Rural remains confident despite having Centennial swimming title rein ended

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Washburn Rural's boys swimming team had its three-year Centennial League winning streak snapped by Manhattan Thursday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, with the Indians winning their first league team title since 2009 by a 431-375 margin over the Junior Blues. 

Washburn Rural standout Brogan Meier looks up at the scoreboard after winning the Centennial League title in the 100-yard backstroke. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Washburn Rural's Jack Miranda swims to a Centennial League title in the 500 freestyle Thursday, one of his three gold medals on the day. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

But even in defeat, Rural standout Brogan Meier feels like the Junior Blues still have plenty of confidence going into next week's Class 6A state championships and beyond.

"Last year we barely overtook Seaman and this year without Seaman (now in the United Kansas Conference) we knew it was basically going to be us and Manhattan and we were going to fight for every point, every first, every second place,'' Meier said. "Even before the meet started we were all talking to each other that every point counts.

"We still have plenty of confidence going into next week. In fact, I'll say we'll have plenty of confidence going into next year. We're all going to come back stronger, we're going to get our team better and we're going to take that trophy back.''

Both Meier and Jack Miranda captured three gold medals -- two individual wins and a relay victory -- in the league meet as both Rural and Manhattan won five events apiece.

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).

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

"I've been working as hard as I can in practice,'' Miranda said. "I think today was just myself getting prepared for next week. 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 next week that's all I'm going to be doing, resting up and getting ready to try to take that No. 1 spot.'' 

The Junior Blues also got second-place finishes from Luke Lemke in the 200 indiviual medley (2:08.89) and Will Powell in the 50 freestyle (23.03) and the 100 butterfly (55.10) while Rural's foursome of Luke Lemke, Cordell Dimick, Alex Lanterman and Sourish Sinha posted a runner-up finish in the 200 medley relay (1:52.10) and Meier, Elijah Leenerts, Miranda and Powell finished second in the 200 free relay (1:34.44).

Lemke added a third-place finish in the 100 free (52.13) and Dimick was third in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.49).

Topeka High also picked up a league title Thursday, with Trojan sophomore Jaxon Cowdin dominating the one-meter diving event en route to a winning score of 470.60. Emporia's Alex Allemang was second with a 319.40 total while High's Stuart Campbell finished third (316.95).

Topeka High's Will Stewart finished third in the 100 butterfly in Thursday's Centennial League meet, helping the Trojans finish third as a team. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

The Trojans also got a third-place finish from Will Stewart in the 100 butterfly (1:01.99) while Stewart, Grady Johnson, Thomas Schmidt and Perry Payne finished third in the 400 free relay (3:42.15).

Hayden's Ryan Johnson finished third in the 200 individual meddley and the 100 backstroke in Thursday's Centennial League meet. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Fourth-place Hayden got a third-place finish from Ryan Johnson in the 200 individual medley (2:13.42) and the 100 backstroke (1:02.51) while the Wildcat team of Joseph Luke, Carter O'Bray, Ryan Carson and Brody Beckman finished third in the 200 medley relay (2:00.13) and Dylan Gregg, Eli Wahlmeier, Liam Stegman and Johnson finished third in the 200 free relay (1:36.39).

The state swimming and diving championships will be contested next next Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center.

CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SWIMMING AND DIVING

At Capitol Federal Natatorium

Team scores

Manhattan 431, Washburn Rural 375, Topeka High 300, Hayden 277, Emporia 237, Junction City 230.

Individual results

200 medley relay -- 1. Manhattan (Steffensmeier, Graves, Balman, Staedtler), 1:40.33 (Centennial League record); 2. Washburn Rural (Lemke, Dimick, Lanterman, Sinha), 1:52.10; 3. Hayden (Luke, O'Bray, Carson, Beckman), 2:00.13).

200 freestyle -- 1. Miranda, Washburn Rural, 1:46.47; 2. Bunger, Manhattan, 1:52.64; 3. Wymer, Manhattan, 1:55.14.

200 individual medley -- 1. Steffensmeier, Manhattan, 2:04:40; 2. Lemke, Washburn Rural, 2:08.89; 3. Johnson, Hayden, 2:13.42.

50 freestyle -- 1. Staedtler, Manhattan, 22.49; 2. Powell, Washburn Rural, 23.03; 3. Balman, Manhattan, 23.08.

One meter diving -- 1. Cowdin, Topeka High, 470.60; 2. Allemang, Emporia, 319.40; 3. Campbell, Topeka High, 316.95.

100 butterfly -- 1. Balman, Manhattan, 52.72; 2. Powell, Washburn Rural, 55.10; 3. Stewart, Topeka High, 1:01.99.

100 freestyle -- 1. Meier, Washburn Rural, 48.79; 2. Staedtler, Manhattan, 49.34; 3. Lemke, Washburn Rural, 52.13.

500 freestyle -- 1. Miranda, Washburn Rural, 4:53.69; 2. Graves, Manhattan, 4:57.89; 3. Bunger, Manhattan, 5:10.46.

200 free relay -- 1. Manhattan (Balman, Wymer, Bunger, Staedtler), 1:33.05; 2. Washburn Rural (Meier, Leenerts, Miranda, Powell), 1:33.47; 3. Hayden (Gregg, Wahlmeier, Stegman, Johnson), 1:36.39.

100 backstroke -- 1. Meier, Washburn Rural, 55.76; 2. Steffensmeier, Manhattan, 57.54; 3. Johnson, Hayden, 1:02.51.

100 breastroke -- 1. Sanner, Junction City, 1:02.17; 2. Graves, Manhattan, 1:02.36; 3. Dimick, Washburn Rural, 1:05.49.

400 free relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Powell, Lemke, Meier, Miranda), 3:26.57; 2. Manhattan (Wymer, Bunger, Steffensmeier, Graves), 3:30.80; 3. Topeka High (Stewart, Johnson, Schmidt, Payne), 3:42.15.

 All-Centennial League

First team

Brogan Meier, Washburn Rural; Jack Miranda, Washburn Rural; Samson Staedtler, Manhattan; Max Steffensmeier, Manhattan; Ethan Balman, Manhattan; Will Powell, Washburn Rural; Willow Graves, Manhattan; Creytin Sanner, Junction City; Luke Lemke, Washburn Rural; Mitchell Bunger, Manhattan; Jaxon Cowdin, Topeka High (diver).

Second team

Ryan Johnson, Hayden; Will Stewart, Topeka High; Cordell Dimick, Washburn Rural; Kaiser Wymer, Manhattan; Dylan Gregg, Hayden; Adrian Duarte, Junction City; Perry Payne, Topeka High; Eli Wahlmeier, Hayden; Noah Lamb, Junction City; Logan Woydziak, Emporia; Grady Johnson, Topeka High; Alex Allemang, Emporia (diver).