Swim Spotlight: High School Boys Making Waves – December 25 Highlights!

The performances may not be the most remarkable in terms of statistics but are indeed significant. We then encourage readers to cast their votes for the Supernova, the performance that impressed you the most.

Presented here are this week’s awardees.

Blake Ellingson didn’t require time to establish his place at the varsity level.

The freshman consistently impressed during Sun Prairie East’s 99-69 victory against Janesville Parker in a Big Eight Conference dual meet held at Janesville Parker on Friday.

Ellingson secured two event victories and contributed to the Cardinals’ triumphant 400-yard freestyle relay as Sun Prairie East bounced back from a rivalry defeat against Sun Prairie West.

“Given that it’s his freshman year, he has seamlessly integrated into the team and has been invaluable for our relays,” coach Zach Olstinske stated. “We are eagerly looking forward to witnessing his continuous development and discovering what additional talents he may not have revealed yet.”

It did not take long for Olstinske to ascertain where Ellingson excels. In the match against the Vikings, Ellingson triumphed in the 100 butterfly with a time of 55.38 seconds, well ahead of the second-place finisher Russell Grorud of Parker (1:23.21). Similarly, Ellingson easily won the 100 breaststroke, clocking in at 1:06.25 while teammate Bodey Rairden (1:13.23) completed a 1-2 finish.

Ellingson concluded his evening by anchoring the Cardinals’ victorious 400 freestyle relay (3:35.58) and was also involved in Sun Prairie East’s second-place B team for the 200 medley relay (2:00.00).

Gavin LaBeau experienced a significant time reduction, aiding Sun Prairie West in securing a second consecutive dual meet victory on December 20.

The senior swimmer improved by over 4 seconds in the 200 individual medley, as the Wolves took a commanding lead for a 104-66 triumph against Madison East/La Follette during a Big Eight Conference dual meet held at Madison East.

LaBeau clinched victory in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:08.88, marking a reduction of 4.59 seconds since the Sun Prairie Storm Aquatic Club’s Fall Season opener on October 5, as stated by coach Michael Orwin.

“He’s truly a natural competitor, and his substantial time decrease in the 200 IM illustrates both his dedication and the effort he’s been putting into his training,” Orwin remarked.

In addition, LaBeau contributed to the Wolves’ victorious 200 freestyle relay, achieving an anchor leg split of 22.87 seconds to narrowly outpace the East/La Follette second-place team by three-tenths of a second.

Moreover, LaBeau was a member of the Wolves’ third-place B medley relay squad and recorded a time of 1:12.62 in the 100 breaststroke, which reflects a reduction of 1.67 seconds from the previous season.

“He’s just one among numerous swimmers who stepped up dramatically,” Orwin noted regarding the team’s reshuffled lineup to explore various events. “The enthusiasm and commitment from the team during the meet were precisely what a coach hopes to witness.”

Sam Giese has incorporated the 200 freestyle into his repertoire this season for Madison Memorial and mentor Paul Eckerle.

The addition of this middle-distance race has proven advantageous for the senior, as Giese established a new personal best during the Spartans’ 121-48 victory over Janesville Craig in a Big Eight Conference dual meet on Friday.

Giese secured first place in the contest with a time of 1:50.6 as the Spartans dominated the Cougars.

“It’s a fresh event for him, but it’s turning out to be one of his best,” Eckerle remarked. “His freestyle has significantly progressed this season. He trained hard this fall and has become much stronger.”

This improvement has benefited his other traditional events as well, with Giese winning the 100 butterfly against the Cougars in a time of 57.6 seconds.

Cyan Furman has quickly positioned himself as the premier sprinter for Madison East/La Follette.

The freshman solidified his status during the Purgolders’ Big Eight Conference dual setback against Sun Prairie West on Friday.

Furman clocked in at 22.78 seconds during the anchor leg of East/La Follette’s victorious 200 medley relay, aiding the Purgolders in defeating the Wolves’ leading team by four-tenths of a second. Later, he came in second by three-hundredths in the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.16 seconds, before posting 23.29 seconds on his anchor leg of the 200 freestyle relay.

“Cyan never misses a chance to compete against his rivals or take risks during his races,” stated coach Ellie Haselow.

Furman also ventured outside his comfort zone, swimming the 500 freestyle and finishing second with a time of 5:31.76 in the 104-66 defeat.

Gabe Dietsche assisted Monona Grove in maintaining their undefeated start to the Badger Large Conference dual season.

The freshman excelled in the distance disciplines, propelling the Silver Eagles to a 107-61 victory against Watertown on December 17 at Monona Grove.

Dietsche commenced his evening by clinching the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:00.81 and subsequently secured a win in the 500 freestyle, finishing in 5:29.91. He was among only two freshmen to claim individual victories for the Silver Eagles and the sole freshman in the team’s successful 400 freestyle relay.

Dietsche swam the third segment alongside seniors Chase Hendricks, James McAllister, and Morris Salzmann as the foursome triumphed in 3:54.29.

Congrats to Stoughton’s Gavin Reiser, who secured last week’s poll with 66.7% of the votes.

Cast your vote for your preferred performance below. Return next week to discover who prevailed.