GVHS are 2A swimming champs again

PROVO — Gunnison Valley High School’s boys swim team repeated as the Class 2A state champion Thursday night at Brigham Young University, piling up 450 points to pull away from runner-up South Summit (401) in the first 2A-only state meet at BYU.

The Bulldogs won the team race with depth across the event list, placing in finals and scoring heavily in relays. Gunnison finished second in the 200-yard medley relay (1:58.47) and later won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:37.27 behind Preston Waters, Aaden Donaldson, Ben Walker and Adam Jackson.

Donaldson delivered Gunnison Valley’s lone individual state title, winning the 200 freestyle in 2:00.43. He also took second in the 100 freestyle (52.33) as Gunnison put multiple swimmers into scoring spots in the sprint events.

Waters finished second in the 50 freestyle (23.63) and third in the 100 freestyle (53.06), while Jackson placed second in the 100 butterfly (57.93) and second in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.90).

Gunnison also stacked points in the distance races. Emery Kjar placed third in the 500 freestyle (6:24.01), Jake Waters took fourth (6:25.51) and Owen Wirsch finished sixth (6:42.76).

In other finals, Ben Walker placed third in the 200 individual medley (2:30.38) and also scored with a fifth-place finish in the 100 butterfly (1:05.00). Gunnison added more points in the backstroke, with Simon Hart fifth (1:10.58) and Ellis Christensen eighth (1:16.12) in the 100 backstroke.

The Bulldogs closed the meet with a second-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay (3:36.88).