Two-time defending champion Monona Grove entered the WIAA State Division 2 Boys Swimming and Diving Championships as the program to beat, and they proved to be all that and more Friday at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison.
The Silver Eagles won the first three events to jump out to a lead in the team standings, and they never looked back. They won seven events to propel the program to its third straight Division 2 title and its fourth in the last five seasons with a score of 381. That team score ranks second highest in meet history. Ashwaubenon finished second with 232 points, and Grafton placed third with 208.
Junior Ben McDade led the Silver Eagles’ arsenal by winning four events. He continued his mastery in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles, winning each of the events for the third straight season. He won the 200 with a time of 1:39.67 and the 500 in 4:28.83, which breaks the Division 2 record he set in 2016. He teamed with Eric Storms, Connor Keith and Shane Sackett to win the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:33.82. McDade helped the Silver Eagles completed the sweep of the relays with a victory in the 400 freestyle relay for the third year in a row. He, along with teammates Doll, Lippiatt and Storms, finished in a time of 3:08.00.
Sackett, Keith, Lippiatt and Doll won the 200 freestyle relay for the third consecutive year, completing the race in a time of 1:25.91.
Storms swam to his third title of the meet, winning the 100 backstroke with a time of 50.99. The junior also added a runner-up finish in the 100 butterfly.
Senior Henry Carman of Monona Grove earned glory for his persistence in winning the diving title. He captured the gold medal with a score of 568.95 after placing runner-up the past three seasons.
Senior Ben Hayes of Brown Deer/University School won the 200 individual medley in a time of 1:52.43 to improve on his third-place finish in the event a year ago. Hayes added a second title in the meet by winning the 100 breaststroke in a time of 57.94 after finishing runner-up last year.
Senior Will Hobbs of Cedarburg also won a pair of events. He edged out defending champion Noah Larson of Baraboo and last year’s runner Riccardo Romersi of Nicolet to win the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.06. Larson and Romersi finished in a tie for second place at 21.14. Hobbs also captured the crown in the 100 freestyle with a time of 46.30, just 0.6 seconds ahead of Larson, who was attempting to defend the title he won last season.
Senior Sean O’Connor of Grafton repeated as champion in the 100 butterfly, outperforming the field with a time 50.41
The State Boys Swimming and Diving Championships will resume Saturday. The Division 1 diving competition begins at 10 a.m., with the swimming events scheduled for 3 p.m.
Complete Division 2 Event Results
Complete Division 2 Team Results