The St. Michael-Albertville boys’ swim team hit the road to St. Cloud Tech for the Section 8AA meet last weekend, and came home with a slice of history.
And one very nice gold trophy.
The Knights cruised to a Section Championship for the first time in the program’s existence, topping Elk River 428 to 366. Tech was third with 359 points.
Grant Moser was named the Section Swimmer of the Year after the event as the senior picked up section championships left and right. Moser posted monster times in the 200 freestyle and the 100 (meter) butterfly event, and then anchored the 400-meter freestyle relay team to another section title.
Max Lezer picked up a pair of section titles and will also head to the State AA meet. Lezer won the 200-meter individual medley, and also nailed down gold in the 500 meter free.
Lezer, Moser and Will Gallagher and Ryan Everly will represent the Knights in the relay pool, winning that title in the 400 free.
Also headed to state are the 200 free relay team, which lost, arguably, the best swim of the afternoon when they were out-touched by Elk River at the wall for the section title. The Knights foursome of Gallagher, Lezer, Moser and Mike Schoenke will compete in the state 200 free relay.
Garrett Abraham of the Knights coaching staff was named assistant of the year for 8AA, while diving coach Jamie Larson was named Section Dive Coach of the Year, as well. Diver Hanos Mahari rounded out the STMA contingent headed to the state meet this weekend after he earned second place in the 1-meter dive.
The State AA Swim and Dive Meet will take place Thursday, March 5 through Saturday, March 7 at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center in Minneapolis. Prelims will begin Thursday with the event culminating with final heats at 6 p.m. Saturday. Ticket information can be found at MSHSL.com or via the high school office.
Complete STMA Results:
| 200 medley relay | 4th– Sustacek, Marhula, Wermager, Schoenke |
| 200 free | 1st – Grant Moser, 4th – Ryan Everly |
| 200 individual medley | 1st– Max Lezer, 8th – Kam Loven 10th – Cole Herman, 13th – Nate Morgan |
| 50 free | 3rd– Will Gallagher, 7th – Mike Schoenke |
| 1 meter diving | 2nd– Hanos Mahari, 8th – Cole Meyer 10th – John Gebell, 14th – Adam Konsor |
| 100 fly | 1st– Grant Moser, 5th – Braden Wermager 8th – Mike Schoenke, 16th – Trevor Lefebvre |
| 100 free | 4th– Will Gallagher, 6th – Ryan Marhula 11th – Ryan Sustacek, 12th – Nate Morgan |
| 500 free | 1st– Max Lezer, 3rd – Ryan Everly 10th – Nate Meyer |
| 200 free relay | 2nd– Gallagher, Lezer, Schoenke, Moser |
| 100 back | 6th – Braden Wermager, 8th – Ryan Sustacek 9th – Kam Loven |
| 100 breast | 3rd– Ryan Marhula, 13th – Cole Herman |
| 400 free relay | 1st– Gallagher, Lezer, Everly, Moser |