Grafton keeps Schooner from Pirates with pool pummeling

The Schooner is staying put and out of Port.

The Grafton High School boys’ swim team on Dec. 10 beat visiting Port Washington, 114-56, to hold onto the traveling trophy for a second straight year.

Cole Burgos won two of the Black Hawks’ eight events and helped on two winning relays.

Burgos won the 200-yard individual medley in 2 minutes, 37.36 seconds, and the 100 breaststroke in 1:18.87.

The Hawks’ 200 medley relay of Sam Jacoby, Burgos, Aiden Werdin and Gabe Salko won in 1:55.55, and its 200 freestyle relay of Matt Ciche, Shama Ashwinkumar, Burgos and Luca Nicoli won in 1:52.06.

Salko won the 200 freestyle in 2:01.84, Werdin was second in 2:08.02 and Connor Thyes was third in 2:17.59.

Nicoli won the 50 freestyle in 24.39 seconds and Jacoby was second in 25.1.

Jacoby won the 100 backstroke in 1:03.54 and Thyes was second in 1:09.97.

The 400 freestyle relay of Werdin, Jacoby, Nicoli and Salko won in 3:48.24.

Vyshant Selvakumar was second in the 200 individual medley in 2:41.88. Nicoli was second in the butterfly in 58.68 and Ciche was second in the 100 freestyle in 1:03.91. Salko was second in the 500 freestyle in 5:16.96 and Werdin was third in 5:48.12. Alex Bergmann was second in the 100 breaststroke in 1:27.86 and Will Sandoval was third in 1:39.89.

Salko, a senior who was 11th at the Division 2 state meet in the 500 freestyle last year, is primed to return to the big dance.

“Gabe definitely has a good chance of qualifying again. He’s coming into the season with some goals and I can tell he’s really motivated,” coach Bailey Bodart said.

“A couple of our relays are also looking a little faster this year already, which is great. Senior Luca Nicoli is going to be another major contributor for us again this year as well. His butterfly and sprint freestyle is a big part of our lineup. He’s gone personal-bests in a couple events already, which is very impressive this early in the season.”

Other upperclassmen are also stepping up.

“Senior Jackson Konzen will hopefully be a strong contributor in the breaststroke for us, and junior Sam Jacoby is also playing a big role in our backstroke and freestyle. This is a good group of guys and I’m glad there’s a lot of underclassmen that can look up to them,” Bodart said.

State-medalist Prince leads the Pirates

Port junior Charlie Prince, who holds the school records in the 100 breaststroke and 100 butterfly, is back after winning a fourth-place medal at state in the breaststroke and finishing seventh in the butterfly.

Against Grafton, he won the butterfly in 55.31 seconds and the 500 freestyle in 5:15.9. He didn’t swim in the breaststroke.

Zach Falkenberg won the 100 freestyle in 58.86 seconds. Port’s 200 medley relay of Falkenberg, Prince, Caden Hafele and Noah Blavat was second in 1:55.85, its 200 freestyle relay of Nathan Nisiewicz, Cayden Abbey, Amari Daevel and Lucas Seitz was second in 2;06.75 and its 400 freestyle relay of Falkenberg, Blavat, Hafele and Prince was second in 3:55.89.

“We have a handful of newer swimmers that joined the team. They are catching on quickly to technique and we are working on their endurance. The rest of the team are returning swimmers and are off to a good start,” coach Brittany Roecker said.

Prince crowned twice at Port Invite

Prince won the 200 individual medley in 2:05.94 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.37 at the Port Invite on Saturday.

Port’s 200 freestyle relay of Nisiewicz, Falkenberg, Hafele and Prince was fifth in 1:39.55. Its 400 freestyle relay of Falkenberg, Blavat, Hafele and Prince was sixth in 3:54.28.

Nisiewicz was eighth in the 50 freestyle in 25.64 seconds and Falkenberg was ninth in the 100 freestyle in 58:09.

Brillion/Valders/Chilton Co-op won the seven-team meet with 394 points. Cedarburg had 391. Grafton was fourth with 326 and Port was last with 195.

For Grafton, Nicoli was second in the 100 butterfly in 59.32 seconds and fourth in the 50 freestyle in 24.49.

The 200 medley relay of Jacoby, Burgos, Salko and Werdin was third in 1:58.05. Salko was third in the 500 freestyle in 5:24.01 and fifth in the 200 freestyle in 2:01.51 Jacoby was sixth in 2:03.48 and Werdin was eighth in 2:05.25.

The 400 freestyle relay of Werdin, Jacoby, Salko and Nicoli was fifth in 3:44.02.

Thyes was sixth in the 200 individual medley in 2:28.99. Werdin was sixth in the 500 freestyle in 5:38.49. Jacoby was sixth in the 100 backstroke in 1:05.33 and Thyes was seventh in 1:06.58.

Burgos was eighth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:18.06 and Konzen was ninth in 1:18.6.

Port was to host Kiel on Tuesday, Dec. 17, before competing in the North Shore Conference Relays at Grafton on Thursday, Dec. 19. Grafton has off until the relays.