's depth. Colin Glass won the 100 breaststroke at 56.86, and Weiss was part of St. Thomas Academy's winning 200 freestyle team. He also was second in the 100 butterfly and third in the 200 freestyle.

Weiss credited his coach for being relatable while also establishing a winning culture.

"What makes him really good at his job is that he can relate to his players. We just hang out in his office before practice," Weiss said. "He's been in our shoes, so he knows what's going on. I think that's what makes him very suited for the job."

With a championship in hand, Weiss, Nielsen, Ruzicka and Sexson could have taken it easy in the final race of their high school careers. That's not Barnes' way. His teams have won five consecutive championships by meeting his lofty expectations.

"Complacency is not allowed. I'm not a new-school kind of guy," Barnes said. "We demand that kind of perfection."

This was Barnes' 15th state title as coach (and 14th at St. Thomas Academy), breaking a tie with Paul Lukens for the most in state history. Lukens won 14 straight at Hibbing from 1929-52.