Minnehaha Academy junior Andrew Karpenko broke a pair of Minnesota class A records individually, while Breck/Blake broke the class A medley relay record en route to a state team title.
Breck/Blake went 1:31.26 in the 200 medley relay, setting a new state record in class A, for the state’s smaller schools. Anderson Breazeale, James Pan, Spencer Pruett and Dylan Brown made up that relay, with the senior Breazeale leading off in 22.77, the freshman Pan going 26.02, senior Pruett splitting 21.83 on fly and the senior Brown anchoring in 20.64. That team won by more than five seconds over the field.
Pruett came directly off that relay to win the 200 free, going 1:42.40. It was a 1-2-3 finish for Breck/Blake, as Thayer Breazeale was 1:43.15 and Niels Wu 1:43.94. Wu would later win the 500 free in 4:43.31. Anderson Breazeale also won the 100 back in 49.05 and Breck/Blake swept both free relays. Pan, Charlie Crosby, Thayer Breazeal and Luke Hamlin went 1:25.93 in the 200 free relay and Brown, Anderson Breazeale, Thayer Breazeale and Pruett went 3:06.46 in the 400 free relay.
Minnehaha Academy junior Karpenko was the individual star. He went 1:48.05 to win the 200 IM, breaking the state class A record in both prelims and finals. Karpenko was also 54.41 to win the 100 breast, briefly breaking the state all-time record in both prelims and finals. His all-time record fell later that day in the AA meet (recap here), but he remains the class A record-holder.
Winona’s Jack Herczeg won the 50 free in a tight battle with Anderson Breazeale, 21.02 to 21.07. He would return to win the 100 free in 45.38, three tenths off a 15-year-old class A state record. Herczeg is a junior.
Other event winners:
- Park Rapids senior Spencer Fritze scored 395.10 points to win the diving title.
- Winona’s Grant Wolner went 50.44 to win the 100 fly in his junior season.
Top 5 Teams:
- Breck/Blake – 423
- Northfield – 188
- Winona – 177
- St. Thomas Academy – 162
- Alexandria – 149
