By Becky Walz,
Saturday Reid Kuehner finished fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke for the Vikes. (Driftless Multimedia photo by Becky Walz)
The Decorah swim team got back in the water last week, competing at Vinton-Shellsburg Thursday and the Wahawk Invite Saturday.
“I am proud of how we swam this week coming off a 20-day break from our last competition. We are swimming much faster this year as compared to the same meets last year. We set two meet records at Waterloo and narrowly missed a third record. Our team depth has also improved this season. In all three of the relays, we placed two teams in the top-six overall, which earned us a lot of “bonus” points on Saturday,” said Coach Loran Storts. “January is an exciting time as we are preparing for the championship phase of our season. Our senior leaders are doing a great job this season, not only are they swimming fast, they are pushing our younger swimmers to get better as well.”
First races of 2024
Decorah placed first in 10 of the 11 events in a 20-yard, four-lane pool built back in 1941 at Vinton-Shellsburg, winning 63-34.
All three relays won gold. Isaac Knaack, Dom Bigalk, Mason Cote and Simon Kutz won the 160-yard medley relays in 1:23.33. Dylan Hogan, Bigalk, Ian Giddings and Knaack combined in the 160-yard free relay to post a winning time of 1:16.66. In the final event of the night, the 320-yard free relay it was Reid Kuehner, Bigalk, Cote and Kutz winning gold in 2:52.15.
Individually, Knaack was a two-time champion, as was Cote. Knaack won the 160-yard IM in 1:40.45 and came back to win the 100-yard backstroke in 55.91 seconds. Competing in the 100-yard butterfly, Cote touched the wall first in 1:01.40, then took the top spot in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:05.52.
Bigalk took home the 200-yard freestyle title in 2:00.96. Giddings captured the 100-yard freestyle gold in 57.33 seconds with Kutz posting a time of 5:35.38 to win the 500-yard freestyle.
Varsity race results
160 medley relay – 1. Isaac Knaack, Dom Bigalk, Mason Cote, Simon Kutz, 1:23.33; 3. Keaton Vobr, Reid Kuehner, Nathaniel Roberts, Ian Giddings, 1:29.62; 4. Ethan Casper, Will Robinson, Kyle Pattison, Oliver Bollinger, 1:38.93; 6. Jack Sovern, Phuong Doan, Oliver Brummel, Spencer Christensen, 1:46.33
200 free – 1. Bigalk 2:00.96; 3. Tommy Hammell 2:10.78; 3. Will Robinson 2:18.07; 5. Grant Zilka 2:21.14; 6. Davis Coppola 2:25.14; 7. Andrew Olson 2:43.79
160 IM – 1. Knaack 1:40.45; 2. Kutz 1:47.27; 4. Roberts 1:58.64; 5. Vobr 1:59.57; 6. Casper 2:12.22
60 free – 2. Kuehner 30.16; 3. Max Grimstad 31.66; 5. Coppola 35.06; 7. Garrett Willie 46.14
100 fly – 1. Cote 1:01.40; 2. Roberts 1:03.72; 3. Hogan 1:04.20; 5. Landyn Hook 1:12.65; 6. Pattison 1:14.53; 7. Dalton Ellickson 1:20.62
100 free – 1. Giddings 57.33; 4. Hammel 1:01.82; 5. Zilka 1:02.52; 7. Estaban Fernandez 1:12.19
500 free – 1. Kutz 5:35.38; 3. Kuehner 6:06.90
160 free relay – 1. Hogan, Bigalk, Giddings, Knaack, 1:16.66; 3. Grimstad, Zilka, Hammel, Roberts, 1:26.64; 4. Bollinger, Brummell, Coppola, Ellickson 1:30.84; 5. Willie, Ashton Saltou, Olson, Christensen, 1:41.12
100 back – 1. Knaack 55.91; 3. Vobr 1:11.77; 4. Robinson 1:13.13; 5. Hook 1:17.07; 6. Doan 1:27.70
100 breast – 1. Cote 1:05.52; 3. Hogan 1:12.86; 5. Saltou 1:20.57; 6. Grimstad 1:22.40; 7. Christensen 1:30.06
320 free relay – 1. Kuehner, Bigalk, Cote, Kutz, 2:52.15; 3. Casper, Olson, Pattison, Bollinger, 3:29.63; 5. Sovern, Christensen, Ellickson, Hook, 3:46.16; 6. Doan, Fernandez, Saltou, Willie, 4:06.09
Wahawk champs
Diving back into the water Saturday, the Vikes swam away with the team title at the Waterloo Wahawk Invite, posting 365 points, well ahead of Newton-Colfax-Mingo-Pella’s 251.
In all, Decorah won four golds and set two meet records with all three relays coming out on top Saturday.
The day began with the 200-yard medley crew of Knaack, Cote, Kutz and Hogan touching the wall first in 1:46.47. Knaack, Hogan, Dominic Bigalk and Kutz combined their efforts in the 200-yard freestyle relay, breaking the meet record in 1:34.71. The previous meet record was 1:35.29. In 400-yard freestyle relay, it was Knaack, Bigalk, Cote and Kutz winning in 3:32.01, breaking a second meet record of 3:32.86.
Kutz also won an individual gold in the 100-yard butterfly, posting a winning time of 1:01.01.
Wahawk team scores
1. Decorah 365; 2. Newton-Colfax-Mingo-Pella 251; 3. Spencer 239; 4. Vinton 190; 5. Waterloo 172; 6. Keokuk 39
Varsity race results
200 medley relay – 1. Knaack, Cote, Kutz, Hogan, 1:46.47; 6. Vobr, Kuehner, Ellickson, Giddings, 1:56.60; 8. Casper, Robinson, Pattison, Zilka, 2:06.22; 11. Hook, Doan, Brummel, Fernandez, 2:19.70
200 free – 2. Bigalk 1:57.96; 6. Grimstad 2:10.74; 7. Hammel 2:13.20
200 IM – 4. Kuehner 2:28.58; 5. Robinson 2:33.93
50 free – 3. Hogan 23.98; 5. Giddings 24.72; 11. Coppola 26.06; 12. Pattison 26.93; 13. Ellickson 27.73; 15. Zilka 28.01; 18. Bollinger 28.21; 20. Brummel 28.25; 22. Olson 28.58; 23. Sovern 29.02; 25. Casper 29.19; 29. Fernandez 31.33; 30. Christensen 32.62; 32. Willie 35.88
100 fly – 1. Kutz 1:01.01; 7. Pattison 1:16.65; 8. Ellickson 1:21.66
100 free – 2. Cote 53.13; 3. Hogan 55.34; 6. Giddings 57.12; 10. Coppola 1:00.61; 12. Hammel 1:01.00; 16. Zilka 1:02.63; 19. Brummel 1:08.27; 20. Saltou 1:08.35; 22. Doan 1:12.38; 23. Fernandez 1:12.71; 27. Willie 1:21.62
500 free – 2. Bigalk 5:31.55; 6. Grimstad 6:07.61; 11. Vobr 6:44.52
200 free relay – 1. Knaack, Hogan, Bigalk, Kutz, 1:34.71; 6. Hammel, Vobr, Coppola, Giddings, 1:47.28; 8. Bollinger, Pattison, Robinson, Hook, 1:51.22; 11. Brummel, Christensen, Olson, Saltou, 1:58.72
100 back – 2. Knaack 56.44; 8. Vobr 1:12.31; 9. Casper 1:13.25; 11. Hook 1:15.62; 12. Sovern 1:15.75
100 breast – 3. Cote 1:06.51; 5. Kuehner 1:10.83; 10. Olson 1:18.48; 11. Saltou 1:20.52; 12. Doan 1:28.70; 14. Christensen 1:33.98
400 free relay – 1. Knaack, Bigalk, Cote, Kutz, 3:32.01; 5. Kuehner, Grimstad, Hammel, Zilka 4:00.98; 8. Bollinger, Sovern, Christensen, Casper 4:44.02; 9. Coppola, Fernandez, Willie, Doan, 4:56.65
Saturday invite
Decorah is at Fort Dodge Saturday, Jan. 13, for an invite at 10 a.m.
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