Elkhorn served notice Saturday that they plan, once again, to be in the hunt for sprint freestyle relay gold medals when it’s time for next month’s conference and state meets.
Moving into the top three of the season leaders lists in both the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays while also setting meet records helped Elkhorn edge host Millard North 295-288 for the boys team title at the Mustangs annual invitational meet.
First it was Jacob Horner, Ryan Mayo, Parker Nordaker and Greg Wehbe who teamed up to win the 200 free relay in 1:27.86, taking 0.47 seconds off the meet record they set one season ago.
Blake Forsberg then joined the triad of Horner, Mayo and Wehbe to touch first in the 400 free in 3:13.11. That quartet shaved 3.20 seconds off the meet record Elkhorn also set in 2022.
Now at No. 2 in the 200 free and No. 3 in the 400, Elkhorn’s experience in the biggest meets again is beginning to show.
People are also reading…
“It’s a great senior group and they are a little bit ahead of where we were last year,” Elkhorn coach Chris Jenson said. “But there also are some other teams that are throwing down some pretty impressive times.”
Jenson specifically mentioned the trio of state-leading relay times that Omaha Creighton Prep posted Jan. 7 at the Maroon and Gold Invitational at the University of Minnesota. He also noted Lincoln Southwest’s swims at the Dec. 17 Lincoln Southeast Invitational.
“What Prep did up in Minnesota last weekend was eye-opening, and Southwest’s time at the Lincoln Southeast invite was really good,” Jenson said. “They’ve got their work cut out for them, but they’re experienced. They’re a group of seniors who have been doing this now for a while.”
Millard North opened the competition with a meet record in the 200 medley relay. Riley O’Toole, Kalvin Hahn, Lucas Feng and John Allen teamed up to win in 1:37.03, topping the previous mark of 1:38.94 by nearly two seconds.
In addition to the three relay records there were three more new standards set in individual events. David Hatt of Lincoln Pius X posted an 11-dive score of 489.50 points, and Mayo won the 100 butterfly in 50.96.
Millard North’s Kalvin Hahn moved up The World-Herald’s all-time Top 10 chart with his victory in the 100 breaststroke. Not only did his winning time of 55.75 top his previous meet record by 2.06 seconds, it also moved the Army recruit from No. 10 to No. 6 all-time.
It was that kind of a day halfway through the season. What Jenson said about his relay teams also applies to many of the individual performances.
“I think they wanted to show up today and say ‘Hey, don’t forget about us,’” Jensen said. “It was good to see them get up and perform today.”
Team scoring
Elkhorn 295, Millard North 288, Lincoln East 246.5, Papillion-La Vista/PLV South 133, Millard West 100, Norfolk 85, Omaha Central 68, Bellevue West 61.5, Lincoln Southeast 36, Columbus 26, Gretna 26, Lincoln Pius X 16.
Event winners
200-yard medley relay: Millard North (Riley O’Toole, Kalvin Hahn, Lucas Feng, John Allen), 1:37.03 (meet record, betters 1:38.94 by Papillion-La Vista/PLV South, 2019). 200 freestyle: Ryan Mayo, Elkhorn, 1:47.03. 200 individual medley: Jadeon Carter, LE, 2:00.58. 50 freestyle: Jacob Horner, Elkhorn, 21.88. 1-meter diving: David Hatt, LPX, 489.50 points (meet record, betters 474.95 by Landon Orth, PLV/PLVS, 2016). 100 butterfly: Mayo, 50.96 (meet record, betters own 52.42, 2022). 100 freestyle: Greg Wehbe, Elkhorn, 47.43. 500 freestyle: Matt Uehling, Elkhorn, 4:58.19. 200 freestyle relay: Elkhorn (Wehbe, Horner, Parker Nordaker, Mayo), 1:27.86 (meet record, betters own 1:28.33, 2022). 100 backstroke: Horner, 53.78. 100 breaststroke: Kalvin Hahn, MN, 55.75 (meet record, betters own 57.81, 2022).
400 freestyle relay: Elkhorn (Mayo, Horner, Blake Forsberg, Wehbe), 3:13.11 (meet record, betters 3:16.31 by Papillion-La Vista/PLV South, 2019).
19th annual Omaha Skutt Skyhawk Invitational
Boys
Team scoring
Omaha Skutt/Elkhorn Mount Michael 419, Council Bluffs Lewis Central 318, Omaha North 171, Beatrice/Norris/Fairbury/Freeman 151, Ralston/Omaha Gross 140, Omaha South 130, Omaha Brownell Talbot 129, South Sioux City 117.
Event winners
200-yard medley relay: Omaha Skutt/EMM (Jack Bender, Leon Zhu, Caleb Courtney, Michael Johansen), 1:47.33. 200 freestyle: Shu, 1:50.21. 200 individual medley: Gavin Rothmeyer, CBLC, 2:13.27. 50 freestyle: Johansen: 22.25. 1-meter diving: Easton Crouse, Skutt/EMM, 320.90 points. 100 butterfly: Patrick Chase, CBLC, 56.45. 100 freestyle: Zhu, 50.26. 500 freestyle: Aaron Matulka, CBLC, 5:35.93. 200 freestyle relay: Omaha Skutt/EMM (Zhu, Courtney, Aidan Farrell, Johansen), 1:35.03. 100 backstroke: Reilly McMurphy, CBLC, 1:01.23. 100 breaststroke: Reed Mueller, Beatrice, 1:06.34. 400 freestyle relay: Council Bluffs Lewis Central (Jackson Murphy, Will Getter, Matulka, Rothmeyer), 3:41.45.
Girls
Team scoring
Beatrice/Norris/Fairbury/Freeman 425, Omaha Duchesne 412.5, Omaha Brownell Talbot 324, Ralston/Omaha Gross 234, Omaha North 184.5, Omaha Skutt 177, Omaha South 154, South Sioux City 86.
Event winners
200-yard medley relay: Omaha Brownell Talbot (Ingrid Nelson, Grace Swoboda, Emery Secrest, Ryleigh Smith), 1:59.20. 200 freestyle: Avery Baumann, Beatrice, 2:07.47. 200 individual medley: Mila Van Belle, Duchesne, 2:17.86. 50 freestyle: Swoboda, 25.77. 1-meter diving: Ava Snyder, Beatrice, 415.70 points. 100 butterfly: Olivia Persing, R/G, 1:06.22. 100 freestyle: Baumann, 56.78. 500 freestyle: Maddie Enenbach, Duchesne, 5:47.51. 200 freestyle relay: Omaha Duchesne (Kate Reed, Gabby Freemont, Grace Thayer, Van Belle), 1:46.63. 100 backstroke: Jaeden Baxa, Beatrice, 1:04.56. 100 breaststroke: Swoboda, 1:06.83. 400 freestyle relay: Omaha Duchesne (Reed, Enenbach, Thayer, Van Belle), 3:55.99.
Photos: 2022 Nebraska state swimming championships
From left: Papillion-La Vista/Papillion-La Vista South's Teresa Cavanaugh, Gracie Cunningham, and Olivia Dendinger cheer with Elizabeth Ford (in water) after the 200 Yard Medley Relay during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Swimmers warm-up before the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Omaha Marian's Molly Von Seggern reacts to winning the 100 Yard Butterfly during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Millard North's Kalvin Hahn swims the 500 Yard Freestyle during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Omaha Westside's Nate Germonprez swims the 200 Yard Freestyle during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Lincoln Southwest's Bella Livingston reacts to winning the 50 Yard Freestyle during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Omaha Creighton Prep's John Watson swims in the 200 Yard IM during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Omaha Creighton Prep's Nathan Finnegan swims in the 200 Yard IM during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Omaha Marian's Josie Hood swims the 100 Yard Freestyle during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Lincoln Southwest's Kael Mlinek, left and Mason Schroeder celebrate a win in the 200 Yard Medley Relay during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Lincoln Southwest's Kael Mlinek swims the 100 Yard Breaststroke during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Lincoln Southwest's Kael Mlinek starts the 100 Yard Breaststroke during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Omaha Duchesne's Lia Murray swims the 100 Yard Backstroke during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Omaha Duchesne's Lia Murray swims the 100 Yard Backstroke during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Omaha Duchesne's Lia Murray, left, hugs Omaha Marian's Katy Foley after Murray won the 100 Yard Backstroke during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday. Foley came in 2nd.
Lincoln Southeast's Natalya Woods swims the 200 Yard Freestyle during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Omaha Marian's Josie Hood swims the 200 Yard Freestyle during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
From left: Fremont coaches Shea Ahrens, Caden White,JJ Pelikan and David Struble shout to their swimmer during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Papillion-La Vista/Papillion-La Vista South's Olivia Dendinger swims the 100 Yard Breaststroke during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Omaha Westside's Jack Ellison reacts to winning the 500 Yard Freestyle during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Lincoln Southeast's Natalya Woods swims the 500 Yard Freestyle during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Lincoln Southwest's Tommy Palmer celebrates a win in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday.
Steve Beideck
Steve covers swimming, softball, track and field, the Omaha Lancers and more for The World-Herald.
