Danny Kovac Breaks 200 IM Record, Split 43.0 100 FR at CHSAA 5A Finals

2018 COLORADO HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION BOYS SWIM-DIVE 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Prelims – May 18th
• Finals – May 19th
• Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center, Thornton, CO
• Short Course Yards
• Results

TOP 5 TEAM SCORES

1. Regis Jesuit High School – 290.5
2. Fossil Ridge High School – 286
3. Cherry Creek High School – 208.5
4. Arapahoe High School – 198
5. Highlands Ranch High School – 169

Regis Jesuit snapped Fossil Creek’s 3-year win streak at the CHSAA 5A Boys State Championships on Saturday, May 19th. Fossil Creek held the lead in team scoring by 1.5 points going into the final event, the 400 free relay, which they had the fastest prelims time in by almost 4 seconds. Regis Jesuit then came back in finals to shed a full 5 seconds off their prelims time to post a 3:02.67. The team of Ty Coen (46.79), Elliot Steinberg (45.34), William Goodwin (45.40), and Elijah Warren (45.14) managed to hold off a charging Danny Kovac (Fossil Ridge), who threw down an incredible 43.05 anchor split to bring Fossil Ridge into a 2nd place finish (3:03.00).

Kovac, who will be swimming for Mizzou in the Fall, also broke the overall CO state record in the 200 IM earlier in the meet. He posted a lifetime best of 1:46.27 to win by 1.95 seconds over William Goodwin. Kovac used a very fast front half of 49.32 (22.99/26.33) to establish a big lead that would not be overcome. Kovac also won the 100 fly in a lifetime best of 46.65, touching well over 2 seconds ahead of th rest of the field, and narrowly missing CLark Smith’s CHSAA record of 46.54. That time marked Kovac’s first 100 fly under 47 seconds. He was out fast – 22.10 – but his more impressive split was the 2nd 50, where he posted a 24.55, which was almost 2 full seconds faster than the next fastest 2nd 50 split in the field.

Elijah Warren, who will be swimming for Arizona State in the Fall, picked up a pair of individual wins, coming in the 50 free and 100 breast. In the 50, Warren went 20.68 to shed .06 seconds off his prelims time of 20.74, and setting a new personal best. Warren was a little off his prelims time of 54.76, which was just off the CHSAA record of 54.68, posting a 55.01 to win by .79 seconds over William Goodwin.

The Regis Jesuit boys 200 medley relay also broke the overall CHSAA record. The team of Ty Coen (22.99), Elijah Warren (24.39), Jackson Gurley (22.96), and William Goodwin (20.18) combined to post a 1:30.52 to break the previous record by .01 seconds. Warren and Goodwin had the fastest splits in thefield in their respective strokes.