Madison West reigns as the Division 1 team champion of the 2018 State Boys Swimming & Diving Championships at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison, Wis., Saturday.
The Regents compiled 293 points to win the program’s first title since 1993, which was the first year of the two-division format. It was their 14th team championship overall. Middleton placed second with 223.5 points, and 2017 champion Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial was third with 221 points.
Madison West captured titles in two individual events and a pair of relays. Junior Wes Jekel raced to the title in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 49.11 following his runner-up finish in 2017. Senior Lain Weaver, who placed runner-up the last two seasons, won the gold medal in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 48.99.
The Regents’ foursome of Jekel, juniors Henry Miller and Constantin Bensch, and senior of Matthew Fernandez set a State meet record en route to capturing the gold in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:32.35. The previous record of 1:33.06 was set by Madison Memorial in 2015. The Regents secured the team title in the final event by winning the 400 freestyle relay. Jekel won his third event of the meet by teaming with Bensch, Weaver and sophomore Isaac Casey to post a time of 3:04.94.
Senior Lucas Farrar of Arrowhead won a pair of events. He edged defending champion Ryan Linnihan of Brookfield Central/East to win the 50 freestyle with a time iof 20.47, which is the second-fastest time in State meet history. He also won the 100 freestyle by clocking in at 44.37 after placing fifth last season.
Senior Brandon Spencer of Kenosha Tremper successfully retained the titles he has won the last two seasons in the one-meter diving competition. He compiled a final score of 524.45. Junior Jared Klezca of Franklin finished a distant second with a score of 473.30 after a sixth-place finish in 2017.
Senior Ben Davis of the Greenfield co-op swam to the title in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:39.19 after placing fifth a year ago, and senior John Acevedo of Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial repeated as champion in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:31.15.
Senior Bryan Fitzgerald of West Bend East/West improved on his third-place finish in the 200 individual medley last year to win the event this year with a time of 1:50.15.
The Franklin 200 freestyle relay won the State title with the quartet of freshman Travis Craig and juniors Justin Craig, Will Lennertz and James Kostrzewa. They finished with a time of 1:24.96 from the first heat of the event.
Event Results
Team Results
# WIAA #