The greatest school rivalry ever has been put aside as the combined Blake/Breck Boys Swim and Dive team competes as teammates rather than competitors. A powerhouse in the pool, the boy’s section 2A meet was no different. Taking first place Monticello by a mere two points, the boys proved that each and every swimmer counts.

The boys had some fierce competition, in addition, one of their top swimmers, Nic Van Oppen ’15 was diagnosed with pneumonia days before competition. However, the boys pushed through, beginning the meet with an exciting 2nd place finish in the 200-medley relay.

Each swimmer on the team achieved a personal best time in their events, and it was common to see multiple Bearstangs finishing in the top 10 if not top 8 spots, with many swimmers headed to state. Humphrey Pruett ’15 and Tiernan Foster-Smith ‘15 finished 1-2 in the 100 Breaststroke, giving the team the lead they needed to win the meet.

The boys shone in each event, but none quite like the 500 Free, where Evan Stafford ‘14 took a first place finish with a time of 5:02.05, 15 seconds faster than his previous time, putting him in good position for the state meet.

The final relay of the meet, the boys needed to achieve 3rd place finish in order to win the meet. They not only finished 3rd, but cut 7 seconds off their previous time, gaining a lead on the 4th place finishers and almost achieving a 2nd place finish with a time of 3:19.39.

The team will conclude their amazing season on Friday March 1st and Saturday March 2nd at the University of Minnesota pool. Come out and support their team, as this years state meet will prove to be an exciting competition.