10 Races To Watch For At The Boys WIAA State Championships

2016 Boys WIAA Championships

• Friday, February 19 – Saturday, February 20
• UW Natatorium, Madison, WI (Central Time Zone)
• Defending D2 Champions: Monona Grove (results)
• Defending D1 Champions: Madison Memorial (results)
• D2 Psych Sheet
• D1 Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Championship Central

5 Races To Watch For During The Boys WIAA D2 Championships (Friday)

1.  50 Freestyle – Defending champion Bailey Bodart is entered with the fourth-fastest qualifying time in the 50 freestyle events at 21.72.  Junior Noah Larson of Baraboo possesses the top time entering the meet in the 50 and 100 freestyles at 20.61. It will take a lot of Bodart to defend his title, but it should be a great race in the process.
2. 100 Freestyle – The 100 freestyle promises to be competitive as it features three of last season’s top four finishers. Larson currently has the fastest time of the year, but the race is up for grabs tomorrow.
3. 100 Butterfly – Senior Michael Perry of Shorewood will also be looking to defend his title in the 100 butterfly. He is seeded second at 51.69. Junior Sean O’Connor of Grafton is the top seed with his time of 50.80. O’Connor finished fourth at this meet last year.
4.  100 Backstroke – Junior Philip Fochios of Edgewood and senior Joe Heiser of McFarland finished second and third in the 100 backstroke last season. Both Fochios and Heiser will be racing to get their hand on the wall first, but don’t count out sophomore Eric Storms. Storms is entered with the top qualifying time in the event this year at 52.77.
5. 200 IM – Senior Jared Nickadem of Cedarburg is the fastest qualifier in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:57.59, but junior Ryan Ramminger of DeForest is just behind Nickadem with a time of 1:57.69.

5 Races To Watch For During The Boys WIAA D1 Championships (Saturday)

1. 100 Breaststroke – Junior Paul DeLakis has never lost the 100 breaststroke at this meet. He is the favorite to win this event, seeded at 56.71, but Ivar Iverson has also been quick this year. He is a close second at 56.98.
2. 100 Butterfly – Senior Ben Gebhart of Madison Memorial is the two-time defending champion in the 100 butterfly. He enters the meet with the fourth-fastest time in the event at 51.58. Senior Ivar Iverson of Kenosha Bradford/Reuther will be tough to beat. Iverson has already been 49.82 this season.
3. 100 Backstroke – The two-time defending champion in the 100 backstroke, Justin Temprano, is tied with Hudson freshman Shane Blinkman at 52.29.
4. 500 Freestyle – After finishing 20th last year, Sophomore Ben Davis of Greenfield/Greendale/Pius XI recorded a time of 4:38.43 in the 500 freestyle at sectionals to secure the top seed in the event. The top five swimmers are all seeded at 4:43 or faster in the event.
5. 400 Freestyle Relay – Madison Memorial and Madison West will be battling it out in the finals of the 400 freestyle relay. The cross town rivals are seeded first and second by .7 seconds at 3:11.51 and 3:12.21.