• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Craig’s Loftus earns three extra berths

Photo

Photo by Gazette file photo

Alex Loftus

Alex Loftus, a Janesville Craig High School senior, gets to quadruple his pleasure this weekend in the WIAA Division 1 boys state swim meet.

Loftus earned an automatic berth in next Saturday’s competition at the UW Natatorium in Madison by winning the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 59.23 seconds on Saturday in the Middleton Sectional. He also became an extra qualifier Sunday in three events.

With a second-place sectional time of 1:58.33, Loftus joined the extra qualifiers in the 200 individual medley. He also became an extra qualifier as a member of Craig’s 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams.

The 200 medley team that also includes sophomores Nick Krueger and Troy Thornton and senior Tyler Meinders qualified with a 1:42.39 sectional time. Meinders, sophomore Tad Martin, senior Jacob Canik and Loftus made it with a 3:24.68 time in the 400 freestyle relay.

Janesville Parker’s 200 medley team of junior Brandon Jackson, senior Nate Sigmund, sophomore Tommy Dvorak and senior Matt Simon became an extra qualifier with a 1:43.06 sectional time.

The winners of each sectional event earned automatic state berths. The extra qualifiers in Division 1 are the next 18 fastest times (excluding sectional champions) throughout the state in each event. They include the next 12 fastest in Division 2.

Milton’s performances in the Baraboo Sectional produced extra qualifiers in five events for Division 2 competition Friday at the UW Natatorium. Elkhorn came through the Cudahy Sectional with extra qualifiers for Division 2 in seven events.

Fort Atkinson senior Evan Hill advanced as the 50 freestyle champion in the Baraboo Sectional and also is an extra qualifier for Division 2 in the 100 butterfly and as a member of the Blackhawks’ 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams.

Loftus placed eighth in the breaststroke at last year’s Division 1 state meet and 11th in the individual medley. Evan Hill was sixth in the Division 2 100 butterfly.

Area qualifiers

DIVISION 1

Janesville Craig—Sectional champion: Alex Loftus, sr., 100 breaststroke, :59.23.

Extra qualifiers: Loftus, 200 individual medley, 1:58.33.

200 freestyle relay (Nick Krueger, soph.; Loftus; Troy Thornton, soph.; Tyler Meinders, sr.), 1:42.39. 400 freestyle relay (Meinders; Tad Martin, soph.; Jacob Canik, sr.; Loftus), 3:24.68.

Janesville Parker—Extra qualifier: 200 medley relay (Brandon Jackson, jr.; Nate Sigmund, sr.; Tommy Dvorak, soph.; Matt Simon, sr.), 1:43.06.

Lake Geneva Badger co-op—Extra qualifiers: Max Simon, sr., 200 individual medley, 2:03.16; 100 breaststroke, 1:01.79. Franek Kulik, sr., 50 freestyle, 22.48.

200 medley relay (Joseph Shane, jr.; Sim; Ryan Cook, sr.; Kulek), 1:42.21. 200 freestyle relay (Kulik, Cook, Sim, Shane), 1:32.21.

DIVISION 2

Milton—Extra qualifiers: Brendon Falk, sr., 50 freestyle, 23.07. Brandon Benson, soph., 100 butterfly, 55.3.

200 medley relay (Jack Lunaas, soph.; John Toberman, soph.; Benson, Falk), 1:44.15. 200 freestyle relay (Lunaas, Falk, Toberman, Benson), 1:33.29. 400 freestyle relay (Falk, Lunaas, Toberman, Benson), 3:26.83.

Elkhorn—Extra qualifiers: Zac Simon, sr., 100 freestyle, 50.27. Sam Johnson, 200 freestyle, 1:52.57; 100 freestyle, 51.01. Lee Gorst, soph., 200 freestyle, 1:53.02; Eric Bain, sr., 100 breaststroke, 1:04.69.

200 freestyle relay (Simon, Gorst, Johnson, Sean Collins, jr.), 1:31.98. 400 freestyle relay (Simon, Collins, Gorst, Johnson), 3:24.67.

Fort Atkinson—Sectional champion: Evan Hill, 50 freestyle, 21.94.

Extra qualifiers: Evan Hill, 100 butterfly, 53.08. Avery Kan, soph., 200 individual medley, 2:06.18. Lee Hollman, soph., 100 backstroke, 56.57.

200 medley relay (Mitch Arnold, sr.; Kan; Tyler Zaspel, fr.; Hollman), 1:44.28. 200 freestyle relay (Zaspel; Paul Hill, soph.; Kan, Evan Hill), 1:31.08. 400 freestyle relay (Evan Hill, Arnold, Paul Hill, Hollman), 3:24.06.