By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High junior diver Jaxon Cowdin doesn't lose often in his specialty and will never get used to that feeling but the Trojan standout will use Tuesday's loss in the Topeka High Invitational as motivation as he faces the biggest meets of the year, beginning with Thursday's city championhips.
Jaxon Cowdin, Topeka High
Cowdin, the reigning city and Centennial League diving champ, posted an 11-dive score of 346.70 points on Tuesday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, finishing second to Lawrence Free State's Isaiah Wilkins, who won with 431.35 points.
"Obviously I'm never fine with being beat, but I can definitely give respect to the dude that beat me,'' said Cowdin, who finished 10th in Class 6A as a sophomore. "I can definitely understand that.''
Campus' Kenton Holmes (387.75) also finished ahead of Cowdin, but was competing in Tuesday's meet as an exhibition.
"They were pretty good,'' Cowdin said. "I know the one kid (Wilkins, fourth in 6A in 2023) beat me in state last year. I definitely could have done better. I know you can always do better but today was not a great day for me.''
Next up for Cowdin is Thursday's city championships, with Cowdin aiming for a third straight city championship.
The city meet is the start of the end of the season push, which includes the Centennial League and state meets.
"I'd definitely like to get my bad meets out of the way now,'' Cowdin said. "I've been sick for awhile and I haven't really been able to go as much practice as I like to so I'm just working on my approach to getting everything nice and polished.''
Cowdin also competed in the 100-yard freestyle and 200 free and 400 free relays, helping Topeka High finish fourth in the eight-school meet.
Hayden's Sam Hammes finished third in the 100-yard breaststroke in Tuesday's Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden tied for fifth as a team, led by a second-place finish by Sam Hammes' third-place finish in the 100 breaststroke (1:15.72).
TOPEKA HIGH INVITATIONAL
At Capitol Federal Natatorium
Team scores
Lawrence Free State 656, Lawrence 345, Olathe South 255, Topeka High 250, Salina South 227, Hayden 227, Salina Central 203, Topeka West 57.
Individual results
200 medley relay -- 1. Free State, 1:47.28; 2. Lawrence, 1:49.51; 3. Free State 'B', 1:51.74.
200 freestyle -- 1. Rea, Free State, 2:02.15; 2. Webb, Free State, 2:03.15; 3. Campbell, Free State, 2:04.52.
200 individual medley -- 1. Bonnell, Free State, 2:05.92; 2. Victoriano, Free State, 2;16.08; 3. Dolton, Salina South, 2:18.72.
50 freestyle -- 1. Velte, Lawrence, 23.22; 2. Bateman, Free State, 23.85; 3. King, Free State, 24.36.
One meter diving -- 1. Wilkins, Free State, 431.35; 2. Cowdin, Topeka High, 346.70; 3. Crow, Salina South, 318.35.
100 butterfly -- 1. Bonnell, Free State, 56.24; 2. Lane, Lawrence, 58.52; 3. Rea, Free State, 59.79.
100 freestyle -- 1. Bateman, Free State, 52.07; 2. Carnagey, Free State, 53.17; 3. Kempf, Free State, 53.49.
500 freestyle -- 1. Khosh, Free State, 5:25.42; 2. Cowardin, Lawrence, 5:38.85; 3. Whitney, Olathe South, 5:39.27.
200 free relay -- 1. Free State, 1:34.78; 2. Lawrence, 1:37.02; 3. Free State, 1:39.69.
100 backstroke -- 1. Khosh, Free State, 57.96; 2. Campbell, Free State, 1:02.27; 3. Bates, Free State, 1:04.06.
100 breastroke -- 1. Zelvy, Free State, 1:11.81; 2. Polson, Free State, 1:12.62; 3. Hammes, Hayden, 1:15.72.
400 free relay -- 1. Free State, 3:31.07; 2. Lawrence, 3:34.48; 3. Free State 'B', 3:34.59.
