ANDOVER CENTRAL READY FOR RUN AT REPEAT
 
Reigning Class 5-1A boys swimming and diving champion Andover Central has met all expectations this season, using its veteran experience to win the first home meet in program history and talent-rich events like the Wichita Invitational and Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail League Division II-IV.
 
It came on the heels of the Jaguars holding off a strong challenge at state from Kapaun Mount Carmel last February. And to repeat, they'll likely have to do it again.
 
"The team is ready and excited for state," Andover Central coach Allison Craig said. "They have been looking forward to this weekend since last year."
 
Craig will bring eight swimmers to the 5-1A meet, which opened with diving preliminaries Thursday morning at Topeka's Capitol Federal Natatorium. Six were part of last year's championship team.
 
The Jaguars won their first team title without an individual event victory, but bookended the finals by winning the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. And Central's relays are strong again.
 
Craig will enter seniors PJ Damico and Lucas Krueger, junior Noah Krueger and freshman Brian Nguyen in the 200 medley relay. All but Nguyen were on last year's state-winning relay, and the Jaguars' qualifying time of 1:38.44 is second only to Kapaun.
 
Noah Krueger, junior Beau Blankenship and sophomores Ethan Finney and Jackson Lee make up the 200 freestyle relay, which qualified second behind Wichita Collegiate. The Jaguars finished ninth in the event a year ago, marking an area where they could make a significant gain.
 
Nguyen, Damico, Lee and Lucas Krueger comprise the 400 freestyle relay, which posted a 5-1A best time of 3:15.96, more than seven seconds ahead of No. 2 qualifier Kapaun.
 
Individually, Lucas Krueger and Nguyen are the top two qualifiers in the 500 free. The Jaguars have at least one top-three qualifier in six of the eight individual swimming events.
 
"They have been working hard all season, putting in many hours in the pool and keeping themselves focused on swimming some best times this weekend," Craig said.
   

KAPAUN CONFIDENT AND EQUIPPED
 
Kapaun was in the Class 5-1A title hunt until the final event last season, when Andover Central pulled away in the 400 freestyle relay to win by 23.5 points. This season, the Crusaders come in confident after winning their first Greater Wichita Athletic League championship.
 
"It's definitely going to be close," said Kapaun senior Austin Schmidt, who won league titles in the 50 and 100 freestyles and will compete in the 100 and 200 free at state. "It's going to be a fun time and I think the biggest part is we just need to have fun."
 
Eleven Crusaders qualified for state, including senior diver Cooper Burrus. Kapaun has three of the top six qualifiers in the 200 individual medley, led by sophomore Frank Alberti, and three of the top five in the 100 backstroke, led by senior Jackson Burrus.
 
Kapaun coach Hayley Knapp was still finalizing her relay lineups Wednesday, but the Crusaders own the top qualifying time in the 200 medley at 1:38.01, just ahead of Andover Central. The teams battled to the wire in the event a year ago, with Central winning by .34.
 

SPEEDY SHOWDOWN AWAITS IN CLASS 5-1A
 
One of the most intriguing matchups this weekend will occur in the Class 5-1A 100-yard freestyle, where Wichita Collegiate junior and reigning champion Adam Sandid and Maize South junior Regan Richardson are a blink of the eye apart in qualifying times.
 
Last Friday in Maize, Richardson claimed the state's top 5-1A time in the event, finishing in 46.64 seconds to win the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division I title. Less than 24 hours later in Andover, Sandid topped that, touching the wall in 46.36 to cruise to a victory at the AVCTL meet for the lower three divisions.
 
Richardson, the lone returnee from Maize South's state-meet, record-setting 200 freestyle relay team last season, owns 5-1A's top time in the 50 freestyle this winter after winning the AVCTL I title in 21.50. That pushed him three-hundredths of a second ahead of Sandid, the reigning champ in that event. But Sandid instead will compete in the 200 free, where his 1:42.30 time at the league meet is the best among all 5-1A qualifiers.
 
Richardson, who had the third fastest time in the 200 free this season, will be joined by two other sub-22 second swimmers in the 50. Blue Valley Southwest junior Jack Hanahan qualified second in 21.63 and Collegiate sophomore Derek Yang has posted a 21.84.
   
 

GOING OUT IN STYLE?
 
Derby's Will McCabe and Wichita North's Lane Werth are among the most accomplished swimmers in their respective programs' histories. The pair will try to solidify those legacies this weekend with individual Class 6A state titles.
 
McCabe owns multiple school records and recently led Derby to its fourth consecutive Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail League Division I title with victories in the 200 individual medley, 500 freestyle, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. His winning 200 medley time of 1:57.61 at the league meet made him the top qualifier for 6A state, just ahead of Olathe East senior Keaton Kristoff (1:58.13) and Shawnee Mission East senior Evan Deedy (1:58.86), who was third in the event a year ago.
 
McCabe's other individual event is the 100 freestyle, where he qualified fourth.
 
Werth entered the season as North's record holder in the 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay. A fourth-place finisher at state in the 500 free last season, the four-time qualifier in the event reset his school record this season with a time of 4:46.78. That is just behind Blue Valley North senior Sam Peterson (4:46.75), 6A's top qualifier.
 
Werth is also the No. 3 qualifier in the 200 free (1:44.38) behind Shawnee Mission South sophomore Grady O'Connor and Peterson.
 
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS' PERKINS RELISHES NEW CHALLENGES

 
Things will have a whole new look for Shawnee Heights' Luke Perkins when he makes his third straight trip to the Class 5-1A state meet in as many years.
 
For starters, he's got company.
 
After being Heights' only state qualifier in 2020 and one of just two qualifiers a year ago along with teammate Tanner Zerger, Perkins and the T-Birds can entertain some team goals at this weekend's state championships. Heights qualified two relays (200 medley and 200 freestyle) and three individuals in five events total.
 
And that's a welcome sight for Perkins.
 
"I'm really excited for the team," the junior standout said. "It's the first time we've qualified two relays and we're seeded well in both so we can shoot to make the A final and do well as a team. It's so much more fun having someone else there and it will definitely help me out mentally having the team there with me. It helps me push myself and stay motivated.
 
"I still did well and am happy how I did the past few years, but I think this it just adds a whole other layer and makes it more exciting for me and my teammates. It's just another thing to be excited about going into state."
 
Perkins will team with Zerger, Truman Brede and Guillaume Humblet on both the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays, ending a drought for T-Bird state-qualifying relays. Both relays are seeded fifth.
 
As different as things are having teammates competing with him at state, so too are the expectations Perkins carries into the state meet individually. They've never been higher.
 
After placing seventh in both the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke as a freshman in 2020, Perkins moved up the medal stand a year ago when he placed third in the 100 butterfly and seventh in the 200 individual medley.
 
Being in the hunt for the 100 butterfly title – his time of 53.86 seconds was behind only Seabury Academy's Ian Blake (52.28) and Andover Central's PJ Damico (53.20) – lit an even bigger fire during the offseason for Perkins.
 
"I trained a lot over the summer and have just grown and put on a little bit of muscle," Perkins said. "Just having a stronger team has also pushed me to go faster this year."
 
And he has. Perkins enters Friday's prelims with a season-best of 52.72 seconds in the 100 butterfly. Not only is that already more than a second faster than his state time of a year ago, it's tops in Class 5-1A this year, more than a half-second faster than Damico.
 
"It's definitely a lot of pressure and that's new for me," Perkins said. "But I feel like I do well under pressure and it pushes me to hold that position. … I'll give it my all in every event."
 
Perkins is also seeded fifth in the 200 individual medley with his season-best of 2:01.54 more than four seconds off the top time of 1:57.46 by Wichita Independent's Matthew Janssen.
 
A huge factor in Heights qualifying relays this year was the addition of foreign exchange student Humblet, who is from Belgium. As Perkins says, Humblet was "heaven sent."
 
"We were missing a breaststroke swimmer in our relay and I was saying that before I even knew he existed," Perkins said. "He's a great character and the perfect person you could want to add to your team. I'm glad that we have them here this year. He's fit in perfectly."
 
Humblet decided he wanted to be a foreign exchange student a couple years ago after seeing his older brother experience it when he spent a year in California. He had a solid swimming background in Belgium, competing for a national team despite not taking up the sport until he was 12.
 
Thus far, he's enjoyed the experience of swimming for a high school team after only swimming with his club and national team in Belgium, even though he really had no idea what to expect.
 
"It was easy to become part of the group and it's been a totally new experience for me," Humblet said. "I didn't know about how swimming was here or what state was. They told me I might do well and go to state. Everything's gone well and it's kind of sad because next week it's over."
 
Humblet has competed at a high level in the 100 breaststroke. He's lost only one race all season and enters the state meet seeded fourth in the event with a best of 1:00.79, coming in behind Seabury's Blake (59.43), Janssen (59.89) and Andover Central's Noah Krueger (1:00.53).
 
"My goal when I got here was to be under a minute," said Humblet, who also qualified eighth in the 100 freestyle. "We will see if at state with the adrenaline I can get there. (Trying to win state) would be really, really cool. Kansas is like eight times bigger than Belgium and to be able to win a state meet would be incredible. I'm pretty excited about it."  
 

HIGGINS SEEKS SECOND TITLE
 
After missing out on competing in diving as a freshman at Emporia, missing the season because of commitments as a world-class performer on trampoline, Braxton Higgins wasted no time in making his mark last year as a sophomore.
 
Not only did Higgins capture the Class 5-1A state championship in his first year in the sport, he won the title by more than 140 points with his score of 487.70. That total also would have won him the Class 6A state title by more than 41 points.
 
Higgins hasn't shown any signs of letting up this season as he goes after a second straight gold. The junior hasn't lost a meet this year – in fact, he's undefeated in his high school career – and goes into state with a season-best of 455.00.
 
That's tops in the state overall, just ahead of 6A favorites Charlie Matthews of Olathe East (454.45), Spencer Eyen of Blue Valley North (452.30) and Eliot Ahlvers of Free State (450.95), and nearly 60 points better than his next-closest challenger in Class 5-1A, Buhler's Benjamin Helus (396.65).
 
His 455 came at last week's Centennial League meet and though it was a season-best, it wasn't quite the showing he wanted going into the state meet.
 
"I did pretty good, but I wasn't really satisfied with it so I was getting a little nervous," Higgins told the Emporia Gazette. "But after the practice this week we've been having, I'm feeling really confident. … I've been working a lot on my form and my execution, so I feel like it's going to be pretty good."
 
Higgins' top challengers from a year ago – runner-up Andrew Hartegan of St. James Academy, Jack Leavey of Bishop Miege (third), Cooper Burrus of Kapaun Mt. Carmel (fourth) and Jaxon Trower of Bishop Carroll (fifth). Trower has the best mark of that group with a 379.90 while Leavey has a 375.75 and Burrus a 367.95.
 
 

SEABURY'S BLAKE BATTLING FOR ANOTHER TITLE
 
When healthy, Bishop Seabury's Ian Blake is as good as there is in the 100 breaststroke in Class 5-1A. He spent the bulk of the season ranked No. 1 in the event in 5-1A with a season-best of 59.43 after finishing runner-up to state record-holder John Amrein of St. James Academy at last year's state meet.
 
In addition, he's also the defending state champion in the 100 butterfly, winning in 52.28 seconds last year.
 
But health is something Blake is battling going into this weekend's meet and he'll have to overcome a strained rotator cuff to cap his senior season with another gold medal.
 
Blake is seeded first in the 100 breast, just ahead of Wichita Independent's Matthew Janssen by a half second – his best nearly a full second slower than his state time last year. In the 100 butterfly, he's seeded fourth with his season-best of 54.07 well off his winning time of a year ago. SAVE BY THE BELL

Wichita East's Drayden Bell has his eyes on completing the state champion four-peat in the 50-yard freestyle and three-peat in the 100-yard freestyle. That means he'll leave open the top spot in three events after finishing with the best time in Kansas this season for the 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard breaststroke. He also had the second best time in the 100-yard butterfly.

That also means quite a few swimmers were probably psyched to see their names slide up the state meet psych sheet.

Shawnee Mission South sophomore Grady O'Connor enters the 200-yard freestyle race holding a nearly 2 second advantage over the second best time, Blue Valley North senior Sam Peterson. O'Connor holds a top time of 1:42.24. He'll still have to face Bell in the 100-yard freestyle, although O'Connor might have a tough time closing the gap on Bell, whose top time is 44.53. With O'Connor's best mark of 47.19, he'll likely be more focused on staying ahead of the pack of four sub-48.5 swimmers chasing him for the runner-up spot. O'Connor took fifth in the 200 free and fourth in the 100 free last season.

Shawnee Mission East senior Evan Deedy will move into the top spot for the 100 breaststroke with his time of 57.86. Shawnee Mission North senior Cameron Lee sits a 1.25 seconds back at 59.11, followed by Blue Valley West senior Jack Schreiber at 59.89. Deedy will also look for a top finish in the 200-yard individual medley. He enters with the third best time in the field at 1:58.86, sitting behind Derby senior William McCabe at 1:57.61 and Olathe East senior Keaton Kristoff.

Keaton is another swimmer that moves up into a top spot left empty by Bell. Keaton's 52.06 in the 100-yard backstroke puts him as the frontrunner in that race, ahead of Shawnee Mission East senior James Schipfer at 53.26. Keaton, who won the 500-yard freestyle at state last year, will compete in the 200 IM as his only other individual event.

OLATHE EAST-SHAWNEE MISSION EAST RELAY RACES KEY IN STATE TITLE BATTLE
Olathe East and Shawnee Mission East will battle it out as the frontrunners for two of the three relay events. Olathe East holds the top mark in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:37.17, edging out the 1:37.41 mark from SM East. The Lancers hold the advantage in the 200-yard freestyle relay, setting the top mark in the state at 1:26.89 to stay in front of the 1:27.34 set by the Hawks.

Olathe East took first in all three relay races at state last year, but junior Micah Leslie from both 200-yard relays and junior Keaton Kristoff from the 400-yard freestyle are the only returners in the mix from those senior-heavy groups.

After Olathe East finished runner-up and Shawnee Mission East finished third behind Class 6A state champion Blue Valley West last year, the finish of these two relay races could have a large impact on which team walks away with a state title this season. Olathe East heads to state as the frontrunner in five events with two second best times as well. Shawnee Mission East will likely need a full-team effort to close the gap with two frontrunners and two second place spots on the psych sheet.

One of the frontrunners for Olathe East will be senior Charlie Matthews in the 1-meter diving event. Matthews sits atop the field after winning the state title last season.
Runner-up Spencer Eyen of Blue Valley North and third-place Olathe East senior Carson Kinsch will once again challenge him for the top spot.

Matthews earned a 454.45 for the best mark in Class 6A this season, outpacing his state mark of 446.55 from last year. Eyen also built upon his 441.50 score to end last season by achieving a 452.30 this year. Kinsch has not been able to eclipse his 438.40 state mark, but has remained high on the leaderboards this year with a 420.15. 

However, Kinsch will have some ground to catch up if he hopes to repeat his third-place finish. Free State junior Elliot Ahlvers has powered his way into the third-best mark in Class 6A this season with his 450.95 performance. Ahlvers finished in fifth place at state last year with a mark of 393.95.