Waukesha – Sun Prairie won the team championship, and Emilio Perez of Greenfield/Greendale/Pius XI Catholic set two State records to highlight the 2021 State Division 1 Boys Swimming & Diving Championships at the Waukesha South High School Natatorium Saturday.
The Cardinals won their first State title in program history by compiling 232.5 points. Greenfield was second with 211 points, and Arrowhead was third with 192 points.
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Perez shattered the State record in winning the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 19.81 after placing fifth a year ago. Senior Ben Wiegand of Sun Prairie, last year’s champion, was second with a time of 19.92. They are the first two swimmers in State championships history to post times under 20 seconds in the event.
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Perez later set the record in the 100 butterfly to win the event in a time of 47.27 after a runner-up finish last season, and he teamed with Liem Funk, Jackson Lustig and Leo Gandaria in the 400 freestyle relay to win his third event of the day. The foursome completed the race in a time of 3:04.39, which is the second-swiftest time in Division 1 State history.
Lustig, also won a pair of events for the Hustlin’ Hawks. He is the champion in the 200-yard individual medley, finishing with a time of 1:50.63 after coming in 13th last year. Lustig also won the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:30.22 following last year’s third-place finish and a sixth-place finish in 2019. His time this year is the fifth-fastest recorded in State Division 1 history.
Wiegand won the 100 freestyle in a time of 44.08, which is the second-fastest time in the event in State history. Wiegand won his second event of the meet by joining Ethan Braatz, Avery Lodahl and JP Anhalt to lead the Cardinals to the title of the 200 freestyle relay for the second straight season, finishing with a State-record time of 1:22.69.
Sophomore Nick Chirafisi of Middleton swam to the title in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:39.83 after placing sixth in the event in 2020, and junior Michael Long of Brookfield Central/East won gold in the 100 backstroke with a time of 49.89 after finishing 10th last season and 20th in 2019.
Senior Owen Miller of Marquette finished ahead of the rest of the field in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 55.97, and Waukesha North/Kettle Moraine/Pewaukee won the 200 medley relay after placing 10th in the event last year. The team of Andrew Herman, Tyler Hartmann, Drew Millette and Cory Michalek finished in a time of 1:32.50, which ranks third-fastest in Division 1 history.
Junior Jan Lanser of West Bend West/East won the championship in the diving competition after placing third last year. His score of 562.05 ranks second-best in Division 1 history.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
