Andover Central Wins First Kansas 5-1A Boy’s High School State Championship

2021 Kansas Boy’s 5-1A Swimming & Diving Championships

• When: Friday, February 20th, 2021
  • Diving Prelims & Semifinals: 11:00 am
  • Swimming Timed Finals & Diving Finals: 4:15 pm
• Where: Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center (Lenexa, KS)
• Format: 25-Yards/Short Course Yards
• 2020 Champion: Wichita The Independent School (x1) (Results)
• Meet Central
• Timeline
• Results (2021)
• Results Archive

For the first time since February 2006, the Kansas High School Athletic Association (KSHSAA) took place outside of the Capitol Federal Natatorium in Topeka. The 2021 State Championships were held at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center in Lenexa, KS.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, no spectators were allowed at the 2021 championships. All swimming races were timed finals, doing away with the Friday prelims and Saturday finals schedule the state swim meet was traditionally followed. Since the division of 6A and 5-1A in 2010, the 5-1A competition has occupied the mornings of Friday and Saturday while the 6A competition has filled the afternoons. This year, 6A took place on Friday and 5-1A on Saturday.

Andover Central High School won its first Kansas 5-1A Boy’s State Championship, finishing with 234.5 points. Andover Central took gold in both the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays yet did not produce an individual champion. Though Wichita Independent had the lead at the 150-yard split, both Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel and Andover Central surged ahead on freestyle, stopping the clock in 1:38.13 and 1:38.47, respectively, while Wichita Independent finished 3rd in 1:39.47.

Wichita Independent’s George Jekov took the 200 freestyle in 1:43.55, 3 seconds ahead of runner-up Regan Richardson of Maize South who finished in 1:46.29, just edging out Andover Central’s Lucas Krueger to took 3rd in 1:46.30. Jekov also won the 500 freestyle in 4:46.85, just getting the better of Maize High School’s Luke Taylor who took 2nd in 4:47.18.

John Amrein of Lenexa St. James claimed the 200 IM in 1:50.44, shaving 2 seconds from his previous lifetime best set at the 2020 5-1A Championships. Amrein was nearly 8 seconds ahead of runner-up Matthew Janssen of Wichita Independent who finished in 1:58.19, making them the only swimmers under two minutes. Amrein picked up another state title in the 100 breaststroke, clocking a 55.27 to lower his own State Record, set in 2020 at 55.78, also his previous lifetime best.

The only other State Record to fall in the 5-1A championship came in the 200 freestyle relay where Maize South clocked a 1:26.81, finishing nearly 4 seconds ahead of runners-up Overland Park Blue Valley Southwest (1:30.40). The team of Regan Richardson (21.99), Eli Stucky (22.15), Brandon Bowles (21.07), and Reid Richardson (21.60) shaved a full 0.96 from the former State Record set by Topeka-Seaman in 2018.

Adam Sandid of Wichita Collegiate won the sprint freestyles, clocking a 21.30 in the 50 and a 46.73 in the 100. Sandid improved his time in each race by half-a-second. Anthony Molinaro (Shawnee Mill Valley) and Greyson Walker (Lansing) finished 2nd and 3rd in 21.74 and 21.75, respectively, in the 50 freestyle behind Sandid. Walker also picked up a silver medal in the 100 freestyle in 47.08.

Lawrence Bishop Seabury’s Ian Blake won the 100 butterfly in 52.28, nearly a full second ahead of runner-up PJ Damico of Andover Central who stopped the clock in 53.20. Blake would go on to take 2nd in the 100 breaststroke later in the meet in 57.57, meanwhile Damico would place 3rd in the 100 backstroke in 54.12.

Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s Frank Alberti won the 100 backstroke in 53.55, just out-touching silver medalist Daniel Jekov of Wichita Independent, who hit the wall in 53.69.

Andover Central ended the meet with a victory in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:17.47, nearly a full second ahead of Wichita Independent, which placed 2nd in 3:18.45.

Emporia’s Braxton Higgins won diving with 487.70 points, well ahead of runner-up Andrew Hartegan of Lenexa St. James, who tallied 345.00 points.

Team Standings (Top-10)

1. Andover Central – 234.5
2. Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel – 211
3. Maize South – 182
4. Overland Park Blue Valley Southwest – 169
5. Wichita The Independent School – 167
6. Andover High School – 160
7. Lenexa St. James Academy – 155
8. McPherson High School – 114
9. Wichita Collegiate High School/Wichita Bishop Carroll – 112
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