Over the weekend, the Tiger swimming and diving team won their 38th consecutive state championship and now look ahead to ultimately receiving their national ranking for the season.
The Tigers are led by two members of the U.S. National Junior Team, Wilson York and Michigan commit Boone Wilcox. Sophomore York won two individual events in the 200 IM and 100 Breaststroke, while junior Boone won the 100 Butterfly. All three Tiger relays also won gold, with the 200 Medley and 400 Freestyle relays winning in dominant fashion. The 200 Freestyle relay came down to the wire, with sophomore Bishop DeZarn swimming a very fast 20.36 split to ultimately out-touch a loaded Eastern Eagles relay.
A very strong senior class of Owen Durham, Peyton Harrison, Hudson Theuer, Ryan Kang, and Carter Rankin also had incredible meets, capping off their Saint Xavier careers by all achieving lifetime best times in their respective events. Durham and Rankin were part of both gold-winning freestyle relays, delivering impressive splits in each.
Theuer, Durham, and Rankin also earned runner-up finishes individually, highlighted by a very strong 100 Backstroke swim from Theuer, coming from an outside lane. Peyton, a member of the winning 400 Freestyle Relay, placed third in a very fast 100 Freestyle final, while Kang took third in the 100 Breaststroke, helping complete a 1-2-3 sweep in that event.
Next for these Tigers, Durham is headed to the University of Cincinnati, Rankin to Grand Canyon University, Peyton to Boston College, and Kang to Williams College.
It wasn’t just the upperclassmen, though. The underclassmen, especially a stacked sophomore class, played a huge role in the team’s dominant state performance. Along with Wilson York winning two individual titles, Bishop DeZarn delivered a standout meet, anchoring two gold-medal relays with strong, fast splits.
Quinn Moter and Sam Jankowski also had very notable swims in both of their individual events. Even with the loss of significant senior talent, the swimming and diving program will continue to be dominant for years to come.
Let’s not forget the divers, who contributed very valuable points for the team. Junior Will Rogers and senior Harper Stephenson both placed in the top 16, an accomplishment Stephenson had been working toward for four years.
“Finally placing, to me was the greatest feeling of relief in the world,” Stephenson said. “I finally did it after four years of work.”
Overall, the weekend was another clear example of the program’s tradition of excellence, depth, and consistency. From dominant relay performances and individual state titles to key contributions from underclassmen and divers, the Tigers showed why they have remained at the top for so long.
With a talented group of returning swimmers and a strong culture already in place, the future looks just as bright as the present, and the team now turns its attention to national rankings to cap off yet another historic season.
