Boys Swimming & Diving: Silver Creek, Cherry Creek Win State Titles

THORNTON – The 4A and 5A Boys Swimming and Diving State Championships are in the book, following three days of marvelous performances at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center. Silver Creek and Cherry Creek have been crowned overall team champions for the state meet.

For 4A, Silver Creek junior James Story won the 200 freestyle and the 100 freestyle titles. Silver Creek also had senior Stephen Codevilla win the 100 backstroke championship. Windsor senior Jake Eccleston won the 100 breaststroke for the third consecutive season and set a state-meet record in the process (53.67 seconds), though that record was broken later in the weekend. Nonetheless Eccleston’s 4A record still stands. The Windsor senior also took home the 200 IM title. Evergreen junior Duncan Salmen won the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly, while his teammate and fellow junior, Carson Harrington, secured back-to-back diving championships.

Over the course of the 4A meet, one meet record was broken and three top-10 marks were met across all events. Silver Creek came away with their third boys swimming and diving team title and first since 2021.

For 5A, Eli Hobson set a state-meet record of his own in the 100 breaststroke (53.58), to win the title, soon after he won the 50 freestyle crown. Cherry Creek junior Luke Ogren repeated as the 5A diving state champion, while Cherry Creek senior Brodie Johnson won consecutive titles in the 100 butterfly. Fellow Cherry Creek Bruin Colin Mikulecky earned the 100 freestyle championship. Grandview junior Oliver Schimberg secured his second-straight 100 backstroke championship. In the relays, Cherry Creek was king, winning the state title in all three events.

Over the course of the 5A meet, one 5A and overall state meet record was broken and seven top-10 marks were met across all events. Cherry Creek came away with their 13th boys swimming and diving CHSAA team championship (the second-most all-time across all classifications) and their first since 2021.

Individually, Windsor senior Jake Eccleston won his third-straight 200 IM title and his third-straight 100 breastroke title. Evergreen junior Carson Harrington and Cherry Creek junior Luke Ogren both repeated as the state diving champion for their respective classifications. Cherry Creek senior Brodie Johnson earned his second 100 butterfly championship, while Grandview junior Oliver Schimberg took home his second 100 backstroke state title

Meet Records

New 4A State Meet Records

100 Breaststroke (4A): Jake Eccleston (Senior, Windsor) – 53.67

New 5A and Overall State Meet Records

100 Breaststroke (5A): Eli Hobson (Senior, Lewis-Palmer) – 53.58

Team Champions

5A: Cherry Creek (first since 2021, 13th overall)
4A: Silver Creek (first since 2021, third overall)

Individual Champions

Three-Time Champions

200 IM (4A): Jake Eccleston (Senior, Windsor) – 1:47.47
- Sixth-fastest time in state meet history, all classifications
100 Breaststroke (4A): Jake Eccleston (Senior, Windsor) – 53.67
- Second-fastest time in state meet history, all classifications

Two-Time Champions

Diving (4A): Carson Harrington (Junior, Evergreen) – 601.50
- Eighth-best score in state meet history, all classifications
Diving (5A): Luke Ogren (Junior, Cherry Creek) – 615.85
- Third-best score in state meet history, all classifications
100 Butterfly (5A): Brodie Johnson (Senior, Cherry Creek) – 47.33
- Fourth-fastest time in state meet history, all classifications
100 Backstroke (5A): Oliver Schimberg (Junior, Grandview) – 47.49

First-Time Champions

200 Freestyle (4A): James Story (Junior, Silver Creek) – 1:42.08
50 Freestyle (4A): Duncan Salmen (Junior, Evergreen) – 21.17
100 Butterfly (4A): Duncan Salmen (Junior, Evergreen) – 49.49
100 Freestyle (4A): James Story (Junior, Silver Creek) – 46.34
500 Freestyle (4A): Barrett Kerrigan (Sophomore, Cheyenne Mountain) – 4:38.84
100 Backstroke (4A): Stephen Codevilla (Senior, Silver Creek) – 50.05
200 Freestyle (5A): James Schreiber (Senior, Pine Creek) – 1:39.03
200 IM (5A): Brennan O’Neil (Junior, Fossil Ridge) – 1:49.13
50 Freestyle (5A): Eli Hobson (Senior, Lewis-Palmer) – 20.03
- Fourth-fastest time in state meet history, all classifications
100 Freestyle (5A): Colin Mikulecky (Senior, Cherry Creek) – 44.86
500 Freestyle (5A): Vladislav Kazakin (Senior, Highlands Ranch) – 4:33.75
100 Breaststroke (5A): Eli Hobson (Senior, Lewis-Palmer) – 53.58
- New 3A and overall state meet record

Relay Champions

200 Medley Relay

4A: Silver Creek (Stephen Codevilla, Chayakorn Ngampatipatpong, James Story and Justin Leyba) – 1:35.31
5A: Cherry Creek (Camille Trinquesse, Trevor Boodt, Brodie Johnson, Connor Kelly) – 1:29.12
- Second-fastest time in state meet history, all classifications
  - Trails only Cherry Creek’s 2021 team (Martin, Batson, Dravenstott, Ortanes) – 1:22.05

200 Free Relay

4A: Glenwood Springs (William Jones, Luke Thornton, Brian Molloy and Breck Boyd) – 1:26.02
5A: Cherry Creek (Brodie Johnson, Kian Lihalakha, Jamie Crawford, Colin Mikulecky) – 1:22.32
- Second-fastest time in state meet history, all classifications
  - Trails only Cherry Creek’s 2021 team (Ortanes, Batson, Jorgens, Silolahti) – 1:22.05

400 Free Relay

4A: Golden (Alex Landmark, Nathan Rutar, Whitley Beamon and Evan Curran) – 3:12.85
5A: Cherry Creek (Jamie Crawford, Camille Trinquesse, Connor Kelly, Colin Mikulecky) – 3:01.16
- Fifth-fastest time in state meet history, all classifications
  - Best since 2021