Andover and Champlin Park delivered a spirited and competitive dual on Thursday night, with fast swims, fun racing, and two record-breaking performances highlighting the evening
Champlin Park opened strongly, taking the 200 Medley Relay behind the B-relay of Kiptyn Helmrick, Vincent Pham, Zach Moore, and Calvin Smith, who posted a sharp 1:45.79. Andover followed with a solid 1:54.72 from its A-relay.
The Rebels gained early momentum in the 200 Freestyle, where freshman standout Owen Mitchell touched first in 1:58.29, just ahead of Andover senior Ray Maki (1:59.11). But Andover answered back quickly in the 200 IM. Junior Rogan Ellis took control of the race from the opening butterfly leg and powered to a 2:00.96 victory, signaling the strong night he was about to have.
Champlin Park reasserted control in the sprint freestyle, with Moore (23.26) and Houck (24.77) leading a 1–2 finish in the 50 Free while several Rebel swimmers competed as exhibitions. Andover stayed tight but couldn’t match Champlin Park’s top-end speed. Then came one of the biggest highlights of the meet: in the varsity diving event, Champlin Park freshman Pengxu Lor put together a phenomenal performance, scoring 321.70—a mark that set both a pool record and a school record for the Rebels. His commanding win helped Champlin Park widen its lead in the middle portion of the meet.
The Rebels continued their push in the 100 Butterfly with Helmrick earning his second win of the night in 55.22, though Andover’s Ray Maki (1:01.72) and James VanGheem (1:05.60) kept the race competitive. The 100 Freestyle brought another tight finish as Pham (54.41) held off Andover’s Andersland (55.03), with Taylor Maki close behind in third.
Momentum began swinging back toward Andover in the distance events. In the 500 Freestyle, Rogan Ellis not only won convincingly in 4:53.33 but also set a new Andover team record, becoming the first Husky to crack the 4:55 barrier in a dual meet setting. Champlin Park freshman Owen Mitchell and eighth-grader Josh Mayor followed with strong swims, but Ellis’ record swim was one of the defining moments of the night. That surge carried directly into the 200 Free Relay, where Andersland, Taylor Maki, Ray Maki, and Ellis teamed up for a winning 1:37.46.
Champlin Park countered in the 100 Backstroke as Helmrick collected his third victory with a 54.44, followed by teammate Calvin Smith at 59.45. Andover’s Staley grabbed third, helping limit the scoring swing. The Huskies then delivered their most dominant event of the meet in the 100 Breaststroke, sweeping the top three spots with freshman Finn Oredson (1:11.90), senior Will Widmark (1:16.14), and freshman Owen LeBeau (1:19.48). All Champlin Park entries in the event swam as exhibitions, a clear nod to meet etiquette.
The night concluded with a strong closing statement from Andover, as the 400 Free Relay squad of Andersland, Taylor Maki, Ray Maki, and Ellis powered to a winning 3:37.29. The Champlin Park relays were exhibition, but the top Rebel relay finished with a time of 3:41.61
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