Boys swimming state meet features a Breck/Blake juggernaut, a Minnetonka-Edina grudge match and more

Breck/Blake is a trendsetter.

The boys swimming team, a cooperative program of two Twin Cities private schools, is heavily favored to win its record-setting ninth consecutive Class 1A team championship in the state meet this weekend at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center on the University of Minnesota campus.

The three-day meet begins Thursday with diving preliminaries in both classes and concludes Saturday with the Class 1A finals at noon followed by Class 2A at 6 p.m.

Breck/Blake is led by senior Henry Webb. He won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 37.31 seconds, was runner-up in the 100 freestyle with a time of 44.82 and swam the lead leg on the victorious 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams a year ago. Webb is headed to Yale.

Minnetonka would like nothing better than to avenge its heartbreaking finish of a year ago.

Lake Conference rival Edina edged the Skippers by six points for the Class 2A team crown. Minnetonka has nearly all of the team members who scored points for that runner-up squad back for another run at the title.

Prior Lake, with plenty of talent returning from its third-place group of a year ago, could also figure in the mix. The Lakers wound up only 37 points back of Edina.

A diver and a greater Minnesota swimmer look to extend streaks in Class 2A.

Rosemount senior Lucas Gerten has his sights set on his fourth consecutive diving title. He won his third last season with a state-record score of 539.60 points. He bettered the mark of 532.70 set by Dan Croaston of Champlin Park in 1997 and equaled by Turner Eckstrom of Red Wing in 2010. Gerten is headed to the Air Force Academy.

Junior Micah Davis, a member of TCRB (a combined program involving St. Cloud Tech, St. Cloud Cathedral, Rocori and Becker), is looking for a three-peat. He successfully defended his 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle titles a year ago, breaking the state record in the butterfly with a time of 46.94. Chris Morris from the same program held the record of 48.11 set in 2021. Davis won the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:36.74.

Includes 2024 Class 2A state meet results in the events they are competing in this year, unless noted.

• Nathan Carr, Wayzata, junior: Second in 100 butterfly (48.65) and third in 100 backstroke (49.58). College plan: Virginia.

• Micah Davis, St. Cloud Tech/St. Cloud Cathedral/Rocori/Becker, junior: First in 100 butterfly (46.94) and 200 freestyle (1:36.74). College plan: Virginia.

• Lucas Gerten, Rosemount, senior: First in diving (539.60). College plan: Air Force.

• Jack Hackler, Waconia, senior: First in 100 breaststroke (54.27) and 16th in 200 individual medley (2:05.02). College plan: Gophers.

• Jackson Kogler, Stillwater, senior: Second in 100 backstroke (49.45) and fourth in 200 individual medley (1:49.91). College plan: Wyoming.

• Ethan Kosin, Prior Lake, senior: First in 100 backstroke (48.67) and didn’t swim in the 50 freestyle. College plan: Gophers.

• Luke Mechtel, St. Thomas Academy, junior: Third in 100 breaststroke (56.85) and fourth in 50 freestyle (21.27) in Class 1A. College plan: undecided.

• Isidore Warain, Chaska/Chanhassen, senior: Seventh in 100 breaststroke (56.84) and eighth in 200 individual medley (1:56.94). College plan: Gophers.

• Henry Webb, Breck/Blake, senior: First in 200 freestyle (1:37.31) and second in 100 freestyle (44.82) in Class 1A. College plan: Yale.

• Evan Witte, Minnetonka, senior: First in 100 freestyle (44.59) and didn’t swim in the 50 freestyle. College plan: Pittsburgh.

• Jiarui Xue, Edina, senior: First in 500 freestyle (4:25.19) and second in 200 individual medley (1:48.47). College plan: Princeton.

• Joey Zelen, Duluth East, junior: Third in 50 freestyle (20.94) and 10th in 100 freestyle (47.86). College plan: undecided.