State-bound Saints

CEDAR RAPIDS - While the Xavier boys' swimming season has come to an end for some, others competed in the district last Saturday.

And some of those will be in Marshalltown on Saturday for IHSAA state championships.

Kennedy and Washington - where Xavier's swimmers compete - participated in the Mississippi Valley Conference meet on Jan. 24. Senior Kennedy swimmer Evan Bednar was on the fourth-place 200 medley relay team and the fourth-place 400 freestyle relay team.

'I did pretty well at the MVC meet, as I was on the fourth place medley team,” Bednar said. 'Comparing to last year's times I am in a great spot.”

Junior Washington swimmer Mitchell Anderson placed fifth in the 50 freestyle.

'I did such an excellent job at the MVC meet,” Anderson said. 'With the tapering process just starting, I was looking forward to dropping time and I did.”

Freshman Washington swimmer George Durin was on the first-place 200 freestyle relay team, placed second in the 100 freestyle, and placed sixth in the 100 breaststroke.

Bednar and Carter Kramer were the only two Xavier students to swim in the district meet for Kennedy while Anderson and Durin were on Washington's district championship team.

Bednar, Kramer, Durin and Anderson practiced once a day, after school, and tapered down their yardage to stay well rested in preparation for the district meet.

Bednar did very well in the district meet. He finished third as a member of the medley relay, which set the Kennedy school record 1:38:51. With the third-place finish Bednar will swim at state in the medley relay.

'I thought I did great in the meet,” Bednar said. 'I dropped time in two individual events, (the) 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke.”

Durin was on the second-place 200 freestyle relay, fourth in the 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 100 freestyle. He qualified for state in all three events.

Anderson qualified for state in the 100 breaststroke and the medley relay.