The Manhattan High boys swim team placed second out of nine teams at the Emporia meet on Jan. 27, their fourth meet in the month of January.
MHS earned 409 points as a team, coming in behind Washburn Rural who got first with a total of 454. The meet consisted of 12 events with Manhattan being represented in all 12 events. The meet Saturday was set to start at noon but was delayed for about 30 minutes, but even though it slowed things down, many of the swimmers, such as freshman Diego Jiron Corrales and juniors Kaiser Wymer and Max Steffenmeiser, got new personal records.
Junior Willow Graves placed first in the 100 backstroke, the 200 IM and the 200 medley along with juniors Ethan Ballman, Samson Staedtler and Steffenmeiser. Wymer, Ballman, Steffenmeiser and senior Mariano Palacian placed second in the 400 Free. Wymer placed second in the 200 freestyle.
“It’s been a pretty fun and impressive season…definitely something I’ll remember forever,” Wymer said.
The team has been doing well at all their meets and placing at many of them all season.
“This season has been great…everyone has been training extremely hard and I think we’ll be breaking multiple league records this year,” Ballman said. “I think our 200-medley relay and my 100 fly have a really good chance at winning State.”
Many members on the team have said that the team has improved greatly over the course of the season, not only through the skills they have formed but through the bonds they have made as well.
“We’ve been doing pretty great and the new members have been doing an amazing…job,” Graves said. “I’m really excited to see what League brings.”
Their next meet will be Thursday, Feb. 8, at Cap Fed Natatorium in Topeka.
