2025 WIAA Boys Division I State Championships
- February 22nd, 2025
- Waukesha South High School — Waukesha, Wisc.
- SCY (25 Yards)
- Complete Results
The Middleton boys dominated the 2025 WIAA Boys Division I State Championships, winning eight of the 12 events as the team won its third-straight team title. The Middleton Cardinals scored 273 points to claim their crown. Verona placed second with 175 points, beating Brookfield Central/East by 23.5 points.
Middleton swimmers broke three state records on the way to the overall team title, starting in the first event. Max Carter (22.63), Henry Zanton (26.40), Caden Van Buren, (20.80), and Colin Gabert (20.77) combined for a 1:30.60, breaking the record Middleton swam last year by a hundredth. Carter and Van Buren both swam on that relay.
Later, Van Buren teamed with Sam Wolf, Colin Gabert, and Ben Cutler Heiderscheit to break the 200 freestyle state record. They swam 1:21.92, taking .77 seconds off Sun Prairie’s mark from 2021. Middletown swept the relays at the championships as Cutler Heiderscheit, Espen Morner, Carter, and Wolf swam 3:03.78 in the 400 freestyle winning by 2.02 seconds to cap the championships.
Wolf, a junior verbally committed to Indiana, took down the lone individual state record at the meet. After defending his 200 IM title in a lifetime best 1:47.58, Wolf won his second individual event of the day by breaking the 100 breaststroke state record. He swam a lifetime best 53.07, lowering the state record by .13 seconds. The former record (53.20) was set by Abram Mueller two years ago. Wolf finished fourth in this event that year before opting for the 100 freestyle in 2024.
Carter and Van Buren also contributed individual event wins to Middleton’s points tally. Carter, another junior, won the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke at these championships. He won the 100 freestyle by four-tenths, hitting a lifetime best of 44.60. He returned for the 100 backstroke, stopping the clock in a lifetime-best 48.67, winning by over a second. For his part, Van Buren won a close race in the 50 freestyle, beating Drew Gaerthofner by five-hundredths. Van Buren won gold in a lifetime best 20.24, moving up from his seventh place last season.
The three events in the pool that Middleton did not win were the 200 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 500 freestyle. Madison Memorial senior Alex Heinrich won two of those events, taking gold in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly. The Florida State commit swam lifetime bests in both events, hitting 1:36.70 in the 200 freestyle adn 47.72 in the 100 butterfly.
Muskego’s Carter Jewell was undeniable in the 500 freestyle. The Wisconsin commit was the only swimmer under 4:37, clocking a season-best 4:28.59 to defend his title from last season.
Top 5 Final Standings
- Middleton — 273
- Verona Arena — 175
- Brookfield Central/East — 151.5
- Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial — 144
- West Bend West/East — 140