• Photo Showcase: Nebraska state swimming finals, Feb. 25
• Results: Boys state finals results

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LINCOLN — Tom Beck's comments Saturday about Omaha Creighton Prep's latest state swimming championship might strike some as surprising, given that his Junior Jays set scoring records the past three seasons.

“In my recollection, this might be the best state meet we've had in many, many years,” Beck said. “It's the best second day I can remember.”

The Junior Jays easily won their sixth consecutive state title at the Devaney Center and their 14th title overall. Prep swimmers won two relays and had plenty of fresh faces step in and replace the 12 seniors from the record-setting 2011 team.

“I was so confident in our senior class to be able to lead and they did,” Beck said. “Our younger kids, they really rose to the occasion. That's a good sign for the future for us.”

The Junior Jays scored 306 points at the 75th boys state championship meet, the seventh-highest total in state history. Lincoln East edged Millard South 163-154 for second place, while Elkhorn/Elkhorn South was fourth (131) and Millard West finished fifth (118).

Prep senior Will Raynor became a three-time champion in the 200-yard individual medley before lowering his state record in the 100 backstroke.

The Michigan recruit did that less than 24 hours after becoming the first swimmer in state history to break the 50-second barrier in the 100 backstroke. Raynor posted a 49.85 in Friday's prelims, then won Saturday with a time of 49.43 seconds.

Millard South junior Bob Glover finished second in 49.92. Raynor said he appreciated swimming next to Glover, who had edged him for the 2011 backstroke title by 0.01 seconds.

“He's the fiercest racer I've ever raced against,” Raynor said. “I knew he was going to be there. I'm just glad I was able to pull it out.”

Raynor, who also set the state record of 1:50.41 in the 200 IM on Friday, rolled to gold Saturday in 1:50.63, more than six seconds ahead of runner-up and teammate Louis Landon.

“It's a pretty unbelievable feeling right now,” said Raynor, who was named the state meet's top male swimmer. “I couldn't have asked for a better senior year. Today I just wanted to get my points for my team.”

Columbus senior Ryan Miksch then matched Raynor's performance with his second state record swim of the meet in the 100 freestyle.

The Minnesota recruit qualified Friday by becoming the first swimmer in state history to go under 45 seconds by touching in 44.71. On Saturday he lowered the record to 44.51 and received his second standing ovation from the capacity crowd.

Millard South opened the meet by winning the 200 medley relay in 1:32.89, the second-fastest time in state history. Prep, which set the record last year in 1:32.37, finished second with a 1:33.88 for the No. 4 spot on The World-Herald's all-time chart.

Patriots junior Neil Girmus swam the breaststroke leg for the medley relay quartet that also featured Glover, Ryan Hogan and Glover's younger brother Jim. Then Girmus came right back and won the 200 freestyle in 1:44.09. after Raynor's win in the 200 IM, Miksch won his second consecutive 50 freestyle state title.

His winning time of 20.64 matched his time leading off the Discoverers' 200 freestyle relay team on Friday. Miksch is No. 2 on the all-time list behind the 20.45 by David Morrow of Norfolk.

The 100 butterfly did not have a single senior in the championship final. Ralston/Omaha Gross sophomore Garrett Cadotte won his first individual gold medal by pulling away from Bob Glover to win in 50.61, a time that missed making the all-time Top 10 by 0.01 seconds.

Cadotte, who also finished third in the 200 IM, was 0.03 seconds behind Glover at 23.84 halfway through the race before ripping through his final 50 in 26.77.

“We had him breathe a little bit more today,” Ralston/Gross coach Docker Hartfield said. “We wanted him to be technically perfect in the first half because his attack mode would kick in the second half.”

Papillion-La Vista/Papillion-La Vista South junior Jack Turman rallied in the final 100 yards to overtake Lincoln East sophomore Alexander Kuszak and win the 500 freestyle in 4:42.79. Then Raynor, freshman Sean Tate and seniors Connor Magee and Matthew Medara led Prep to victory in the 200 freestyle relay.

The Junior Jays won in 1:24.42 — No. 3 all-time. Millard South also made the all-time chart at No. 6 by finishing second in 1:26.15.

Following the second intermission, Raynor won the backstroke before Millard West's Isaac Springer won the 100 breaststroke in 57.27. Prep then closed the meet when Medara, Ryan Tate, Andrew Hansen and Magee won the 400 freestyle in 3:12.71, less than one second ahead of Elkhorn/Elkhorn South's runner-up time of 3:13.15.

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