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Craig swimmers top Parker

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Craig vs Parker Swimming dual

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JANESVILLE — Truer words may never have been spoken at the Janesville Craig High School swimming pool than Friday night.

At the start of the varsity 500 freestyle, Janesville Parker junior Brandon Jackson, standing in Lane 1, leaned over to Madison Memorial senior John Stec, standing in Lane 3, shook his hand and said, “Good luck, although I know you don’t need it.’’

Stec won the 500 in 5 minutes, 9.07 seconds, while Jackson finished third in 5:25.37 for his best time of the season, and also was third in the 200 individual medley in 2:15.11.

Memorial, a perennial conference and state powerhouse, do not rely on luck in sweeping the Big Eight triple dual. The Spartans defeated Craig and Parker by identical 131-39 scores. Craig defeated Parker, 103-67, in the battle for city supremacy.

While the Cougars enjoyed their 11th straight dual victory over Vikings, the Spartans went back to Madison as owners of another Big Eight dual championship and their 109th and 110th straight dual victories.

Meanwhile, it was all good for Jackson.

“I like swimming against them,” Jackson said. “They are all great guys. They are real modest, and they’re great sportsmen.’’

The Spartans won 10 of 11 events. Craig senior Alex Loftus won the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.49 to prevent a Memorial sweep.

“Overall, to get Craig a first place is obviously very big,” Loftus said. “We don’t get many of them against Madison teams.’’

Loftus also was happy his first place helped Craig burnish its win over its crosstown rival.

“It really helped to kick-start the meet for a win against Parker,” said Loftus, who finished eighth in the breaststroke at last season’s WIAA state meet.

Loftus said notching a victory over Parker is as satisfying as winning an event against Memorial.

“To go 11 straight against Parker is a huge deal for everyone,” he said. “Craig’s been kind of struggling against Parker for sports, so to come out here and to represent swimming as best as we can and get the ‘W’ over Parker is always huge.’’

Tommy Dvorak took second places in the 50 freestyle in 23.39 and the 100 butterfly in 57.17 for the Vikings’ best finishes.

Craig finished the 5-4 in the Big Eight. Parker, 2-4-1 in the conference, concludes its Big Eight dual season next Friday at Middleton in a triple dual with Madison La Follette.

CRAIG 103, PARKER 67

MEMORIAL 131, CRAIG 39

MEMORIAL 131, PARKER 39

200 medley relay—1. Madison Memorial (John Stec, Michael Salerno, Henry Patterson, Billy Walsh), 1:42.97; 2. Memorial, 1:45.78.

200 freestyle—1. Jeremy Temprano (MM), 1:50.48; 2. Caleb Cole (MM), 1:53.55; 3. Ron Mann (MM), 2:29.48.

200 individual medley—1. Salerno (MM), 2:06.28; 2. John Hornacek (MM), 2:12.12; 3. Brandon Jackson (JP), 2:15.11.

50 freestyle—1. Billy Walsh (MM), 22.45; 2. Tommy Dvorak (JP), 23.39; 3. Austin Battaglia (MM), 23.51.

100 butterfly—1. Patrick Franken (MM), 54.44; 2. Tommy Dvorak (JP), 57.17; 3. Caleb Cole (MM), 1:00.73.

100 freestyle—1. Ben Anderson (MM), 49.29; 2. Walsh (MM), 50.21; 3. Alex Loftus (JC), 50.55.

500 freestyle—1. John Stec (MM), 5:09.07; 2. Jimmy Loftus (JC), 5:21.27; 3. Brandon Jackson (JP), 5:25.37.

200 freetyle relay—1. Memorial (Battaglia, Temprano, Anderson, Stec), 1:30.93; 2. Memorial, 1:31.84.

100 backstroke—1. Franken (MM), 55:04; 2. Menninga (MM), 1:00.64;\. 3. Ben Immerfall (MM), 1:02.89.

100 breaststroke—1. Alex Loftus (JC), 1:02.49; 2. Battaglia (MM), 1:07.91; 3. Nate Sigmund (JP), 1:08.44.

400 freestyle relay—1. Memorial (Ben Immerfall, Salerno, Patterson, Temprano), 3:24.75; 2. Memorial, 3:31.71.