Eden Prairie Breaks Edina Winning Streak, Claims First at MSHSL Class AA State Meet

2023 MSHSL Boys Class AA Swimming and Diving State Championships

  • March 2-4, 2023
  • University of Minnesota Aquatic Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Short Course Yards (25 Yards)
  • Full Meet Results (PDF)
  • Results on MeetMobile: “2023 MSHSL Boys AA Swi & Dive Championships”

Breaking a four-year winning streak by Edina, Eden Prairie captured its first state title since 2015. The program has now won seven Class AA state titles since the class system was instituted in 1998.

Instrumental in Eden Prairie’s return to the top of Class AA was senior Luke Logue, who claimed two individual titles along with helping his school to a pair of relay golds.

Individually, Logue opened his day by claiming the top spot in the 200 IM. Leading the field by over a second, Logue finished in 1:49.28 for gold in the event. He followed that swim by taking first in the 100 back by over two seconds, touching at 47.74.

With Logue joined by Brian Shi, Drew Ploof, and Matthew Lillejord, Eden Prairie took gold in the 200 medley relay at the beginning of the meet. Featuring a huge leadoff split of 21.85 by Logue, Eden Prairie finished with a time of 1:32.19. Logue and Lillejord were later joined by Eric Howard and Charlie Folks to close the meet with a gold in the 400 free relay, winning in 3:06.86.

Eden Prarie also took the top spot in the 200 free relay without Logue. With Howard leading off in 21.18 and Shi (21.37), Lillejord (21.17) and Ploof (20.61) following, the team pulled off the win over Edina by just .02.

In his first year of high school (but 3rd high school state championship meet – Minnesota allows middle schoolers to swim), freshman Micah Davis of the St. Cloud Tech/Cathedral/Rocori/Becker co-op claimed a pair of state titles. Davis opened his meet by dethroning the defending champion in the 200 free, Grant Wodny. Winning by just .04, Davis got his hand to the wall in a time of 1:37.68. He followed that swim by claiming his second gold in the 100 fly, touching in 48.41.

Davis was one of just two athletes representing his co-op at the meet. The only other athlete was Braden Lemke, a senior, who took 2nd in 1-meter diving. That event was won by Lucas Gerten, who was the defending champion in the event.

The 50 free came down to a close battle between a pair of seniors, with just .02 separating Braden Ripken of Spring Lake Park and Lucas Becker of Chanhassen-Chaska. It was Ripken who got his hand to the wall first, finishing in 20.69.

Becker would later pick up a bronze medal in the 100 free, with Minnetonka’s Evan Witte claiming gold. The sophomore was the only swimmer to finish under 46.0, touching at 45.31 for gold.

After taking second earlier in the meet in the 200 IM, Jiarui Xue picked up the gold in the 500 free over defending state champion Grant Wodny. Xue was able to hold off a late charge from Wodny over the final 100 yards, claiming his the title in 4:31.26. Wodny is committed to swim at the University of Minnesota this fall.

Max Scheurer claimed gold in the 100 breast to earn his first career state title. The Centennial senior finished in a time of 55.47, just ahead of Edina junior Rohan D’Souza Larson (55.55).

Team Scores

  1. Eden Prairie – 263.5
  2. Edina – 219
  3. Prior Lake – 194
  4. Minnetonka – 161
  5. Lakeville South – 152

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Seth
1 year ago

Five guys under 50 in the 100 fly is ridiculous.
I have always watched the 100 fly times since I swam at the meet in 2013.

I feel that the qualification times and times swim have dropped immensely over the years!

Mr Piano
1 year ago

Eden Prairie won but you guys used Edina’s picture? Ouch man

SwimFan49
1 year ago

if the lead is about Eden Prairie knocking off Edina, then why have an Edina team photo with the story? Or, maybe it’s a mistake since the caption under the photo references EP?