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(Lander, WY) – Lander swimming shared the following info and results on the recent meets that closed out their 2020.
Condition, rack up state-qualifying swims, stay healthy.
Through the first five weeks of the season — complete with two-a-day practices, a long road swing to the southeast corner of the Cowboy State and the new-normal COVID protocols — the LVHS swim and dive team met its objectives.
Longtime Lander assistant coach Tim Hester feels the Tigers are where they need to be heading in to 2021. “I’m pretty happy with how they’re swimming,” he says. “COVID is changing things, but we’re adapting pretty well.”
LVHS closed out the 2020 portion of the campaign with an I-80 trek to Laramie and Albany counties. The Tigers dueled Cheyenne Central on Dec. 30 and came away with a 110-85 victory.
“After a long bus ride, to jump in the pool and start performing, I thought they did pretty well,” Hester says of the athletes’ efforts. “I was pleased with our relays, but we’re always looking for ways to improve those.”
Junior Jonny Kulow swam to two individual titles, touching first in the 100 yard freestyle and 100 breaststroke. Fellow juniors Brennen Blackburn and Nolan McFadden captured victories in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke, respectively, while sophs Dylan Huelskamp (200 IM) and Brayden Brown (500 free) earned top times, as well. The Tigers won the 200 freestyle relay (Kulow, Benaiah Dolence, Huelskamp, Blackburn) and 400 free relay (Huelskamp, Brown, McFadden, Kulow).
The Tigers overnighted in Laramie, then joined Kelly Walsh, Rawlins and the host Plainsmen for a New Year’s Eve dip.
“I thought they swam a little bit better after they got some rest,” says Hester.
LVHS took the quad, finishing their early-season schedule with an unblemished 6-0 record. Lander put 361 points on the board, outdistancing second-place Kelly Walsh (317), Laramie (316) and Rawlins (155).
“We had really good competition,” Hester says of Kelly Walsh and Laramie, perennial 4A powerhouses. “They supplied some really tough competition for our guys.”
The versatile Kulow again took two, this time in the 50 free and 100 back. Huelskamp touched for first in the 200 IM, and freshman Reed McFadden put together a strong 100 breast, earning the top spot there. The Tigers placed first in the 200 free relay (Kulow, Dolence, Huelskamp, Blackburn) and 400 free relay (Kulow, Brown, Nolan McFadden, Huelskamp) once again.
The start of a new year signals a training transition for the Tigers. “We’re entering a new phase,” explains Hester of Lander’s shift in practice philosophy six weeks ahead of the state meet in Laramie. “We’re past a lot of the conditioning, and we’re going to start the hard interval training next. I think most of them are ready for it.”
The Tigers have 17 swimmers and divers qualified for the state meet. “I think we’ll add more,” Hester says. “We’ll get more people qualified in multiple events, and I think we’ll add a couple of new qualifiers, too.”
Lander next competes this Friday in Powell.
Lander @ Cheyenne Central – Dec. 30, 2020
TEAM SCORES:1. Lander 110, 2. Central 85
200 Yard Medley Relay: 2. Lander A (Nolan McFadden, Reed McFadden, Brennen Blackburn, Benaiah Dolence) 1:45.62; 4. Lander B (Noah Larson, Ross Anderson, Brayden Brown, Benny Kulow) 1:59.13; 6. Lander C (Hezekiah Dolence, Logan Wietzki, Caleb Else, Elijah Applegate) 2:18.56
200 Yard Free: 2. Brayden Brown 1:59.77; 3. Colton Wietzki 2:04.18; 5. Scott Logan 2:09.23; 8. Reed McFadden 2:09.90
200 Yard IM: 1. Dylan Huelskamp 2:09.92; 3. Benny Kulow 2:15.87; 7. Hezekiah Dolence 2:38.89; 8. Caleb Else 2:39.96; 9. Elijah Applegate 2:40.63
50 Yard Free: 1. Brennen Blackburn 23.10; 2. Nolan McFadden 23.56; 5. Benaiah Dolence 24.74
1 Meter Diving: 2. Noah Larson 335.90; 3. Logan Wietzki 149.15; 4. Joel Bever 135.10; 5. Brayden Hickerson 114.55; 7. Luke Morneau 97.55
100 Yard Butterfly: 2. Brennen Blackburn 57.06; 3. Dylan Huelskamp 57.60; 6. Caleb Else 1:09.77
100 Yard Free: 1. Jonny Kulow 46.87; 3. Benaiah Dolence 57.34; 5. Scott Logan 59.73
500 Yard Free: 1. Brayden Brown 5:22.97; 4. Colton Wietzki 5:53.20; 6. Ross Anderson 5:54.84; 8. Elijah Applegate 6:25.46
200 Yard Free Relay: 1. Lander A (Jonny Kulow, Benaiah Dolence, Dylan Huelskamp, Brennen Blackburn) 1:32.71; 4. Lander B (Scott Logan, Noah Larson, Colton Wietzki, Ross Anderson) 1:47.98; 6. Lander C (Logan Wietzki, Hezekiah Dolence, Caleb Else, Elijah Applegate) 2:05.70
100 Yard Back: 1. Nolan McFadden 58.81; 5. Noah Larson 1:11.02; 6. Hezekiah Dolence 1:11.10
100 Yard Breast: 1. Jonny Kulow 1:02.75; 3. Reed McFadden 1:06.88; 4. Benny Kulow 1:09.16; 6. Ross Anderson 1:13.55; 10. Logan Wietzki 1:41.66
400 Yard Free Relay: 1. Lander A (Dylan Huelskamp, Brayden Brown, Nolan McFadden, Jonny Kulow) 3:33.38; 3. Lander B (Colton Wietzki, Scott Logan, Benny Kulow, Reed McFadden)
Laramie Holiday Invite – Dec. 31, 2020
TEAM SCORES:1. Lander 361, 2. Kelly Walsh 317, 3. Laramie 316, 4. Rawlins 155
200 Yard Medley Relay: 2. Lander A (Nolan McFadden, Reed McFadden, Brennen Blackburn, Benaiah Dolence) 1:45.81; 7. Lander B (Noah Larson, Ross Anderson, Brayden Brown, Benny Kulow) 1:59.37; 9. Lander C (Hezekiah Dolence, Logan Wietzki, Caleb Else, Elijah Applegate) 2:15.34
200 Yard Free: 2. Brayden Brown 1:54.76; 6. Colton Wietzki 2:00.52; 12. Benaiah Dolence 2:12.50; 14. Elijah Applegate 2:18.99
200 Yard IM: 1. Dylan Huelskamp 2:10.88; 2. Benny Kulow 2:14.66; 8. Reed McFadden 2:19.98; 11. Scott Logan 2:30.19; 13. Caleb Else 2:40.53
50 Yard Free: 1. Jonny Kulow 21.17; 4. Brennen Blackburn 23.01; 14. Hezekiah Dolence 27.79
1 Meter Diving: 5. Noah Larson 168.00; 7. Logan Wietzki 138.35; 10. Joel Bever 122.25; 11. Brayden Hickerson 109.20; 13. Luke Morneau 81.10
100 Yard Butterfly: 2. Brennen Blackburn 55.85; 3. Dylan Huelskamp 57.27; 9. Caleb Else 1:09.23; Elijah Applegate 1:19.32
100 Yard Free: 2. Nolan McFadden 52.06; 6. Benaiah Dolence 55.41
500 Yard Free: 3. Brayden Brown 5:30.27; 5. Colton Wietzki 5:39.89; 7. Ross Anderson 5:52.94
200 Yard Free Relay: 1. Lander A (Jonny Kulow, Benaiah Dolence, Dylan Huelskamp, Brennen Blackburn) 1:30.85; 5. Lander B (Scott Logan, Noah Larson, Colton Wietzki, Ross Anderson) 1:43.90; 10. Lander C (Logan Wietzki, Hezekiah Dolence, Caleb Else, Elijah Applegate) 1:59.33
100 Yard Back: 1. Jonny Kulow 54.30; 2. Nolan McFadden 58.42; 7. Hezekiah Dolence 1:09.01; 9. Noah Larson 1:09.89
100 Yard Breast: 1. Reed McFadden 1:05.93; 2. Benny Kulow 1:06.45; 7. Scott Logan 1:11.34; 8. Ross Anderson 1:13.77; 19. Logan Wietzki 1:43.01
400 Yard Free Relay: 1. Lander A (Jonny Kulow, Brayden Brown, Nolan McFadden, Dylan Huelskamp) 3:24.49; 5. Lander B (Colton Wietzki, Scott Logan, Benny Kulow, Reed McFadden)
