Regis Jesuit swimmers celebrate their 5A title. (Bethany Brookens/CHSAANow.com)
THORNTON — The dominance of the Regis Jesuit High School boys swim and dive team continues.
The Raiders won their 20th state championship, capturing the Class 5A state title in convincing fashion Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center.
Regis scored 410 points, easily defeating runner-up Cherry Creek which had a 190-point total.
“This is just awesome,” said Regis senior Hennessey Stuart, who was named Colorado High School Activities Association Swimmer of the Year. “It is great to continue this legacy.”
All of Regis’ state crowns have come since 1992 and the last four have been in a row.
Hennessey led the charge for the Raiders winning the 200-yard individual medley, and the 100 backstroke — setting an all-classification record in Friday’s prelims at 46.91 seconds.
Stuart capped his career in grand fashion swimming the first leg on the Raiders’ victorious 400 freestyle relay team which set a Colorado state record at 3:00.84. Mitchell Bruckman, Christopher Dawson and Austin Phillips also were on the relay.
Regis Jesuit’s 400 free relay set a new state record. (Bethany Brookens/CHSAANow.com)
“I would not have wanted to break that (400 freestyle relay) record with anybody else,” said the 6-foot-1, 160-pound Stuart, who is going to swim at North Carolina State University. “We are all seniors and all captains.”
Hennessey’s younger brother, Quinlan Stuart also joined the victory parade by winning his first individual state title in the 100 breaststroke.
“Winning a state title like my brother is an honor,” said Quinlan, a junior. “I’m really happy and I just can’t explain what I’m feeling. This is a blessing and an honor to be a part of a program like this. We work our butts off all season to come here (state) and perform our best, and that’s what we did.”
Regis junior Kyle Goodwin once again finished atop the podium in diving, claiming his third consecutive state championship.
“This feels good and it just feels more rewarding each time,” said Goodwin, who won with a score of 394.25.
The Raiders 200 medley relay of the Stuart brothers, Chris Morales and Will Pieseki, also won state as well.
The swimmer who stole the spotlight from Team Regis — as least for a few moments — was Highlands Ranch’s Nathan Mueller.
The senior won his first two career state titles with wins in the 200 and 500 freestyles.
“This will probably sink in (Sunday),” said Mueller, who is signed to swim at the University of Wisconsin. “This was one of my goals before I went off to college, so it’s cool to get that crossed off my list.”
Douglas County’s JP Beach (50 freestyle), Fort Collins’ Maxwell Holter (100 butterfly), Fairview’s Miles McKenzie (100 freestyle) and Cherry Creek’s 200 freestyle relay were the other state winners. MacKenzie won his event for the second year in a row.
“I was terrified of these guys,” MacKenzie, a senior, said. “I knew if I was going to win I needed to do something spectacular and I just put my head down. I was relaxed and I just swam my race.”
(Bethany Brookens/CHSAANow.com)