By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Thursday's Centennial League swimming and diving championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium still went down to the final event to decide the team champ.
But after winning the city title by a mere four points over Seaman, Washburn Rural ended up with just a little more breathing room in the league meet, using a win in the meet-ending 400-yard free relay to take the title by a 413-396 margin over the Vikings.
Washburn Rural entered the final event of the day with just a nine-point advantage over Seaman, but the foursome of Jack Miranda, Will Powell, Brogan Meier and Nathen Trachta took a dominating eight-second win over Manhattan in 3 minutes, 23.92 seconds to close out the chqmpionship.
"I was a little nervous when I heard that one of our swimmers got (disqualified in an event), but I had faith that we could pull it off,'' said Trachta, a senior.
Thursday's win gave the Junior Blues a three-peat in both the city and Centennial League meets.
"It feels really good, I'm proud of the team,'' Trachta said.
Senior Nathen Trachta won four gold medals on the day, helping lead Washburn Rural to its third straight Centennial League team title. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural's Jack Miranda followed up his four gold-medal performance in the city meet with four more golds in Thursday's Centennial League swimming and diving championships. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural posted wins in six of 12 events on the day, with Miranda and Trachta both earning four gold medals.
Miranda won the 200 freestyle (1:49.41) and the 500 freestyle (4:54.93) while Trachta took wins in the 100 butterfly (54.19) and the 100 backstroke (57.18).
In addition to the 400 freestyle relay Miranda and Trachta teamed with Jalen Eilert and Luke Lemke to win the 200 free relay in 1:33.25.
Washburn Rural coach Jordan Metz knew that Thursday's meet had the potential to be just as close as the city meet was, but she said she had confidence in her team.
"I still just had to put my faith in the guys,'' Metz said. "I knew they did it at city and I was like, 'They can get it again today at league.'
"They did and I couldn't be prouder of them.''
In her second season as the Junior Blues' coach, Metz has never lost a city or league meet with Rural.
"It's a great feeling,'' Metz said. "As this is my second season, going back to back in both meets it's a very fun feeling and I know the guys are super excited and that just makes me excited.''
Seaman's Colin O'Rourke was the Centennial League champion in the 200 individual medley, helping the Vikings finish second as a team. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman's Adin Florence finished a close second in the 100 freestyle (above) and won the league title in the 100 breast. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Runner-up Seaman got wins from Colin O'Rourke in the 200 individual medley (2:06.58) and Adin Florence in the 100 breaststoke (1:04.20) and the Vikings posted top-three finishes in eight of 12 events.
Manhattan finished third in the team standings, picking up a win in the meet-opening 200 medley relay (1:42.82), while Topeka High finished fourth as a team, followed by Junction City, Hayden, Emporia and Topeka West.
Junction City's Gabriel Lamb was a double individual winner, taking victories in the 50 freestyle (22.71) and the 100 freestyle (51.65).
Emporia's Braxton Higgins won the one-meter diving event with a score of 455.00.
The boys state swimming and diving championships will be held Feb. 17-19 at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
TOPEKA CITY SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS At Capitol Federal Natatorium
Team scores
Washburn Rural 413, Seaman 396, Manhattan 352, Topeka High 248, Junction City 206, Hayden 182, Emporia 150, Topeka West 17.
Individual results
200 medley relay — 1. Manhattan (Steffensmeier, Graves, Balman, Staedtler), 1:42.82; 2. Washburn Rural (Meier, Dimick, Powell, Eilert), 1:43.71; 3. Seaman (Pekarek, Florence, O'Rourke, Moss), 1:46.05.
200 freestyle — 1. Miranda, Washburn Rural, 1:49.41; 2. Bunger, Manhattan, 1:50.80; 3. Powell, Washburn Rural, 1:53.23.
200 individual medley — 1. O'Rourke, Seaman, 2:06.58; 2. Steffensmeier, Manhattan, 2:09.89; Dimick, Washburn Rural, 2:15.33.
50 freestyle — 1. Lamb, Junction City, 22.71; 2. Eilert, Washburn Rural, 23.42; 3. Staedtler, Manhattan, 23.60.
One meter diving -- 1. Higgins, Emporia, 455.00; 2. Kohl, Manhattan, 381.85; 3. Cowdin, Topeka High, 365.85.
100 butterfly — 1. Trachta, Washburn Rural, 54.19; 2. O'Rourke, Seaman, 54.98; 3. Balman, Manhattan, 56.78.
100 freestyle — 1. Lamb, Junction City, 51.65; 2. Florence, Seaman, 51.66; 3. Eilert, Washburn Rural, 52.15.
500 freestyle — 1. Miranda, Washburn Rural, 4:54.93; 2. Bunger, Manhattan, 4:56.06; 3. Graves, Manhattan, 5:00.74.
200 freestyle relay — 1. Washburn Rural (Eilert, Miranda, Lemke, Trachta), 1:33.25; 2. Seaman (Ramirez, Biggs, Appelhanz, Florence), 1:35.32; 3. Manhattan (Smith, Wymer, Balman, Bunger), 1:38.44.
100 backstroke — 1. Trachta, Washburn Rural, 57.18; 2. Ramirez, Seaman, 59.49; 3. Steffensmeier, Manhattan, 59.66.
100 breaststroke — 1. Florence, Seaman, 1:04.20; 2. Sanner, Junction City, 1:04.57; 3. Graves, Manhattan, 1:04.65.
400 freestyle relay — 1. Washburn Rural (Miranda, Powell, Meier, Trachta), 3:23.92; 2. Manhattan (Bunger, Staedtler, Steffensmeier, Graves), 3:31.98; 3. Seaman (Moss, Greig, Ramirez, O'Rourke), 3:35.68.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SWIMMING/DIVING
First team
Gabriel Lamb, Junction City; Jack Miranda, Washburn Rural; Nathen Trachta, Washburn Rural; Colin O'Rourke, Seaman; Adin Florenece, Seaman; Mitchell Bunger, Manhattan; Jalen Eilert, Washburn Rural; Max Steffensmeier, Manhattan; Will Graves, Manhattan; Daniel Ramirez, Seaman; Braxton Higgins, Emporia (diver).
Second team
Cordell Dimick, Washburn Rural; Ethan Balman, Manhattan; Samson Staedtler, Manhattan; Will Powell, Washburn Rural; Bradyn Crowell, Seaman; Marcus Greig, Seaman; Perry Payne, Topeka High; Kaiser Wymer, Manhattan; Jake Moss, Seaman; Ryan Johnson, Hayden; Dawson Blankenship, Topeka High; Trip Carter, Topeka High; Zeke Kohl, Manhattan (diver).
Honorable mention
Blaize Appelhanz, Seaman; Cody Colwell, Washburn Rural; Creytin Sanner, Junction City; Adrian Duerte, Junction City; Ebb Nelson, Seaman; Sean Carr-Metzger, Washburn Rural; Dylan Gregg, Hayden; Alex Lanterman, Washburn Rural; Eli Wahlmeier, Hayden; Jaxon Cowdin, Topeka High (diver).
