MINNEAPOLIS -- Red Wing's Hunter Connelly is a repeat state champion in Class A swimming and diving and he did so in record-setting fashion on Saturday.
Connelly won the state championship for the second straight year during at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in the 100 backstroke. The senior posted a time of 48.87, which is the Class A state record.
Connelly's time was just off the off-time Minnesota mark of 48.86, set by Rochester Century's Brian Kiel in 2009.
Connelly won by more than a second and his time was good for automatic All-American status. Connelly had to overcome a shoulder injury late in the second to win the title. He had missed the Big Nine Conference meet at the end of the regular season, but returned for the Section 1A meet.
Connelly also helped the Red Wing 200 medley relay team place second in the state. He teamed with senior Garrett Welsch, junior Ben Schaffer and sophomore William Meacham to post a time of 1:35.63, which was good for All-American consideration.
ADVERTISEMENT
Austin and Red Wing both had lofty team finishes. Austin placed sixth overall with 126 points and Red Wing was 10th with 103 points. St. Thomas Academy was the team champion with 430 points. A total of 29 teams scored at least one point.
Austin had a trio of top-four finishes in Saturday's final round. Senior Ben Walker was part of all three All-State finishes (top eight place winners).
Walker was third in the 100 butterfly with a time of 50.77. Red Wing's Meacham was seventh in the event and Austin senior Seth Clasen placed eighth.
Walker and Clasen teamed with sophomores Mitchell Mayer and Isaac Christopherson to place third in the 200 freestyle relay. Red Wing was ninth in the event. The same Austin foursome -- Walker, Clasen, Mayer and Christoperson -- finished fourth in the 400 freestyle relay. Red Wing was 12th in that relay.
Christopherson was in the consolation finals in a pair of events. He placed ninth in the 200 freestyle and 10th in the 100 freestyle. Mayer placed 11th in the 100 butterfly and Clasen was 12th in the 50 freestyle.
Schaffer was ninth in the 100 breaststroke for Red Wing.
CLASS A STATE MEET
Team results, top 10
ADVERTISEMENT
1. St. Thomas Academy 430, 2. Breck Blake 239, 3. Simley 176, 4. Sartell-St. Stephen 159, 5. Orono 154, 6. Austin 126, 7. Mankato East 121, 8. Monticello 116, 9. Fergus Falls 105, 10. Red Wing 103.
Individual results
(Winner, Austin, Red Wing top 16)
200 medley relay: 1. St. Thomas Academy 1:34.99, 2. Red Wing (Hunter Connelly, Ben Schaffer, William Meacham, Garrett Welsch) 1:35.63, 12. Austin (Kaleb Blaser, Zach Newman, Ben Walker, Mitchell Mayer) 1:42.09.
200 freestyle:1. Warren Sexson (St. Thomas) 1:39.79, 9. Isaac Christopherson (Austin) 1:46.55.
200 IM:1. Will Grassle (Breck Blake) 1:54.58
50 freestyle:1. Matt Allison (Grand Rapids) 20.91, 12. Seth Clasen (Austin) 22.25.
Diving: Nathan Stone (Simley) 462.65
ADVERTISEMENT
100 butterfly:1. Paul Sadergaski (Faribault) 50.04, 3. Ben Walker (Austin) 50.77, 7. Meacham (Red Wing) 52.58, 8. Clasen (Austin) 52.88, 11. Mayer (Austin) 53.81.
100 freestyle:1. Michael Modica (Simley) 45.77, 10. Christopherson (Austin) 48.35.
500 freestyle:Sexson (St. Thomas) 4:36.26.
200 freestyle relay:1. St. Thomas 1:25.04, 3. Austin (Clasen, Walker, Mayer, Christopherson) 1:27.28, 9. Red Wing (Connelly, Schaffer, Jayden Jech, Welsch) 1:29.41.
100 backstroke:1. Connelly (Red Wing) 48.87#.
100 breaststroke:1. Colin Glass (St. Thomas) 1:01.15, 9. Schaffer (Red Wing) 1:01.15.
400 freestyle relay:1. St. Thomas 3:06.11#, 4. Austin (Walker, Clasen, Mayer, Christopherson) 3:14.75, 12. Red Wing (Welsch, Meacham, Calvin Roth, Connelly) 3:19.57.
# -- Meet record
