Heights' Perkins, Washburn Rural duo lead city swimmers into state meet

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

After combining for 10 gold medals in league competition, city swimming stars Luke Perkins of Shawnee Heights and Brogan Meier and Jack Miranda of Washburn Rural lead the city contingent into Friday and Saturday's state championships at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center. 

Eight-time Class 5A-1A state medalist Luke Perkins will swim his final state meet Friday and Saturday in Shawnee Mission. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn Rural returning state medalist Brogan Meier will compete in the Class 6A state meet Friday and Saturday in Shawnee Mission. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn Rural Jack Miranda will swim in the Class 6A state meet this weekend after winning three Centennial League gold medals last week. [File photo/TSN]

Perkins, a senior, captured four gold medals in his final United Kansas Conference meet last week. Perkins, winning the 200-yard individual medley (2:02.46) and the 100 butterfly (52.83) and swimming on the T-Birds' winning 200 medley relay (1:44.59) and the winning 200 free relay (1:33.47). 

Both Meier and Jack Miranda captured three gold medals -- two individual wins and a relay victory -- in last week's Centennial League meet. Meier won the 100-yard freestyle (48.79 seconds) and the 100 backstroke (55.76) while Miranda won the 200 freestyle (1:46.47) and the 500 free (4:53.69). Meier and Miranda also swam on Rural's winning 400 free relay (3:26.57).

Perkins has been a mutlti-time state placer in the Class 5A-1A state meet three straight seasons, including four state medals a a junior after earning two medals as a freshman and sophomore.

Perkins placed second in the 5A-1A 100 butterfly and sixth in the 200 individual medley as a junior while also helping the T-Birds place fifth in the 200 medley relay and sixth in the 200 free relay. 

Perkins enters this year's state meet seeded No. 2 in the 100 butterfly (52.63) and No. 4 in the 200 individual medley (2:01.12) while Shawnee Heights is the No. 5 seed in the 200 medley relay (1:41.44) and fourth in the 200 free relay (1:33.47).

Meier was a 6A state medalist last season, placing eighth in the 500 freestyle. Meier also finished 13th in the B Final in the 200 free at state and helped the Junior Blues finish 10th in the 400 free relay.

Meier enters this year's state meet as the No. 7 seed in the 100 freestyle (48.79) and the ninth seed in the 100 backstroke (55.76).

"I had a rough season up until city and now league and now I've been on fire and doing great and come state I'm going to be ready,'' Meier said after the Centennial League meet.

Miranda helped Rural finish 10th in the 2022 6A state meet in the B Final in the 400 free relay and 12th in the 200 free relay and also finished 16th in the 200 free and swam the 500 free at state.

Miranda enters the state meet as the No. 2 seed in the 500 freestyle (4:51.93) and the No. 3 seed in the 200 freestyle (1:46.47)

Miranda's times this season have established him as a state title contender and he said he used the league meet to get ready for the state meet.

"I'm pretty confident,'' Miranda said. "I've been working as hard as I can in practice. I think (the league meet) was just myself getting prepared for (state). I had a good 200 free. My 500 free wasn't the best 500 I've had but it was right there next to my best time and I think that's just because I've been training as hard as I can every single day so my body's not rested enough. But (this week) that's all I'm going to be doing, resting up and getting ready to try to take that No. 1 spot.'' 

Other top city contenders: 

• Shawnee Heights senior Riccardo Corazza is seeded No. 4 in the 5A-1A 50 free (22.33) and No. 6 in the 100 free (49.58).

• Seaman senior Colin O'Rourke is the No. 5 seed in the 5A-1A 100 butterfly (54.44) and th No. 10 seed in the 200 individual medley (2:06.81) while senior Daniel Ramirez is the No. 7 seed in the 200 freestyle (1:51.49) and No. 9 in the 500 free (5:23.08). Seaman is the No. 9 seed in the 400 free relay (3:32.62). 

• Hayden is the No. 10 seed in the 5A-1A 200 medley relay (1:49.31).

•Washburn Rural is seeded eighth in the 400 free relay (3:24.52) while junior Will Powelland ninth in the 6A 100 butterfly (54.53).

BOYS STATE SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center

Friday
8 a.m. -- General admission gate opens for Class 6A swimming prelims
9 a.m. -- Class 6A swimming prelims
3 p.m. -- General admission gate opens for Class 5A-1A swimming prelims
4 p.m. -- Class 5-1A swimming prelims
Saturday
8 a.m. -- General admission gate opens for Class 6A swimming and diving finals
9 a.m. -- Classs 6A swimming and diving finals
3 p.m. -- General admission gate opens for Class 5-1A swimming and diving finals
4 p.m. -- Class 5-1A swimming and diving finals