The season started off with a splash as the Manhattan High School boys swim team placed second at the first meet in Topeka and won the second meet which took place in Lansing. Both meets began with Manhattan winning the 200-yard medley relay, with a time of 1:42.64 and 1:42.63. Junior Kaiser Wymer and freshman Jack Dunn placed third and sixth in the 200 yard freestyle, respectively.
“[The race] felt good, but there’s always more work to do,” Wymer said. “I got really aggressive… that’s always good in a swim race.”
Junior Max Steffensmeier won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:06, and senior Mariano Palacian placed fifth in the 50-yard free.
Junior Ethan Balman won the 100 yard fly in 54.50. In the 100-yard free Palacian placed third.
In the 500-yard free, junior Willow Graves placed third with a time of 4:57.25. Manhattan placed second in the 200-yard free relay, losing first place to Washburn Rural.
“So far the team is looking amazing,” Balman said. “I think the team got a good chance of placing really high at State.”
Balman and Steffensmeir placed third and fourth in the 100-yard backstroke. In the 100-yard breaststroke, Graves placed second. To wrap up the first meet, Manhattan placed second in the 400- yard free relay.
The Lansing meet was all relay races, which relies on teamwork and codependency. MHS placed first in the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard breast relay.
“League’s going to be crazy,” Balman said. “I’m coming for that State record.”
