LINCOLN — Three state records and 13 total all-time Top 10 performances Friday made the prelims of the 87th high school boys state swimming championships one of the fastest on record.
Omaha Westside senior Nate Germonprez set two of the state records during the competition at the Devaney Center natatorium. The Texas recruit lowered his own 100-yard freestyle record by 0.24 seconds to 43.61.
Germonprez then led off Westside's 200 freestyle relay quartet in 19.64 to top the previous state record of 19.83 by former Omaha Creighton Prep star Jacob Molacek. Germonprez also had a lifetime best 50-yard backstroke to lead off Westside's 200 medley relay.
That 21.63 helped lead the Warriors to a 1:31.18 that put them at No. 5 on The World-Herald's all-time chart in that event. Germonprez also was the fastest qualifier in the 200 freestyle at 1:36.87, not far off his state record of 1:35.60.
Two events — the 500 freestyle and 100 breaststroke — had three swimmers either lower their own all-time Top 10 marks or debut on those lists.
Prep senior John Watson set a new standard in the 500 freestyle by winning in 4:29.24 to top the previous record of 4:32.04 set in 2019 by Jonathan Novinski of Grand Island in 2019.
Watson was joined by Millard North's Kalvin Hahn and Lincoln East sophomore Jadeon Carter with all-time Top 10 times. Hahn moved to No. 4 all-time with a career best 4:32.80 before Carter made his Top 10 debut at No. 5 after winning the second heat in 4:34.01.
Hahn also was one of the three swimmers who moved up the 100 breaststroke chart. With the fastest qualifying time of 54.85, Hahn moved to No. 3 all-time behind only Molacek and Lincoln Southwest's Kael Mlinek.
Westside senior Kaden Guzman now is No. 4 at 54.99 after previously being in the Top 10 at 55.58. Millard South junior Nikolas Keuser moved from No. 9 to No. 7 with his career best 55.57.
Elkhorn/Elkhorn South/Elkhorn North senior Greg Wehbe made his Top 10 debut with his times in the 50 and 100 freestyle races. He was the leading qualifier in the 50 free by posting a 20.47, which puts him at No. 6 all-time.
Wehbe then was second to Germonprez in the 100 free with a 45.45, putting him at No. 10 all-time.
Two more Prep swimmers also posted Top 10 times. Will Clark is now tied for 7th all-time with his 1:50.91 that led all qualifiers in the 200 individual medley. Clark also is the leading qualifier in the 100 backstroke at 50.44.
Henry Dvorak is tied at No. 4 all-time with Ryan Bubb of Lincoln East at 48.92 in the 100 butterfly. Dvorak narrowly missed cracking the 50 freestyle chart at 20.67. Two swimmers are tied for 10th all-time at 20.66.
CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
200-yard medley relay:
1. Omaha Westside (Nate Germonprez, Kaden Guzman, Aidan Jackson, Aidan Cunningham), 1:31.81 (No. 5 all-time). 2. Omaha Creighton Prep, 1:34.74. 3. Lincoln Southwest, 1:35.13. 4. Lincoln East, 1:36.59. 5. Millard North, 1:36.75. 6. Grand Island, 1:37.46. 7. Elkhorn/Elkhorn South/Elkhorn North, 1:38.07. 8. Lincoln Pius X, 1:38.41.
200 freestyle:
1. Germonprez, 1:36.87. 2. John Watson, Prep, 1:40.27. 3. Ryan Mayo, Elkhorn/ES/EN, 1:42.58. 4. Collin Wilcynski, LSW, 1:43.42. 5. Jadeon Carter, LE, 1:43.51. 6. YuAng Zhu, Omaha Skutt/Elkhorn MM, 1:44.74. 7. Michael Sambula-Monzalvo, GI, 1:44.75. 8. Sam Becker, LPX, 1:44.85.
200 individual medley:
1. William Clark, Prep, 1:50.91 (tie, No. 7 all-time). 2. Nathan Finnegan, Prep, 1:52.88. 3. Guzman, 1:53.92. 4. Luke Dankert, GI, 1:54.23. 5. Drayton Beber, Prep, 1:55.25. 6 (tie). Jackson and Blake Forsberg, Elkhorn/ES/EN, 1:56.27. 8. Cael Meranda, LSW, 1:58.31.
50 freestyle:
1. Greg Wehbe, Elkhorn/EN/ES, 20.47 (No. 6 all-time). 2. Henry Dvorak, Prep, 20.67. 3. Nikolas Keuser, Millard South, 21.18. 4. Thomas Nissen, Prep, 21.20. 5. Jacob Horner, Elkhorn/EN/ES, 21.37. 6. Ian Paup, LE, 21.45. 7. Michael Johansen, Omaha Skutt/EMM, 21.46. 8. Tyler Reida, LSW, 21.58.
100 butterfly:
1. Dvorak, 48.92 (tie, No. 4 all-time), 48.92. 2. Mayo, 50.30. 3. Reida, 50.62. 4. Reid Frederik, LE, 51.19. 5. Evan Niemeyer, Prep, 52.01. 6. Trevor Vocasek, Lincoln Northeast, 52.05. 7. Becker, 52.12. 8. Lucas Feng, MN, 52.87.
100 freestyle:
1. Germonprez, 43.61 (state record, No. 1 all-time, betters own 43.85, 2023). 2. Wehbe, 45.45 (No. 10 all-time). 3. Jaden Pospishil, Omaha Burke, 46.02. 4. Aidan Kolb, LSW, 46.68. 5. Liam O’Hanlon, Prep, 46.90. 6. Connor Liekhus, Prep, 47.27. 7. Paup, 47.65. 8. Forsberg, 47.88.
500 freestyle:
1. Watson, 4:29.24 (state record, No. 1 all-time, betters 4:32.04 by Jonathan Novinski, Grand Island, 2019). 2. Hahn, 4:32.80 (No. 3 all-time). 3. Jadeon Carter, LE, 4:34.01 (No. 4 all-time). 4. Finnegan, Prep, 4:41.83. 5. Cunningham, 4:47.50. 6. Austin Lewis, Prep, 4:49.93. 7. Matt Uehling, Elkhorn/ES/EN, 4:52.91. 8. Wilcynski, 4:53.01.
200 freestyle relay:
1. Elkhorn/Elkhorn South/Elkhorn North (Forsberg, Wehbe, Horner, Mayo), 1:24.43. 2. Omaha Westside, 1:24.52. 3. Lincoln East, 1:25.71. 4. Omaha Creighton Prep, 1:26.30. 5. Millard North, 1:28.32. 6. Omaha Skutt/Elkhorn Mount Michael, 1:29.23. 7. Lincoln Southwest, 1:29.92. 8. Lincoln Pius X, 1:30.35.
100 backstroke:
1. Clark, 50.44. 2. Pospishil, 51.15. 3. Kolb, 51.25. 4. Horner, 51.56. 5. Alex Fitch, Westside, 52.31. 6. Frederick, 52.40. 7. Jared Coffey, LPX, 53.28. 8. Liekhus, 53.50.
100 breaststroke:
1. Hahn, 54.85 No. 3 all-time). 2. Guzman, 54.99 (No. 4 all-time). 3. Keuser, 55.57 (No. 7 all-time). 4. Beber, 56.68. 5. Dankert, 57.01. 6. Connor Christ, Fremont, 58.18. 7. Jackson, 58.49. 8. Lorenzo Ciafre, GI, 58.66.
400 freestyle relay:
1. Elkhorn/Elkhorn South/Elkhorn North (Mayo, Horner, Forsberg, Wehbe), 3:10.69. 2. Lincoln East, 3:12.10. 3. Lincoln Southwest, 3:13.58. 4. Omaha Creighton Prep, 3:15.23. 5. Omaha Skutt/Elkhorn Mount Michael, 3:17.15. 6. Lincoln Pius X, 3:17.22. 7. Omaha Westside, 3:19.02. 8. Grand Island, 3:19.98.
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