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Red Hawks look for top-three finish

Milton High's boys swim team finished sixth at last year's Division 2 state meet.

The Red Hawks hope to crack the top three this year.

Friday's D2 meet gets under way with the diving competition at 2:30 p.m. at the UW Natatorium in Madison followed by the swimming timed finals at 6:30 p.m.

Milton's chances to move up into the top three are good. The Red Hawks qualified in 10 individual events, along with all three relay teams.

"Monona Grove is probably the favorite," Milton coach Tom Lieder said. "They have a couple of outstanding swimmers that are going to score a lot of points. But we beat them in the dual meet we had against them and at the sectional meet last Saturday.

"The key for us is to stay focused and take it one event at a time."

McFarland is the six-time defending team champion in Division 2, but the Spartans are not expected to contend this year.

Milton is led by seniors Spencer Mattox, Brandon Benson and Jack Lunaas, who have all been ranked in their specialty event all season. Mattox is the top seed by more than two seconds in the 200 individual medley and also the top seed in the 100 breaststroke. Benson has the top time in the 100 butterfly by more than two seconds. Lunaas is ranked fourth in the 100 freestyle and fifth in the 100 backstroke.

Senior John Toberman is seeded fifth in the 100 breaststroke and is an integral part of the relay teams.

"This is the best senior class I've had in my 42 years of coaching," Lieder said. "These kids are so self-motivated that they don't need a lot of coaching.

"Toberman ranks first in his class out of 260, and Benson is third. All my seniors are just very smart and great kids."

Milton has four swimmers competing in the final heat of the 100 breaststroke. Freshman Mitchell Roberts and Benson will join Mattox and Toberman in the meet's second-to-last event.

"That's pretty impressive that we have four kids in that one event," Lieder said. "The breaststroke is my favorite stroke to coach, and all four of those kids are naturals at it. The key to the stroke is coordination, and all four have it."

Fort Atkinson has the top seed time in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, and senior Lee Hollman has the second-fastest qualifying time in the 100 freestyle.

Elkhorn junior Sam Johnson has the top time in the 200 freestyle and is also seeded first in the 500 freestyle.

In Division 1, Janesville Craig will be represented at Saturday's Division 1 state meet by senior Jimmy Loftus in the 500 freestyle, as well as the 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams.

Loftus qualified with a time of 5:01.79, while Muskego's Joe Szczupakiewicz is the top seed at 4:38.54.

Craig's 200 medley team of senior Nick Krueger, sophomore Peter Loftus, senior Troy Thornton and senior Tad Martin qualified with a time of 1:42.55. Madison Memorial is the top seed in the event with a time of 1:36.52.

The Cougars' 200 freestyle relay team of Krueger, Martin, Jimmy Loftus and senior Travis Condon qualified with a time of 1:31.89. Memorial has the top time in the event at 1:27.09.

Janesville Parker's Tommy Dvorak qualified in the 100 butterfly. The senior's seed time is 54.92, while West Bend West's Matt McHugh has the top time at 50.24.

Saturday's Division 1 meet begins with diving at 10 a.m. at the Natatorium. The swimming timed finals begin at 3 p.m.

Division 1 area state qualifiers

200 medley relay—Janesville Craig, 1:42.55.

200 individual medley—Christian Daniels, sr., Beloit Memorial, 1:59.06.

100 butterfly—Tommy Dvorak, sr., Janesville Parker, 54.92.

500 freestyle—Jimmy Loftus, sr., Janesville Craig, 5:01.79.

200 freestyle relay—Janesville Craig, 1:31.89.

100 breaststroke—Daniels, sr., Beloit Memorial, 1:00.64; Remington Glogovsky, jr., Lake Geneva Badger, 1:03.06.

Division 2 area state qualifiers

200 medley relay—Milton, 1:39.60.

200 freestyle—Sam Johnson, jr., Elkhorn, 1:48.58; Avery Kan, sr., Fort Atkinson, 1:49.96; Paul Hill, sr., Fort Atkinson, 1:52.11.

200 individual medley—Spencer Mattox, sr., Milton, 1:57.47.

50 freestyle—Lee Hollman, sr., Fort Atkinson, 22.17; Tyler Zaspel, jr., Fort Atkinson, 22.85; Luke Gorst, sr., Elkhorn, 23.1; Pat Riesterer, sr., Milton, 23.2.

100 butterfly—Brandon Benson, sr., Milton, 52.66; Zaspel, jr., Fort Atkinson, 55.81.

100 freestyle—Hollman, sr., Fort Atkinson, 48.92; Jack Lunaas, sr., Milton, 49.43; Hill, sr., Fort Atkinson, 50.56; Gorst, sr., Elkhorn, 50.87.

500 freestyle—Johnson, jr., Elkhorn, 4:47.18.

200 freestyle relay—Fort Atkinson, 1;29.23; Milton, 1:30.71; Elkhorn, 1:33.65.

100 backstroke—Lunaas, sr., Milton, 55.53; Tommy Wecker, soph., Milton, 59.49; Brandon Ambrose, sr., Elkhorn, 59.54.

100 breaststroke—Mattox, sr., Milton, 59.61; Mitchell Roberts, fr., Milton, 1:01.64; John Toberman, sr., Milton, 1:02.46; Benson, sr., Milton, 1:03.37

400 freestyle relay—Fort Atkinson, 3:19.05; Elkhorn, 3:23.94; Milton, 3:24.56.