By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior Class 6A state champions Brogan Meier and Jack Miranda headline the 2024 All-City boys swimming and diving team.
Meier won the state title in the 50-yard freestyle and Miranda was the state champion in the 500 free while both stars, first-team All-State picks, also posted runnerup individual finishes and swam on the Junior Blues' second-place 400 free relay as Washburn Rural shared the third-place 6A team trophy with Manhattan.
The All-City team, which is based on performances in the city meet, includes eight members of the Rural team that won its fifth straight city championship and also claimed the Centennial League title.
Also earning first-team All-City honors for the Junior Blues are Daniel Allen, Alex Lanterman, Elijah Leenerts, Luke Lemke, Andrew Morao-Jaspe and Will Powell.
Powell, a second-team All-State pick, was a triple 6A state medalist while Allen was also a multiple event medalist.
Topeka High junior Jaxon Cowdin earned his third straight city one-meter diving title and his second straight Centennial League championship before finishing 12th in 6A.
Shawnee Heights is represented on the All-City team by Truman Brede and Evan Hoobler while senior Jack Pekarek earned a first-team berth for Seaman.
All-City capsules:
DANIEL ALLEN, Washburn Rural -- Allen capped his freshman season with a pair of medals in the 6A state championships, helping the Junior Blues tie for third in the team standings. Allen finished seventh in the 500-yard freestyle and was part of Washburn Rural's third-place 200 free relay team. Allen won four gold medals in the city meet (200 individual medley, 100 breaststroke, 200 medley relay and 400 free relay) and was second in the 200 IM and part of the winning 400 free relay team in the Centennial League meet.
TRUMAN BREDE, Shawnee Heights -- A junior, Brede finished off his 2024 season with a win in the 5A 'B' final in the 100 backstroke. Brede finished second in the 200-yard freestyle, third in the 100 backstroke and second in the 200 free relay for the T-Birds in the city meet and finished second in the United Kansas Conference meet in the 200 freestyle and 100 back and fourth in the 200 free relay.
JAXON COWDIN, Topeka High -- Cowdin, a junior, won his third straight city championship in one-meter diving for Topeka High and went on to claim his second Centennial League championship. Cowdin advanced to the 6A diving finals for the third straight year and posted a 12th-place state finish.
EVAN HOOBLER, Shawnee Heights -- Hoobler, a junior, placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke and third in the 200 individual medley and second in the 200 free relay in the city championships and placed second in the 100 breaststroke, third in the 200 IM and fourth in the 200 free relay in the United Kansas Conference meet.
ALEX LANTERMAN, Washburn Rural -- Lanterman earned his first-team All-City berth with a strong performance in the city meet as Washburn Rural won its fifth straight city team championship. Lanterman placed third in the city in 200-yard freestyle and third in the 100 butterfly and was part of Rural's 'B' 400 free relay team that finished third.
ELIJAH LEENERTS, Washburn Rural -- A senior, Leenerts finished second in the 50-yard freestyle and second in the 100 free and was part of Washburn Rural's winning 200 free and 400 free relays. Leenerts placed third in the Centennial League in the 100 breaststroke and was part of the Junior Blues' league-champion 200 free relay and second-place 200 medley relay.
LUKE LEMKE, Washburn Rural -- Lemke, a junior, was part of Washburn Rural's 400-yard free relay team that placed second in the 6A state meet. Lemke placed second in the city meet in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 backstroke and was part of the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley and 200 free relays. Lemke took third in the 200 individual medley in the Centennial League meet and was part of Rural's winning 200 free and 400 free relay teams.
BROGAN MEIER, Washburn Rural -- Meier capped his high school career with four 6A state medals and a state championship. Meier won the 50-yard freestyle in the state meet, placed second in the 100 butterly and swam on Meier's second-place 400 free relay team and third-place 200 free relay. Meier won four gold medals in the city meet (50 free, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay and 200 free relay) and three golds in the Centennial League meet (100 butterfly, 100 backstroke, 200 free relay). Meier was a first-team 6A All-State honoree.
JACK MIRANDA, Washburn Rural -- A senior, Miranda was the 6A state champion in the 500-yard freestyle, finished second in the 200 freestyle and was part of Washburn Rural's runnerup 400 free relay team. Miranda won four gold medals in the city meet (200 free, 500 free, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay) and three golds in the Centennial League meet (200 freestyle, 500 free, 400 free relay). Miranda was a first-team 6A All-State selection.
ANDREW MORAO-JASPE, Washburn Rural -- Morao-Jaspe, a freshman, placed second in the city championships in the 500-yard freestyle and third in the 100 breaststroke and was part of Washburn Rural's 'B' 400 free relay team that finished third. Morao-Jaspe helped the Junior Blues win their fifth straight city title as well as the Centennial League championship and competed in the 6A state meet.
JACK PEKAREK, Seaman -- Pekarek, a senior, was part of Seaman's 400-yard free relay team that won the 'B' championship in the Class 5A state meet. Pekarek finished third in the 50 freestyle and 500 free and was part of the Vikings' second-place 200 medley relay and 400 free relay teams in the city meet. Pekarek finished second in the United Kansas Conference in the 500 free, fourth in the 50 free and second in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
WILL POWELL, Washburn Rural -- A senior, Powell placed fourth in the 100-yard freestyle and seventh in the 50 free in the 6A state meet and also swam on the Junior Blues' second-place 400 free relay team and third-place 200 free relay. Powell won four gold medals in the city meet (100 free, 100 butterfly, 200 free relay, 400 free relay) and four in the Centennial League (50 free, 100 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay). Powell earned second-team 6A All-State recognition.
ALL-CITY SWIMMING AND DIVING
First team
Brogan Meier, Washburn Rural, Will Powell, Washburn Rural, Daniel Allen, Washburn Rural, Jack Miranda, Washburn Rural, Luke Lemke, Washburn Rural, Elijah Leenerts, Washburn Rural, Truman Brede, Shawnee Heights, Evan Hoobler, Shawnee Heights, Andres Morao-Jaspe, Washburn Rural, Alex Lanterman, Washburn Rural, Jack Pekarek, Seaman, Jaxon Cowdin, Topeka High
Second team
Will Stewart, Topeka High, Kinser Barbosa, Seaman, Maximo Cuevas, Seaman, Jeremiah Moylan, Seaman, Dawson Blankenship, Topeka High, Palmer Heskett, Hayden, Pablo Domenech, Shawnee Heights, Lincoln Carter, Topeka High, Sourish Sinha, Washburn Rural, Isaac Hochard, Seaman, Ryan Carson, Hayden, Robert Haag, Topeka West