Submitted
WICHITA – The Hays High boys’ swim team got its first crack at a large meet this season and came away with positive results.
The Indians, led by two relay teams that each finished second, scored 158 points in the Wichita Southeast Invitational – placing them in sixth place and in the top half of the 15-team event.
Wichita East, the largest school in the state, scored 394 points to win the meet, where swimmers earned points for top-16 finishes in individual events and top-11 places in relays.
Gaining the most points for HHS in the meet that featured more than 200 competitors were the 200-yard medley and 200y freestyle relays, which each garnered 34 points for their team with their runner-up finishes.
The 200y freestyle relay team of seniors Chase Zadina, Maison Desaire and Karson Flaska and junior Cedric Durr earned the right to compete at the state tournament in February with their season-best, automatic state-qualifying time of 1 minute, 39.04 seconds.
Flaska, Zadina and Durr joined senior Noah Shaeffer for the other second-place finish (200y medley relay) in posting a state-consideration time of 1:55.06. And the trio of Flaska, Zadina and Durr also scored numerous points in individual events.
Hays High also earned points from several newcomers to the team, whether it be freshmen or upperclassmen out for the sport for the first time.
The Indians will close out first-semester action Thursday at the Garden City Invitational.
Garden City is the three-time defending champion in the Western Athletic Conference. But Hays High beat the Buffaloes – and the other three WAC schools as well – at last week’s Great Bend Invitational, where the Indians won the team title.
Wichita Southeast meet
Team scoring
Wichita East 394, Derby 325, Wichita-Bishop Carroll 250, Winfield 193, Rose Hill 190, Hays High 158, Wichita Heights 151, Junction City 121, Dodge City 107, Wichita Northwest 88, Wichita Southeast 80, El Dorado 65, Wichita-Trinity 487, Liberal 12, Lost Springs-Centre