Leader Staff
Shawano Community High School junior Griffin Rades is making a return trip to the WIAA state swim meet.
Rades, who competed in relays at state as a freshman and sophomore, qualified for state in two individual events Saturday at the Division 2 sectional in Stevens Point: the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke.
Rades posted his best time of the season in the 100 breaststroke, finishing in 1 minute, 3.52 seconds to claim second behind Ashwaubenon’s Eric Van Dyck (1:03.16). Rades’ qualifying time ranks him 12th among the 16 swimmers at state.
Rades (2:05.10) finished third in the 200 individual medley, nearly 6 seconds behind winner Max White, of Ashwaubenon. Rades’ qualifying time is 13th best among the 16 swimmers at state.
Rades, Nathan Kane, James Krueger and Jeffrey Green posted a 1:48.42 in the 200 medley relay, nearly 3 seconds faster than their seed time, but missed the cut for the state meet by .21 of a second. All four swimmers will return next season.
Krueger also earned a seventh-place finish in the 100 butterfly. Kane finished eighth in the 100 breaststroke. Green finished 10th in the 50 freestyle, and Connor Angeli placed 10th in the 500 freestyle.
The state meet for Rades begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison.