The boys swimming season of 2023-24 was a record-breaker.
Boys swimming 2024-25: Record-setting Breck/Blake team gathers for run at ninth title in a row
Henry Webb returns for Breck/Blake with his pocketful of medals. Also back for more: Rosemount diver Lucas Gerten and TCRB standout Micah Davis.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 11, 2024 at 1:01PM
Is there more on the horizon for 2024-25? It appears you can count on it.
Breck/Blake, a cooperative of two Twin Cities private schools, cruised to a record-setting eighth consecutive team championship in the Class 1A meet in March at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center. It had shared the record with Rochester, which won seven in a row from 1953-59.
“This is a phenomenal accomplishment for our program,” Breck/Blake coach Brian Wright said after the meet. “Our focus isn’t on the end result but the process. The state record kind of crept up on us.”
The team’s top individual this season, senior Henry Webb, won’t sneak up on anybody. He was the medalist in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 37.31 seconds, runner-up in 100 freestyle with a time of 44.82 and swam the lead leg on the victorious 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. Webb is headed to Yale.
Show stoppers
A diver and a greater Minnesota swimmer shared the spotlight in the Class 2A state meet last season and are back for another go-round.
Lucas Gerten, now a Rosemount senior, won his third consecutive individual diving state title with a state-record score of 539.60 points. He bettered the mark of 532.70 set by Dan Croaston of Champlin Park in 1997 and equaled by Turner Eckstrom of Red Wing in 2010.
Junior Micah Davis, a member of TCRB (a combined program involving St. Cloud Tech, St. Cloud Cathedral, Rocori and Becker), successfully defended his 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle titles, breaking the state record in the butterfly with a time of 46.94. Chris Morris from the same program held the record of 48.11 set in 2021. Davis also took first place in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:36.74.
Race for first
Edina edged rival Minnetonka by six points for the Class 2A team championship last year. Minnetonka returns nearly all of the team members who scored points for that runner-up squad, looking to reverse the outcome.
Prior Lake also has plenty of talent back from its third-place group. The Lakers were only 37 points back of Edina.
Eden Prairie swimmer returns
Drew Ploof, who bypassed his junior season to swim club in his quest to make the U.S. Olympic trials, has returned to Eden Prairie for his senior season.
Ploof helped the Eagles to the team title in 2023. He finished behind Davis in the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle and was a member of the winning 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams.
Ten Twin Cities individuals to watch
(Includes Class 2A state meet results from 2024, unless noted)
Nathan Carr, Wayzata, junior: Second in 100 butterfly (48.65) and third in 100 backstroke (49.58). College: Virginia.
Lucas Gerten, Rosemount, senior: First in diving (539.60). College: undecided.
Jack Hackler, Waconia, senior: First in 100 breaststroke (54.27). College: Minnesota.
Jackson Kogler, Stillwater, senior: Second in 100 backstroke (49.45) and 200 individual medley (1:49.91). College: Wyoming.
Ethan Kosin, Prior Lake, senior: First in 100 backstroke (48.67) and third in 100 freestyle (45.89). College: Minnesota.
Drew Ploof, Eden Prairie, senior: Swam club with the Aquajets last season. College: Missouri.
Daniel Shelstad, Minnetonka, senior: Second in 50 freestyle (20.86). College: undecided.
Evan Witte, Minnetonka, senior: First in 100 freestyle (44.59) and 200 individual medley (1:48.41). College: Pittsburgh.
Jiarui Xue, Edina, senior: First in 500 freestyle (4:25.19) and second in 200 individual medley (1:48.47). College: Princeton.
Henry Webb, Breck/Blake, senior: First in 200 freestyle (1:37.31) and second in 100 freestyle (44.82) in Class 1A. College: Yale.
Five greater Minnesota individuals to watch
(Includes Class 2A meet results from 2024, unless noted)
Elliot Bartell, Mankato East, junior: First in 100 butterfly (50.51) in Class 1A. College: undecided.
Micah Davis, St. Cloud Tech/St. Cloud Cathedral/Rocori/Becker, junior: First in 100 butterfly (46.94) and 200 freestyle (1:36.74). College: Virginia.
Kyler Kavanagh, Alexandria, junior: First in diving (465.65) in Class 1A. College: undecided.
Cash Walz, Sauk Rapids-Rice, senior: Third in 200 individual medley (1:49.60) and fourth in 100 breaststroke (56.09). College: undecided.
Joey Zelen, Duluth East, junior: Third in 50 freestyle (20.94). College: undecided.
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