Cameron Kelley, Kaleb Donels swimming for records and titles with Cedar Rapids Washington

CEDAR RAPIDS - The state titles have been won and the collegiate letter of intent has been signed.

Time for a heavy dose of ‘senioritis,' right?

Not for Cedar Rapids Washington swimmer Cameron Kelley. Not with more times to be toppled from the state record board.

'I see Oppel still up there after 31-some years,” Kelley said. 'So it would be nice to take him off the board. ... I'll mess around with other things in-season at some dual meets. Come state time, I will be taking Oppel and myself off the board.”

'Oppel” would be former 1988 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Craig Oppel, who established the standard of 1:36.36 in the 200-yard freestyle while swimming for West Des Moines Valley in 1985.

Kelley is the defending state champion in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles. He has more than three seconds to make up from his 200 time to overtake Oppel, while his 500 victory in 4:29.96 at last year's state meet set a record.

Kelley possesses a strong combination of technique, smarts and savvy, which made him a coveted Division I college prospect. Kelley signed with Minnesota Nov. 9 over fellow Big Ten schools Iowa and Purdue.

'Between the swimming and the academics, there was a lot to offer there,” Kelley said. 'The coaches really care for you both as a swimmer and as a student. They help you do whatever you're seeking to do both in the water and in the classroom. That was really appealing to someone like me.”

While Kelley will join 2016 Washington backstroke state champion and current Minnesota freshman Nick Saulnier next year with the Gophers, Washington junior Kaleb Donels is a strong candidate to give the Warriors backstroke state titles in consecutive years.

The 6-foot-2 Donels is perhaps Washington's finest underwater swimmer, a component that makes a potential leap to the top of the backstroke podium likely after placing third last season and sixth as a freshman.

'There is pressure there and I have to learn to embrace it because it is going to be there all season,” Donels said. 'My main goal this year is to take state in the 100 back.”

After Kelley, Donels and returning state qualifiers George Durin and Jeremy Throndson, Washington will count on promising sophomores like James Breitbart, Ethan Ford, Mitchell Haus and Zach Kolker to continue the familiar Washington pattern of season-long team improvement.

'We've kind of made it a habit, for better or worse over the last couple of years of closing really, really well at the end of the season and maybe not looking so good in the early part of the year,” Washington Coach Chris Cruise said. 'Hope someday that well doesn't run dry, so to speak. It's fun while it lasts, but it's kind of stressful in November and December when things aren't looking so good.”

Washington will visit Iowa City High Nov. 29 in its first dual meet of the season.

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