Cedar Rapids Washington adds another district crown

MARION — Cedar Rapids Washington has a long tradition of winning boys district swimming meets.

The Warriors won 53 straight district titles in a streak that ended in 2017 at the hands of Linn-Mar. Washington won again in 2018, but hadn’t won a district title since then.

That five-year drought came to an end Saturday in spectacular fashion at the Linn-Mar Aquatic Center. The Warriors and Linn-Mar were tied entering the meet’s final event, the 400-yard freestyle.

“We always think we can be the best,” Warrior senior Ian Lucas said. “Even if the numbers show that isn’t supposed to happen, we come out and do our best.”

The Warriors’ best resulted in the celebration of yet another district title. With Lucas on the anchor, Washington won the final relay by almost five seconds over the Lions. That gave Matt Sinnott, a former Warrior swimmer and a longtime assistant, his first district title in his second year as the head coach.

Washington finished with 440 points, six better than the host Lions. Cedar Rapids Kennedy was a distant third with 218 points.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Sinnott said after the meet. “It’s never been about the district title, even during that streak. It’s always been about those state banners in our pool and striving to get to the state meet.”

The lore of Warrior swimming is known across the state. Washington’s 27 state titles are far and away the most won by any school. Even though the school hasn’t won a state title since 2008, the traditions and pride run deep with today’s swimmers.

“I know there have been a ton of guys way better than me who have swam here,” Lucas said. “I just have a small part, but it is something I will always remember.”

And coming down the stretch in the final relay, Lucas said he didn’t take anything for granted.

“We had everybody swim just great today,” he said. “I didn’t want to let up at all. We practiced great all week and today showed what the results of that could be.”

Ironically, the final relay was the only event the Warriors won. Linn-Mar won eight events with the other two being won by Cedar Rapids Jefferson’s Sheppard West, who took the 200 and 500 freestyle gold medals.

“I think it really came down to just how much our guys wanted it today,” Sinnott said. “I’m sure Linn-Mar’s guys wanted it as much as we did. It came down to digging deep, swimming hard and leaving it all in the pool.”

The Lions had a trio of double winners. Freshman Hudson Huberg won both the 50 and 100 freestyles. Freshman Parker Macho took the gold in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke. Senior Blake Behrens was the other double winner for the Lions, taking the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke.

Linn-Mar also won the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.

“I can’t wait for the state meet (on Friday and Saturday in Iowa City),” Sinnott said. “We weren’t tapered today so I know we have more we can accomplish. Today is a day to celebrate everybody we got to state.”

Boys Swimming

IHSAA District Meet

At Linn-Mar Aquatic Center

Final Team Standings: 1. CR Washington 440, 2. Linn-Mar 434, 3. CR Kennedy 218, 4. (tie) Ottumwa 207, Muscatine 207, 6. CR Jefferson 205, 7. Williamsburg 134, 8. Oskaloosa 103.

200-yard medley relay: 1. Linn-Mar (Parker Macho, Blake Behrens, Colin Taylor, Hudson Huberg) 1:35.09, 2. CR Washington (Caio Carvalho, Brian Foerster, Ian Lucas, Marcus Seifert) 1:35.46, 3. Ottumwa (Jonathan Miller, Ashton Gevock, Nathan Calhoun, Cameron Manary) 1:40.29.

200 para freestyle: 1. Nathanaiel Crow (W'burg) 4:18.18.

200 freestyle: 1. Sheppard West (CRJ) 1:47.47, 2. Colin Millage (Musc.) 1:49.42, 3. Owen Sieren (LM) 1:49.58.

200 individual medley: 1. Blake Behrens (LM) 1:55.47, 2. Dakota Dahlke (Musc.) 2:00.96, 3. Brian Forester (CRW) 2:04.57.

50 para freestyle: 1. Nathanaiel Crow (W'burg) 54.52.

50 freestyle: 1. Hudson Huberg (LM) 21.36, 2. Marcus Seifert (CRW) 21.72, 3. Ian Lucas (CRW) 21.76

100 butterfly: 1. Parker Macho (LM) 51.76, 2. Dakota Dahlke (Musc.) 52.84, 3. Caio Carvalho (CRW) 52.89

100 freestyle: 1. Hudson Huberg (LM) 46.82, 2. Ian Lucas (CRW) 47.12, 3. Ryan Horsey (LM) 48.58

500 freestyle: 1. Sheppard West (CRJ) 4:52.71, 2. Ashton Gevock (Ott.) 4:56.44, 3. Owen Sieren (LM) 4:56.68

200 freestyle relay: 1. Linn-Mar (Blake Behrens, Ryan Horsey, Colin Taylor, Hudson Huberg) 1:26.38, 2. CR Washington (Jack Schimberg, Josiah Wickum, Andrew Seifert, Marcus Seifert) 1:30.83, 3. CR Jefferson (Sheppard West, Kurtis Petersen, Kiefer Askam, Parker Gammill) 1:32.44

100 backstroke: 1. Parker Macho (LM) 52.34, 2. Caio Carvalho (CRW) 52.47, 3. Jonathan Miller (Ott) 55.40.

100 breaststroke: 1. Blake Behrens (LM) 58.90, 2. Brian Forester (CRW) 1:00.35, 3. Ashton Gevock (Ott) 1:00.45

400 freestyle relay: 1. CR Washington (Marcus Seifert, Josiah Wickum, Caio Carvalho, Ian Lucas) 3:13.78, 2. Linn-Mar (Ryan Horsey, Connor Schaffel, Parker Macho, Colin Taylor) 3:18.23, 3. CR Jefferson (Sheppard West, Kurtis Petersen, Kiefer Askam, Parker Gammill) 3:20.56