Breck/Blake had one last exclamation point in winning the Class 1A boys' swimming and diving state title, knocking off the champions of the past five years, St. Thomas Academy. Breck/Blake won the final event, the 400 freestyle relay.
Breck/Blake wins Class 1A boys swimming and diving title
The Bearstangs won the Class 1A title after three runner-up finishes.
By HEATHER RULE
March 5, 2017 at 3:53AM
The Cadets had won that relay the past three years.
"That's the icing on the cake, as we put it," Breck/Blake coach Kris Rosenberg said.
It's the co-op swimming team's first title since it went back-to-back in 2009-10. Breck/Blake finished runner-up to the Cadets the past three years.
The Bearstangs — a composite of the Blake Bears and Breck Mustangs nicknames — won with 349.5 points while the Cadets finished second (288.5 points).
Orono took third (193), followed by Sartell-St. Stephen (152). Mankato West and Winona tied for fifth (138).
Breck/Blake senior Will Grassle won the 200 individual medley for the third consecutive year (1:54.27). Teammates Dylan Brown, who took fourth place, and Anderson Breazeale, eighth, helped increase the point gap over the Cadets.
Breck/Blake needed some big races to win the team title, according to Grassle.
"I think that was one of them," Grassle said, after his IM victory.
Grassle also took third in the 100 freestyle (47.19), was second as part of the 200 freestyle relay (1:25.75) and swam the second leg of the winning 400 freestyle relay.
Rosenberg said he compares Grassle to a pit bull, which Grassle said stems from his sophomore year section meet when he was on a chair staring at the other teams.
"My coach Kris walked up to me and said, 'You remind me of a pit bull because you may not be the biggest dog in the fight … but you have more fight than anyone out there,' " Grassle said.
The Cadets' only top finish in an event was defending the 200 freestyle relay (1:25.33), though coach John Barnes said his team found the pride and passion it was missing in the prelims.
Two win twice
Winona junior Griffin Wolner finished sixth last year in the 200 freestyle (1:44.14). This time, he won it (1:41.63).
"I obviously wanted a little vengeance from last year," Wolner said. "I'm glad that I could come back and take the title."
Wolner also won the 500 freestyle (4:39.62).
Faribault senior Paul Sadergaski won the 50 freestyle (21.00) and 100 butterfly (49.45).
Ojo wins diving title
Simley senior Ebenezer Ojo won the Class 1A diving title with 436.45 points.
Northfield senior Jack Cuddy was second (431.70).
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HEATHER RULE
Their 28-point lead got trimmed to two late, but they held on in a Western Conference finals rematch that missed an injured Luka Doncic after halftime.
