Gerrard Diaz, gdiaz@shawanoleader.com
Shawano Community High School junior Zach Soper earned a third trip to the state swim meet with first-place finishes in the 100-yard butterfly and 100 backstroke Saturday at the WIAA Division 2 sectional in Stevens Point.
“We had around 12 personal-best times at the meet and we established three Shawano records,” Shawano coach Walberto Colon. “They were honoring themselves, their team and their school. They did their very best. They performed very well.”
Soper swam away from the competition in the backstroke, finishing in 51:05, more than six seconds better than runner-up Aaron Stange (57.47) of Ashwaubenon.
Soper took the butterfly in 52.23 seconds. Wausau East senior Garrett Richetto (53.69) finished second.
Soper set Shawano records in both his individual events and helped the 200-yard medley relay team, which also included freshman Griffin Rades, junior Rolando Colon and junior Jake Klister, set a school record in that event. Shawano took second place, finishing in 1:44.89, behind Ashwaubenon (1:42.56).
“Did you see the time? They dropped 5 seconds from their seed time,” Walberto Colon said. “So they performed pretty well.”
The Hawks’ time was also good enough to earn them a trip to Madison.
Ashwaubenon won the sectional with 389 points, followed by Rice Lake (224) and River Falls (206). Shawano finished fifth (197).
Other Shawano results: 400 freestyle relay (Klister, Rades, Colon, Soper), fourth; Klister, sixth, 100 freestyle, and seventh, 50 freestyle; Rades, sixth, 500 freestyle, and eighth, 100 backstroke; Rolando Colon, ninth, 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle; Christian Kane, ninth, 100 breaststroke; 200 freestyle relay (Craig Kraning, Easter Kyle, Nathan Kane, Christian Kane), 1oth; Alex Retzlaff, 14th, 100 butterfly, and 17th, 100 breaststroke; Nathan Kane, 18th, 500 freestyle, and 19th, 200 freestyle; Kraning, 22nd, 50 free; and Cayman Kunschke, 22nd, 100 breaststroke.
Finals for the Division 2 state meet are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison.