By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Jaxon Cowdin got into diving almost by accident, but the Topeka High senior will end his high school career in this week's Class 6A state meet as the most accomplished one-meter diver in school, something he's very proud of.
Topeka High senior Jaxon Cowdin won his third straight Centennial League diving title last Thursday, the lone city champion. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Cowdin credits older sister Maisie for helping getting him into the sport.
"She was a lifeguard over at one of the pools and I used to go there like all day and would dive off the diving boards and swim all the time, so she was like, 'Hey, you should probably go try dive,' Cowdin said. "So I came out for it and like the first two or three weeks I ended up breaking the school record and ended qualifying for state. So I'm pretty glad I did it.''
Fast forward to four years later and Cowdin has won four straight city diving titles and won his third straight Centennial League championship last Thursday.
"I think it's a cool thing for Topeka High School history,'' Cowdin said. "I think I've done something that very people can say that they've done, so I have a lot of pride in that.''
Now Cowdin is setting his sights this weekend at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatics Center on the one thing that's eluded him -- a state medal.
Cowdin, along with senior teammates Dominic and Malachi Delgado, will compete in the preliminaries and semifinals on Thursday, with the finals on Saturday.
"Probably the ultimate goal is going and getting a medal,'' Cowdin said. "I feel like I've come pretty close in the past three years but I've always been just short.
"I think I'm definitely more focused this year than I have been in past years and I think it's been especially good with the twins kind of riding up on me recently. I think that's definitely led to better competition.''
The three-day state meet will get under way with Thursday's diving prelims and semis, with the 6A event at 9:30 a.m. and 5A-1A at 4:30 p.m.
The 6A swimming preliminaries will start at 9 a.m. on Friday, with the 5A-1A prelims following at 4 p.m.
Championship 6A finals will get under way at 9 a.m. Friday, followed by the 5A-1A finals at 4 o'clock.
Senior Luke Lemke will compete in four events for Washburn Rural in the Class 6A state swimming meet. [File photo/TSN]
City champion and Centennial League runner up will be well-represented in the 6A state meet, with senior Luke Lemke (200-yard individual medley, 100 backstroke), sophomore Andres Morao-Jaspe (200 IM, 500 free) and freshman Thomas Appuhn (200 IM, 100 backstroke) all qualifying in two individual events while freshman Castle Wallace is qualified in the 100 breaststroke.
The Junior Blues are also qualified in the 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
Shawnee Heights senior Truman Brede was the lone city gold medalist in last Tuesday's UKC swimming championships. [File photo/TSN]
In 5A-1A Seaman senior Peyton Holmes (50 free, 100 free) and sophomore Kinser Barbosa (200 free, 100 butterfly) are both qualified in two individual events, as are Shawnee Heights seniors Truman Brede (200 free, 100 backstroke) and Evan Hoobler (100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke).
Hayden senior Palmer Heskett is an individual qualifier in the 200 IM while both Seaman and Hayden are qualified in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
STATE SWIMMING/DIVING SCHEDULE
At Shawnee Mission School District Aquatics Center
THURSDAY
9:30 a.m. -- Class 6A diving preliminaries and semifinals
4:30 p.m. -- Class 5A diving preliminaries and semifinals
FRIDAY
9 a.m. -- Class 6A swimming preliminaries
4 p.m. -- Class 5A-1A swimming preliminaries
SATURDAY
9 a.m. -- Class 6A swimming and diving finals
4 p.m. -- Class 5A-1A swimming and diving finals
CITY QUALIFIERS
Class 6A
Topeka High -- Jaxon Cowdin, sr. (diving); Dawson Blankenship, sr. (100 butterfly); Dominic Delgado, sr. (diving); Malachi Delgado, sr. (diving).
Washburn Rural -- Thomas Appuhn, fr. (200 individual medley, 100 backstroke); Luke Lemke, sr. (200 individual medley, 100 backstroke); Andres Morao-Jaspe, so. (200 individual medley, 500 freestyle); Castle Wallace, fr. (100 breaststroke); 200 medley relay; 200 free relay; 400 free relay.
CLASS 5A-1A
Hayden -- Ryan Carson, sr. (100 butterfly); Palmer Heskett, sr. (200 individual medley); 200 medley relay; 400 free relay.
Seaman -- Kinser Barbosa, so. (200 freestyle, 100 butterfly); Peyton Holmes, sr. (50 free, 100 free); 200 medley relay; 200 free relay; 400 free relay.
Shawnee Heights -- Truman Brede, sr. (200 freestyle, 100 backstroke); Evan Hoobler, sr. (100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke).
