By: Shawn O’Brate
LANDER – The Lander Valley (LVHS) boys team, winner of 26 straight state swimming championships, held another competitive meet this past Friday with a Triple Dual between themselves, Rawlins and Jackson.
Unsurprisingly, Lander dominated both teams in their home water with the LVHS 200 yard medley relay teams (both A and B) coming in first and second place. Afterwards it was Lander’s Reed McFadden who finished in the 200 yard freestyle event with a time of 1:57.99, 15 seconds better than second place.
Then, in the 200 yard individual medley, it was Lander taking the top five spots with Finn Richards (2:11.69) finishing in first and Brody Blunck (2:32.60) finishing in fifth.
One of the only events that Lander did not win, the 50 yard freestyle race, was toppled by Jackson Hole’s Scott Hunter with a time of 24:51 but the LVHS boys would make up for it in the 100 yard freestyle race as Dylan Huelskamp continues his stellar season with a 4A qualifying time of 50:85 pushing him into first. Huelskamp was followed by McFadden (51:55), Brayden Brown (53:51), Sequel Lozier (54:29) and Colby Blackburn (54:79), all Tigers.
Blackburn also won the 100 yard backstroke (1:01.10) while his teammate, Benny Kulow, who is also having one of the best years a LVHS swimmer has had in years, won the 100 yard butterfly with a time 4A qualifying time of 56:89.
Lander, once again, also won the one-meter diving events with Noah Larson (194.80 points) leading the Tigers’ pack of Logan Wietzki (189.15) and Gage Hampton (167.30).
To end the day the Lander boys won the 400 yard freestyle relay with a team of Kulow, McFadden, Richards and Huelskamp. Coming up in second place of that relay? The Lander B team with Erick Harms, Brown, Justin Whelan and Lozier.
On top of winning the triple dual in front of their home crowd, Lander’s Shane Cunningham received the good sportsmanship award which was received with applause you could hear outside the Bruce Gresly Aquatic Center.
Congratulations to the LVHS boys swim team who beat Rawlins 97-57 and Jackson 102-40 and look to be on their way to yet another state title.
