Submitted
HAYS - Hays High’s 400-yard freestyle relay team raced to a first-place finish in the final event of its own swim meet Tuesday to help the Indians claim the team title.
HHS accumulated 468 points in action at Fort Hays State University’s Tiger Aquatics Center while scoring in all but one of the 11 events.
That balance helped the home team edge Junction City by six points for top team honors to capture its third team title of the season.
Indian senior Karsen Flaska anchored the 400y relay team to victory to finish a perfect day at his final home meet. His 4-for-4 golden performance also featured the first leg on the 200y freestyle relay team and victories in his two individual specialties – the 100y freestyle and 100y backstroke.
Two other teammates, both members of those winning relay teams along with Flaska, also placed in the top five of two individual events.
Senior Chase Zadina won the 50y freestyle and placed third in the 100y butterfly, while junior Cedric Durr was the runner-up in the 200y individual medley and placed fifth in the 100y butterfly.
Other Indians swimming in their final home meet on Senior Day were Noah Shaeffer, Jude Hileman, Seth Burkholder, Maison Desaire and Levi Crisenberry.
Although Hays High will lose seven seniors off this year’s team, the performance of several freshmen this year has made the future look bright for the Indians.
On Tuesday, three of those ninth-graders placed in the top five.
Jace Herbers, the final member of the
championship 400y freestyle relay team, placed second in the 100y breaststroke. Judah Rigler swam the first leg on the 200y medley relay that placed fourth. And Col Lonsdale recorded a fifth-place finish in the 500y freestyle.
Hays High will continue regular-season action next week with road action scheduled for Monday at Great Bend and/or Tuesday at Topeka.
Hays High swim meet
Team scores
Hays High 468, Junction City 462, Garden City 377, Dodge City 347, Liberal High 160, Bennington 33.
Hays High top 5 results
200y medley relay – 4. (Judah Rigler, Noah Shaeffer, Jude Hileman, Seth Burkholder)
200y individual medley – 2. Cedric Durr
50y freestyle – 1. Chase Zadina; 4. Maison Desaire
100y butterfly – 3. Chase Zadina; 5. Cedric Durr
100y freestyle – 1. Karsen Flaska; 3. Maison Desaire; 5. Seth Burkholder
500y freestyle – 5. Col Lonsdale
200y freestyle relay – 1. (Karsen Flaska, Maison Desaire, Cedric Durr, Chase Zadina)
100y backstroke – 1. Karsen Flaska; 2. Jude Hileman
100y breaststroke – 2. Jace Herbers; 5. Noah Shaeffer
400y freestyle relay – 1. (Chase Zadina, Jace Herbers, Cedric Durr, Karsen Flaska)