By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
After a year’s absence, the Centennial League boys swimming championship trophy will return to the Washburn Rural trophy case. The Junior Blues took revenge on last year’s champion, Manhattan, in the league meet at the Capitol Federal Natatorium Thursday.
Washburn Rural poses for a team picture after winning the 2026 Centennial League swimming championship Thursday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Manhattan and Washburn Rural have taken turns with the trophy since 2022, and this year was the Junior Blues’ year to take the title, scoring 511 points to Manhattan’s 421.
The Junior Blues demonstrated their depth by winning all three of the meet’s relay races. Washburn Rural and Manhattan also displayed their dominance on the all-league teams. Of the 24 swimmers and divers to receive first- or second-team All-Centennial League recognition, 12 were from Washburn Rural and eight were from Manhattan.
“It means a lot to the boys for (the trophy) to be in our trophy cabinet, for them to be able to walk by every day and see it and know that they earned it back,” Washburn Rural coach Bob Burdick said. “It leaves kind of a hollow spot when it goes away. But Manhattan’s a great competitor. Great team, great coach. So, it makes it special when you earn it.”
Junior Daniel Allen won four gold medals for team-champion Washburn Rural in Thursday's Centennial League swimming meet. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Leading the Junior Blues was junior Daniel Allen, who placed first in two individual events and was part of two first-place relays. Other top scorers included freshman Braeden Montgomery and sophomore Thomas Appuhn, both of whom were part of two winning relays and took home a first and a second in individual events.
Sophomore Thomas Appuhn was part of three victories for team-champion Washburn Rural in Thursday's Centennial League swimming meet. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Freshman Braeden Montgomery helped lead Washburn Rural to the Centennial League swimming title Thursday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
“Winning the league trophy feels great,” Appuhn said. “The team is doing really good this year and it was a team effort to get the trophy back. Getting it back was one of the key ambitions this year, so we made sure we had a diverse team that was able to swim all the events that we needed in order to get it.
“We had a developmental season last season, just trying to get more swimmers to practice and swim year round instead of just during the high school season. So this feels great.”
The only Topeka school to take home a medal was Topeka High, whose senior Will Stewart placed third in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle.
Washburn Rural swimmers will use their performance in the league meet as a springboard for the state competition, Feb. 19-21 at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center in Lenexa.
“For state, a lot of the guys had time drops tonight, and even if they didn’t win their event, the time drop is sometimes more important than the actual medal,” said Burdick. “So that’s pretty solid. And then the win here just propels us mentally on forward to state.”
2026 CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Capitol Federal Natatorium
TEAM SCORES
Washburn Rural 511, Manhattan 421, Emporia 284, Junction City 267, Topeka High 196, Hayden 113.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
200 medley relay — 1. Washburn Rural (Morao-Jaspe, Wallace, Allen, Appuhn), 1:41.91; 2. Manhattan (Pfannenstiel, Jones, King, Kohl 1:43.74; 3. Junction City (Lamar, Thurn, Doan, Green), 1:54.35.
200 freestyle — 1. Dunn, Manhattan, 1:52.39; 2. Montgomery, Washburn Rural, 1:53.27; 3. Jeffries, Washburn Rural, 2:03.09.
200 individual medley — 1. Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 2:01.27; 2. Morao-Jaspe, Washburn Rural, 2:07.64; 3. Pfannenstiel, Washburn Rural, 2:11.78.
50 freestyle — 1. King, Manhattan, 22.39; 2. Kohl, Manhattan, 22.96; 3. Stewart, Topeka High, 23.36.
One-meter diving — 1. Potts, Washburn Rural, 271.80; 2. Wilson, Emporia, 268.65.
100 butterfly — 1. Allen, Washburn Rural, 51.39; 2. Dunn, Manhattan, 56.52; 3. Doan, Junction City, 59.21.
100 freestyle — 1. King, Manhattan, 49.24; 2. Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 49.70; 3. Stewart, Topeka High, 51.89.
500 freestyle — 1. Montgomery, Washburn Rural, 5:06.71; 2. Morao-Jaspe, Washburn Rural, 5:20.07; 3. Thurn, Junction City, 5:58.13.
200 freestyle relay — 1. Washburn Rural (Appuhn, Wallace , Jensen, Allen), 1:32.51; 2. Manhattan (Kohl, Bunger, Dunn, King), 1:33.96; 3. Junction City (Doan, Lamar, Green, Smith), 1:37.70.
100 backstroke — 1. Allen, Washburn Rural, 53.35; 2. Pfannenstiel, Manhattan, 59.59; 3. Bunger, Manhattan, 1:01.28.
100 breaststroke — 1. Wallace, Washburn Rural, 1:03.94; 2. Jeffries, Washburn Rural, 1:11.26; 3. Chen, Manhattan, 1:11.37.
400 freestyle relay — 1. Washburn Rural (Montgomery, Jensen, Jessop, Morao-Jaspe), 3:31.86; 2. Manhattan (Pfannenstiel, Bunger, Jones, Dunn), 3:34.78; 3. Emporia (Marshall, Schultz, Erkel, Shaw), 3:45.03.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE
First team
Wallace King, Manhattan; Daniel Allen, Washburn Rural; Braeden Montgomery, Washburn Rural; Thomas Appuhn, Washburn Rural; Jack Dunn, Manhattan; Andres Morao-Jaspe, Washburn Rural; Castle Wallace, Washburn Rural; Alexander Jeffries, Washburn Rural; Cameron Pfannenstiel, Manhattan; Will Stewart, Topeka High; Ezra Kohl, Manhattan; Devin Potts, Washburn Rural.
Second team
Collin Bunger, Manhattan; Benjamin Allen, Washburn Rural; Elijah Thurn, Junction City; Quinten Jessop, Washburn Rural; Zain Chaudhry, Washburn Rural; Koby Jones, Manhattan; Joseph Jensen, Washburn Rural; Jackson Killian, Manhattan; Brennen Doan, Junction City; Larry Pierce, Junction City; Noah St. John, Washburn Rural; Archer Wilson, Emporia.
