By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural star senior swimmer Nathen Trachta had to wait until the final team scores were announced at the end of Thursday's Topeka city swimming and diving championships to know whether his 18th birthday was going to be one he'd never forget or one that would leave a sour taste his mouth.
It turned out Trachta had plenty of reason to celebrate, helping lead Washburn Rural to its third straight city crown by a razor-thin margin of 530-526 at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
"I knew it was going to be tight,'' Trachta said. "We were competing against very good teams, and especially getting the win for a birthday present, that was very awesome.
"I'm so proud of our team.''
Washburn Rural senior Nathen Trachta won the city title in the 100-yard backstroke on Thursday, was second in the 100 butterfly (above) and also swam on a pair of winning relay teams as the Junior Blues edged Seaman for the team championship, 531-525. Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Trachta earned three gold medals to go with a second-place finish and anchored the Junior Blues' 400-yard freestyle relay to a victory in the meet-ending event, giving Washburn Rural the team title.
Trachta won the the 100-yard backstroke (57.72 seconds), finished second in the 100 butterfly (54.09) and swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 freestyle and 400 free relays.
Trachta teamed with Jalen Eilert, Jack Miranda and Luke Lemke to win the 200 free relay (1:33.25) while Miranda, Will Powell and Brogan Meier won the 400 free relay (3:22.83).
Washburn Rural's Jack Miranda won four gold medals in Thursday's city meet as the Junior Blues won their third straight city team title by a 530-526 margin over Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Miranda won four gold medals on the day, winning the 200 freestyle (1:50.09) and the 100 free (49.80) to go with his two relay wins, while Meier added a win in the 500 freestyle (5:13.72).
Seaman won just one event on the day, Jake Moss' win in the 50 freestyle (23.34), but the Vikings' depth put them in position to challenge for the team championship, with Seaman posting top-three finishes in all 11 swimming events.
Like Trachta, second-year Washburn Rural coach Jordan Metz expected a nail-biter in the city meet.
"I'm not going to lie, I was very nervous,'' Metz said. "I've been thinking about it all day while I was at my other job and I'm like, 'Did I put everybody in the right events?''
"And then I was just like, 'I've got to trust the guys and put my faith in them because they've put in the work. They got it done tonight and I couldn't be prouder of them.''
"I knew Seaman was going to be tough to beat. They've been tough to beat all season.''
Shawnee Heights didn't have the depth to challenge for the team title, but the T-Birds won four events.
Shawnee Heights' Luke Perkins won a pair of individual events and also added a relay win in Thursday's city swimming meet. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Heights' Luke Perkins won the 200 individual medley (2:01.54) and the 100 butterfly (52.72) and teamed with Truman Brede, Guillaume Humblet and Tanner Zerger to win the meet-opening 200 medley relay (1:43.21).
The T-Birds also got a victory from Humblet in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.79).
Topeka High freshman Jaxon Cowdin was the city diving champion, recording a winning score of 233.90.
TOPEKA CITY SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Capitol Federal Natatorium
Team scores
Washburn Rural 530, Seaman 526, Topeka High 354, Hayden 333, Shawnee Heights 272, Topeka West 27.
Individual results
200 medley relay — 1. Shawnee Heights (Brede, Humblet, Perkins, Zerger), 1:43.21; 2. Washburn Rural (Meier, Dimick, Powell, Eilert), 1:44.71; 3. Seaman (Pekarek, Florence, O'Rourke, Greig), 1:46.33.
200 freestyle — 1. Miranda, Washburn Rural, 1:50.09; 2. Powell, Washburn Rural, 1:54.95; 3. Ramirez, Seaman, 1:55.76.
200 individual medley — 1. Perkins, Shawnee Heights, 2:01.54; 2. Meier, Washburn Rural, 2:06.44; 3. O'Rourke, Seaman, 2:07.26.
50 freestyle — 1. Moss, Seaman, 23.34; 2. Gregg, Hayden, 24.09; 3. Appelhanz, Seaman, 24.36.
One meter diving -- 1. Cowdin, Topeka High, 233.90; 2. Haag, Topeka West, 158.50; 3. Cooney, Washburn Rural, 150.70.
100 butterfly — 1. Perkins, Shawnee Heights, 52.72; 2. Trachta, Washburn Rural, 54.09; 3. O'Rourke, Seaman, 55.37.
100 freestyle — 1. Miranda, Washburn Rural, 49.80; 2. Humblet, Shawnee Heights, 50.54; 3. Florence, Seaman, 53.02.
500 freestyle — 1. Meier, Washburn Rural, 5:13.72; 2. Johnson, Hayden, 5:55.82; 3. Wagnon, Seaman, 6:02.88.
200 freestyle relay — 1. Washburn Rural (Eilert, Miranda, Lemke, Trachta), 1:33.25; 2. Shawnee Heights (Zerger, Hoobler, Perkins, Humblet), 1:33.63; Seaman (Ramirez, Biggs, Appelhanz, Florence), 1:36.59.
100 backstroke — 1. Trachta, Washburn Rural, 57.72; 2. Ramirez, Seaman, 1:02.18; 3. Brede, Shawnee Heights, 1:03.60.
100 breaststroke — 1. Humblet, Shawnee Heights, 1:00.79; 2. Florence, Seaman, 1:05.36; 3. Dimick, Washburn Rural, 1:05.76.
400 freestyle relay — 1. Washburn Rural (Miranda, Powell, Meier, Trachta), 3:22.83; 2. Seaman (Moss, Greig, Ramirez, O'Rourke), 3:33.42; 3. Seaman B (Appelhanz, Pekarek, Stuke, Wurm), 3:43.07.
ALL-CITY SWIMMING/CITY
First team
Jack Miranda, Washburn Rural; Luke Perkins, Shawnee Heights; Brogan Meier, Washburn Rural; Guillaume Humblet, Shawnee Heights; Nathen Trachta, Washburn Rural; Daniel Ramirez, Seaman, Adin Florenece, Seaman; Jake Moss, Seaman; Colin O'Rourke, Seaman; Will Powell, Washburn Rural; Jaxon Cowdin, Topeka High (diver).
Second team
Ryan Johnson, Hayden; Blaize Appelhanz, Seaman; Truman Brede, Shawnee Heights; Jalen Eilert, Washburn Rural; Cordell Dimick, Washburn Rural; Dylan Gregg, Hayden; Perry Payne, Topeka High; Marcus Greig, Seaman; Evan Hoobler, Shawnee Heights; Coldy Colwell, Washburn Rural; Luke Lemke, Washburn Rural; Robert Haag, Topeka West (diver).
