Various swimmers finished with state qualifying times while placing first at the Kaw Valley League meet on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at Bonner Springs High School.

The boys placed first out five teams at the league meet with 91 points.

“This was our second year in a row getting first place,” junior Logan Schmidt said. “It was really exciting considering how young of a team we are.”

According to Schmidt, the team wanted to do their best their overall meet capabilities

“The goals for this meet were to drop times in our events and to try and win league for the second year in a row,” Schmidt said. “I believe we accomplished both of those goals.”

The meet felt regular at first, according to junior Adam Grey.

“There was a good crowd there,” Grey said. “It felt like a normal meet but as we started to go through the meet it started to feel like a bigger deal.”

Schmidt said this meet helped to get the team ready for the state meet in Topeka on Friday, Feb. 20 and Saturday, Feb. 21.

“A lot of people were trying to improve their times,” Schmidt said. “This added a lot of excitement for the people going to state, and it should help boost our confidence going into state.”

According to Grey, the goal is always to do their best.

“We’d really like to win,” Grey said. “We know state is a lot more competitive than any other meet but the goal is always to do our best and to win.”

The following swimmers scored points for the overall 91 score:

200 Medley Relay: junior Jeremiah Kemper, senior Nick Stack, Grey and sophomore Nick Nelson placed third.

100 and 200 free: senior Callahan Eckardt placed first with both times qualifying for state.

Junior Will Dervin placed 4th in the 200 free and 5th in the 100 back with a state consideration time.

Junior Dan Thomas placed 6th in the 200 free and 3rd in the 500 free.

Sophomore Garrison Fangman placed 2nd in the 200 IM with a state consideration time and 1st in the 100 fly with a state qualifying time.

Kemper placed 5th in the 200 IM with a state consideration time.

Stack placed 2nd in the 50 free with a state consideration time and 1st in the 100 breast with a state consideration time.

Grey placed 5th in the 50 free with a state consideration time previously achieved and 5th in the 100 free.

Sophomore Travis Collins placed 5th in the 500 free.

Freshman Noah Kemper placed 6th in the 500 free.

200 Free Relay: Fangman, Stack, junior Chase Midyett and Eckardt placed first with a state qualifying time.

Schmidt placed 4th in the 100 breast.

Senior Rylan Davis placed 6th in the 100 breast.

400 Free Relay: Fangman, Midyett, Kemper and Eckardt placed third.

The following swimmers will be going to state:

Dervin

Eckardt

Fangman

Grey

Kemper

Midyett

Schmidt

Smith

Stack

Sophomore Mitch Willoughby (diving)