Preview: Boys State Swim and Dive Meet

With the state championship taking place on Feb. 20-21, the boys swim and dive team will be sending more than 40 members of the team to the state event in hopes of bringing back the 2nd state championship this year for East.

In the midst of the 40 members of the squad going Topeka, three freshmen earned their way onto the main stage for the swimming event.

In preparation for the state championship, 2014 coach of the year Wiley Wright had the state hopeful swim and dive team do “tapering” practices, which is one intense practice at the start of the week. Then, practices get easier as the week goes on with more amounts of sleep.

The 6A state event will be held at Topeka Capitol Federal Natatorium at 530 Sports Park Drive.

The swim and dive team has 12 consecutive Sunflower league titles under their belts, and they are seeded in the top three spots of five events and first in two others. Freshman Aiden Holbrook is favored to win the 500 freestyle and senior Benjamin Schmatz is the top seed in the 100 breaststroke.

The swim and dive team will be going into Topeka as the previous state runner ups to Blue Valley North.