The Colorado High School boys’ swimming & diving state championship meets are still a week away, but Legacy High School junior Luke Miller, an NC State commit, has already rounded into championship form.
Swimming on Saturday at the Front Range League Championship meet, he put up a new lifetime best of 1:35.62 in the 200 free. That broke the Colorado 5A and overall State Records of 1 :36.73 that was set by Regis Jesuit’s Clark Smith in 2013. Smith would go on to race collegiately at the University of Texas, where he would set the American Record in the 500 and 1000 yard freestyles; and was a member of the 2016 US Olympic Team. There he won a gold medal as part of the winning American 800 free relay.
Miller’s previous best time in the race was a 1:35.87 done 6 weeks ago at Sectionals.
Thornton, Colorado, where the meet was held, sits at just over 5300 feet. Per USA Swimming altitude conversion standards, that makes this swim eligible for a 1.2 second altitude adjustment – which leaves his converted time at 1:34.42.
Miller also won the boys’ 100 free in 44.54, anchored Legacy’s 200 free relay in a 20.23, and anchored their 400 free relay in 45.93.
Other highlights of the meet include a 57.84 win from Fossil Ridge junior Josh Pales in the boys’ 100 breaststroke. He also won the 50 free in 21.47, as he helped lead his Fossil Ridge team to a dominant overall team victory at the meet.
Final Front Range League Championship Standings, 2019 Boys’
- Fossil Ridge – 831
- Rocky Mountain High – 592.5
- Monarch High – 578
- Fort Collins High – 474
- Boulder High – 469
- Legacy High – 453
- Loveland High – 339
- Fairview High – 203.5
- Mountain Range High – 164
- Poudre High – 138
- Horizon High – 88
Looks like some good races to come in the 200 Free in the ACC. Luke vs the 2 Jacks from UVA. The 2 Jacks have been faster, but Luke is on a better trajectory. Good stuff coming!!
well the 2 jacks will go head to head against the 3 Noahs from State next year.
In case anyone outside of Fort Collins is wondering, the proper pronunciation of “Poudre” is “Pooder.”
I Googled it to make sure this wasn’t some local humor, but oh my it’s real. https://kekbfm.com/names-only-coloradans-pronounce/
This coming from the state that had the first legalized weed and shrooms in the country…. hahaha.
With team scores that high, do they score top 24?
Clark Smith also broke the 1650 American record and (I think) the 800yd free relay
Luke Miller? Who? NC staff is the master of getting a ‘Diamond’ in the rough!
2017 season best: 1:48
2018 season best: 1:38
2019 season best: 1:34