Breck/Blake got off the starting block quickly Saturday.
Breck/Blake boys swimming team sets state record with eighth title in a row
The Class 1A championship push got off to a quick start when Breck/Blake won the first three races.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 3, 2024 at 12:42AM
The cooperative of two Twin Cities private schools won the first three events handily, cruising to a record-setting eighth consecutive team championship in the Class 1A boys swimming state meet at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center. Breck/Blake had shared the record with Rochester, which won seven in a row in 1953-59.
“This is a phenomenal accomplishment for our program,” Breck/Blake coach Brian Wright said. “Our focus isn’t on the end result but the process. The state record kind of crept up on us.”
Breck/Blake, which had a 39-point lead in the team standings after the first three events, finished with 327 points. St. Thomas Academy was second with 224.
“Winning the first three events was huge for our team,” Wright said.
Double winner Andrew Colgan capped the fast start, winning the 200-yard individual medley. He was also the medalist in the 100 breaststroke and swam a leg on the victorious 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays. Breck/Blake swept the three relays.
The 200 medley relay team, with senior Colin Craig and juniors Dominic Bollettieri and Henry Webb joining Colgan, won by nearly four seconds in the opening event.
“Our success starts with our medley relay team,” Wright said. “We take a lot of pride in that event. That sets the tone in our big meets.”
Webb and senior Josiah March followed with a 1-2 finish in the 200 freestyle.
March later broke his own Class 1A record in the 500 freestyle, finishing in 4:32.99. His previous mark was 4:34.39.
“My goal was just to win the race,” March said. “I feed off the energy of my teammates. That’s huge for me.”
He focused on the team’s success.
“We have a great program, legendary,” March said. “Eight titles in a row speak for themselves.”
Hutchinson senior Conner Hogan swept the 50 (20.13 seconds) and 100 freestyle races. He set a Class 1A state record of 43.80 in the 100, breaking the mark of 44.10 set by Charlie Crosby of Breck/Blake in 2022.
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
