2022 KSHSAA 6A State Championships
- February 17-19, 2022
- Topeka, Kansas, Capitol Federal Natatorium
- 25 Yard (SCY) Format
- 6A 2022 Full Results
- 2021-2022 Regular Season KSHSAA Results
Shawnee Mission East won its 8th team title since 2010 on Saturday at the Kansas 1-5A Boy’s High School State Championships, hosted at the Topeka Capitol Federal Natatorium. Shawnee Mission East won the All-Classes State Championship four years in a row from 2005-2008, and again in 2010 in the first-ever 6A-only State Championships, making them one of the most successful program in Kansas boy’s high school swimming history. This year, Shawnee Mission East only won two events, but their depth proved strong enough to take them to the top.
Olathe East finished with 301 points, just 24 points behind Shawnee Mission East, and claimed 5 event victories, including the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays, as well as the 200 IM and 100 Backstroke (Keaton Kristoff), and the 100 butterfly (Micah Leslie).
Olathe East’s Keaton Kristoff took home four gold medals Saturday. First, Kristoff led off Olathe East’s 200 medley relay, splitting a 23.45 on the backstroke. Teammates John Costello (27.13), Micah Leslie (21.16), and Kobe Otero (21.97) extended the lead Kristoff created, culminating in a time of 1:33.71, nearly 3 seconds ahead of runners-up Shawnee Mission East who finished in 1:36.14. Olathe East also broke the 6A State Record in the 200 medley relay, shaving 0.32 from the mark set by Overland Park-Blue Valley West in 2021. Another notable aspect of Olathe East’s dominant performance in the medley relay was butterflyer Micah Leslie who split a 21.16, which was the 2nd-fastest split of any leg in the entire field. The only swimmer to produce a faster 50-yard effort than Leslie was Overland-Park Blue Valley West’s Aidan White, who split a 21.08 on the freestyle to help his team to 3rd.
Kristoff went on to win the 200 IM in 1:53.39, nearly a full second ahead of Derby’s William McCabe (1:54.25), and later the 100 backstroke where he lowered his own state record from 2020 with a 49.26, taking 0.04 from his previous mark. Kristoff ended the day with another victory in the 400 freestyle relay where he, along with Leslie, Garrett Seyler, and Blake Nelson combined for a 3:12.09, besting the runners-up from Overland Park-Blue Valley North by over 2 seconds.
Leslie would go on to win the 100 butterfly in 50.04, though he posted a 49.25 in prelims. Leslie also placed 2nd in the 50 freestyle in 20.59, making him 1 of only 2 swimmers in the 6A meet to swim under 21 seconds.
Alabama commit Drayden Bell of Wichita East picked up two individual victories, first taking the 50 freestyle in 20.28, and later the 100 freestyle in 44.44, winning by a full 2.5 seconds, and falling just 0.29 short of Sam Disette‘s 2017 mark of 44.15. Bell also led off Wichita East’s 400 freestyle relay, dipping under 45 again with a 44.91 on the opening leg, though the relay would only place 14th. Even so, Bell’s relay split was the fastest in the field by 1.7 seconds. Though Wichita East’s 200 medley relay failed to advance to the finals, Bell posted a noteworthy 25.05 breaststroke split, which turned out to be the fastest breaststroke in either prelims or finals between both the 6A and 1-5A meets.
Bell and Kristoff were the only 2 swimmers to win 2 individual events in the 6A meet on Saturday.
Overland-Park Blue Valley North’s Spencer Eyen won the 1-meter diving competition by a narrow 2.4 points, just edging out Lawrence Free State’s Elliot Ahlvers, 452.60 points to 450.2 points, respectively.
Individual Event Winners
- 200 Medley Relay: Olathe East, 1:33.71 (KSHSAA 6A State Record)
- 200 Freestyle: Sam Peterson, Overland Park-Blue Valley North, 1:41.67
- 200 IM: Keaton Kristoff, Olathe East, 1:53.39
- 50 Freestyle: Drayden Bell, Wichita East, 20.28
- 1-Meter Diving: Spencer Eyen, Overland Park-Blue Valley North, 452.60 points
- 100 Butterfly: Micah Leslie, Olathe East, 50.04
- 100 Freestyle: Drayden Bell, Wichita East, 44.44
- 500 Freestyle Relay: Lane Werth, Wichita North, 4:44.71
- 200 Freestyle Relay: Shawnee Mission East, 1:25.48
- 100 Backstroke: Keaton Kristoff, Olathe East, 49.26 (KSHSAA 6A State Record)
- 100 Breaststroke: Evan Deedy, Shawnee Mission East, 57.20
- 400 Freestyle Relay: Olathe East, 3:12.09
Top-10 Teams
- Shawnee Mission East – 325 points
- Olathe East – 301 points
- Overland Park-Blue Valley North – 233 points
- Overland Park-Blue Valley West – 185
- Olathe Northwest – 153
- Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest – 140 points
- Shawnee Mission North – 130 points
- Shawnee Mission South/Shawnee Mission Northwest – 98 points
- —
- Derby – 87 points
Team Winners Since 2010
- 2022 – Shawnee Mission East
- 2021 – Overland Park-Blue Valley West
- 2020 – Overland Park-Blue Valley West
- 2019 – Overland Park-Blue Valley West
- 2018 – Shawnee Mission East
- 2017 – Shawnee Mission East
- 2016 – Shawnee Mission East
- 2015 – Shawnee Mission East
- 2014 – Overland Park-Blue Valley North
- 2013 – Wichita East
- 2012 – Shawnee Mission East
- 2011 – Overland Park-Blue Valley North
- 2010 – Shawnee Mission East
