Boys swimming has record-breaking day at MVC

The West and Liberty boys swim team took home the MVC title with 444.5 points at the University of Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Jan. 22.

Owen Aanestad

Kirk Brotherton ’22 and the rest of the boys swim team celebrates the Trojan Bolts’ 400 yard freestyle relay win during a dual meet against Waterloo on Dec. 14, 2021.

Hanah Kitamoto, Print Co-Editor-In-Chief
January 22, 2022

The Trojan Bolts did not have the MVC meet last year due to COVID-19, however, the team had a chance to compete and defend their MVC title this year. The Trojan Bolts did just that at the University of Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Jan. 22, defending their MVC title from 2020 with 444.5 points and with a total of six first-place finishes out of 11 events. The boys swimming team also got a taste of the state meet that will come up in February as the CRWC is where the IHSAA boys state swim meet will be held. 

The 200 medley relay of Boyd Skelley ’22, Jordan Christensen ’22, Holden Carter ’24 and Kirk Brotherton ’22 broke the meet record set by James Pinter ’20, Christensen, Izaak Hajek ’20 and Diggory Dillingham ’23 in 2020 with a time of 1:33.89. 

Christensen took home a bronze medal in the 200 IM with a time of 1:57.79 and Nik Sung ’22 placed fifth in 2:02.36. Brotherton claimed individual titles in both the 50 freestyle (20.93) and 100 freestyle (46.35) and was named Mississippi Valley Division Athlete of the Year. Sophomore Max Gerke (4:56.13) and junior Lukas Swanson (5:00.56) finished fourth and sixth respectively in the 500 freestyle. 

Holden Carter ’24 broke the meet record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 50.59. The previous meet record was set by state champion and former Trojan Bolt swimmer Hajek in 2020. Andy Luo ’22 finished second in 54.75. Brotherton, Christensen, Gerke and Skelley took first place in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:26.20. 

Carter went back on the podium after finishing third in the 100 backstroke (53.39). Fellow teammates Skelley and Luo finished fifth and eighth respectively. 

In the 100 breaststroke, Christensen clocked a time of 56.83 to take first place in the event. The 400 freestyle relay of Gerke, Carter, Sung and Damon Conzemius ’22 went a 3:15.00 to place second in the last event of the afternoon. 

The boys swim team finished the meet with 444.5 points to claim the MVC title. Linn-Mar placed second with 355 points. 

The Trojan Bolts will be back in the pool next Tuesday at Cedar Rapids Washington High School for the Washington Invite.