ASU Commit Jacob Pins Leads West Des Moines Valley to 2024 Iowa IHSAA State Team Title

2024 IHSAA Boys State Swimming Championships

• Feb 9-10, 2024
• University of Iowa Recreation Center
• Iowa City, IA
• SCY (25 yard)
• Meet Central
• Full Results

The West Des Moines Valley (WDM Valley) boys have won the 2024 Iowa IHSAA Boys State Swimming Championships, taking revenge on last year’s team champion Waukee. WDM Valley won with 235 points, upsetting Waukee (219.5) by 15.5 points. In 2023, Waukee destroyed WDM Valley by 90 points for the team title, 304 to 214. This is WDM Valley’s third boys’ state team title in program history.

Senior Jacob Pins led the charge with two state titles for WDM Valley. The Arizona State commit won the first individual event on the program, the 200 free, with a time of 1:37.78. He then won the 500 free in 4:20.86, shaving more than two seconds off Trent Frandson‘s 2019 state record of 4:23.46. Iowa City West junior Hayden Hakes also broke 4:30 to place second at 4:28.63. Pins’ state record now ranks 15th on the US 17-18 season rankings.

Hakes later led off the Iowa City West (ICW) 200 medley relay in 23.22 on the 50 back leg, followed by Winston Fan (25.33), Holden Carter (21.33), Max Gerke (20.43) to punch a new state record time of 1:30.31. The former state record of 1:30.87 was also held by ICW, where Carter was also a member of that relay. He was the only sub-22 flyer at the 2024 state meet. Carter followed up with an individual state title, clocking 48.57 to win the 100 fly.

Pleasant Valley senior Owen Chiles was another double title winner, two-time state record-setter, in Iowa City. Chiles first won the 100 free at 43.42, taking down the 2016 state record of 43.64 held by ICW’s Mark McGlaughlin. Newton sophomore Finn Martin placed second at 44.94. Earlier in the 50 free, Martin bested Dowling Catholic senior Nick Rounds by four one-hundredths for the state title, 20.31 to 20.35.

Into the 100 back, Chile earned another state title/record with a 47.64, kicking down Ames’ Andrew VanMeter‘s 2003 state record of 48.83. Rounds was also under the state record, settling for silver and a No. 2 IHSAA performance all-time of 48.71.

Chiles also contributed to two title-winning freestyle relays for Pleasant Valley, having the fastest flat-start lead-off (20.17) in the 200 free relay and anchoring the fastest 100 free split (43.57) in the 400 free relay. Chiles’ 50 free lead-off would have won the individual event by 0.14s. Also in the 200 free relay, Cedar Falls senior John Butler had the fastest split of the whole field, breaking 20 seconds at 19.96. Butler was event runner-up in the 200 free (1:38.48), followed up by third in the 100 free (45.45).

Pleasant Valley’s State Title-Winning Free Relay Splits

• 200 Free Relay: Owen Chiles (20.17), Caleb Steward (21.13), Jamison Gray (21.44), Will Gorman (20.21)- 1:22.95
• 400 Free Relay: Will Gorman (45.90), Caleb Steward (46.03), Jamison Gray (47.56), Owen Chiles (43.57)- 3:03.06

Iowa City High (ICC) senior Joe Polyak took the 200 IM title at 1:46.35 by more than a five-second winning margin. In prelims, Polyak hit 1:46.08, scaring ICC alum Forrest Frazier‘s 2020 state record of 1:45.96. Polyak then closed the individual event line-up with his second title of the day in the 100 breast (53.42).

On the para swimming side, Williamsburg senior Nathaniel Crow chomped his own 2023 state para record (4:12.51) in the 200 free at 3:39.41. Indianola junior Isaiah Picard also broke his own state para record in the 50 free at 42.55. Sioux City West freshman Jaiden Lovelace also earned a para state title and record to his name, punching the wall at 1:29.79 in the 100 free. Lovelace became a double state para champion by adding the 100 back title (1:38.43).

All 2024 IHSAA Boys State Swimming Champions

• 200 Medley Relay- Iowa City West (Hayden Hakes, Winston Fan, Holden Carter, Max Gerke), 1:30.31 *State Record
• 200 Free (Para)- Nathaniel Crow (Williamsburg), 3:39.41 *State Para Record
• 200 Free- Jacob Pins (West Des Moines Valley), 1:37.78
• 200 IM- Joe Polyak (Iowa City High), 1:46.35
• 50 Free (Para)- Isaiah Picard (Indianola), 42.55 *State Para Record
• 50 Free- Finn Martin (Newton), 20.31
• 100 Fly- Holden Carter (Iowa City West), 48.57
• 100 Free (Para)- Jaiden Lovelace (Sioux City West), 1:29.79 *State Para Record
• 100 Free- Owen Chiles (Pleasant Valley), 43.42 *State Record
• 500 Free- Jacob Pins (West Des Moines Valley), 4:20.86 *State Record
• 200 Free Relay- Pleasant Valley (Owen Chiles, Caleb Steward, Jamison Gray, Will Gorman), 1:22.95
• 100 Back (Para)- Jaiden Lovelace (Sioux City West), 1:38.43
• 100 Back- Owen Chiles (Pleasant Valley), 47.64 *State Record
• 100 Breast- Joe Polyak (Iowa City High), 53.42
• 400 Free Relay- Pleasant Valley (Will Gorman, Caleb Steward, Jamison Gray, Owen Chiles), 3:03.06