Joshua Withers Breaks 17 Year Old Record at Minnesota Class AA High School State Championships

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By Taylor Brien, Swimming World College Intern

MINNEAPOLIS—Joshua Withers of Eden Prairie took down the seventeen year old 100 fly record today at Minnesota’s Class AA high school state championships.

Class A

St. Thomas Academy swept the competition with a whopping 415.5 points for first place making today’s win their fourteenth championship. Breck Blake finished second with 287, while Faribault rounded out the top three with 158 points.

St. Thomas Academy began the meet with a new Class A record in the 200 medley relay. The relay team of Sam Johanns (23.86), William Mayleben (26.74), Tommy Weiss (22.52) and Mac Brown (20.97) claimed first with a time of 1:34.09 to replace Breck Blake’s 2012 record of 1:34.83. This time also qualified them for an AAA cut.

Chaska’s Sean Donnelly and St. Thomas Academy’s Tommy Weiss battled for first in the 100 fly. Despite Weiss’ second 50 being quicker than Donnelly’s, the Chaska senior was able to grab first with a 50.22. Weiss finished with a 50.46. Both qualified for an AAC cut.

Warren Sexson of St. Thomas Academy lowered the Class A record to a swift 4:36.07. This replaces Tanner Alms’ 2013 record of 4:36.73. Simley’s Michael Modica finished close behind with a 4:37.89 to claim second.

Breck Blake’s Nic van Oppen (21.52), Tiernan Foster-Smith (20.94), Will Grassle (21.45) and Humphrey Pruett (21.08) swam to a quick first-place finish in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:24.99. This time qualified them for a ‘AAA’ cut. Mankato West (1:25.96) and St. Thomas Academy (1:25.97) both qualified for a ‘AAC’ cut.

After setting a new Minnesota All-Time and Class A record during prelims, Humphrey Pruett swam to a first-place finish in the 100 breaststroke. Pruett claimed first with a 55.61. Teammate Foster-Smith finished second with a 56.76. Both qualified for a ‘AAA’ cut.

St. Thomas Academy ended the night with a swift 400 free relay. Hunter Nielsen (47.37), Tommy Weiss (46.62), Warren Sexson (46.92) and Sam Johanns (46.32) dashed to a new Class A record with a finishing time of 3:07.23. Their time replaces St. Thomas Academy’s 2002 record of 3:08.62.

2015 Minnesota Boys Class A High School State Championships – Results

Class AA

Eagan claimed first in today’s Class AA Minnesota high school state championships with 226 points. Minnetonka finished second with 210 while Eden Prairie rounded out the top three with 194.5 points.

Eden Prairie’s 200 medley relay team of Austin Pham (24.99), Griffin Back (25.61), Joshua Withers (22.10) and Jordan Greenberg (20.78) started the meet off with a first-place finishing time of 1:33.48 qualifying them for an ‘AAA’ cut. Eagan (1:34.99) and East Ridge (1:35.37) both qualified for ‘AAC’ cuts.

James Tidd of East Ridge barely missed the Class AA and All-Time record of 20.22 in the 50 free. Tidd claimed first with a 20.28 qualifying him for a ‘AAA’ cut. Alex Kofler (20.82) of Rochester Century and Eagan’s Sam Zenner (21.03) grabbed second and third respectively while also qualifying for ‘AAC’ cuts.

Eden Prairie’s Joshua Withers dashed to a new Class AA record in the 100 fly. The freshman finished with a time of 48.88 lowering Chad Krastins 1998 record of 49.17. He also qualified for a ‘AAA’ cut.

Tartan’s Kevin McPherson (50.17), Lakeville North’s Andrew Trepanier (50.26) and Prior Lake’s Marshall Heskin (50.41) all qualified for ‘AAC’ cuts in the 100 fly.

Tidd snatched his second win of the day with a swift 45.00 in the 100 free. The senior qualified for a ‘AAA’ cut with his swim. Greg Arnold of Wayzata finished second with a 45.73 to qualify himself for a ‘AAC’ cut.

Sam schilling of Minnetonka and Jacob Wielinski of Irondale each qualified for a ‘AAA’ cut in the 500 free. Schilling claimed first with a swift 4:28.69. Wielinski finished close behind with a 4:29.81.

The 100 breaststroke was the closest race of the day with the top three finishing within .45 seconds of each other. Maple Grove’s Brenner Hohenstein claimed first with a 56.08. Griffin Beck of Eden Prairie finished .02 behind him with a 56.10 to grab second. Eastview’s Sam Pekarek rounded out the top three with a 56.53. All three qualified for ‘AAA’ cuts.

2015 Minnesota Boys Class AA High School State Championships – Results

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