A deep, talent-rich field took over the pool Saturday at the 2025 Storm Hawks Boys Swim & Dive Invite, where Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Chanhassen-Chaska, Elk River, Breck/Blake, Duluth East, Sauk Rapids-Rice, and Wayzata battled through a full invitational slate that rewarded both top-end speed and lineup depth. By the end of the day, Minnetonka’s ability to score across nearly every heat proved overwhelming, as the Skippers cruised to the team title.
Minnetonka made its intentions clear right away in the 200 Medley Relay, winning the event with its A relay of Benjamin Jabs, Soonhong Chua, Will Finucane-Tuccio, and Koll Liudahl touching first in 1:36.52. Eden Prairie (1:39.31) and Elk River (1:40.11) followed closely, but Minnetonka also placed multiple additional relays into scoring positions, setting the tone for the meet.
That depth was on full display in the 200 Freestyle, where Minnetonka swept the top five places. Benjamin Jabs led the charge with a winning time of 1:46.59, followed by Kaiden Nagel (1:47.59) and Drew Roehl (1:49.78), while Elk River’s Bjorn Pederson (1:48.45) broke up the sweep with a strong third-place finish.
The 200 IM delivered one of the day’s marquee races. Izyndro Warain of Chanhassen-Chaska claimed the win in 1:57.63, edging Minnetonka’s Owen Lund (1:58.73) and Rowen Irwin (2:00.87). Eden Prairie stayed firmly in the team race with scoring swims from Eshaan Salunke and Eli Drewes, keeping the top three teams tightly grouped early.
Sprint fireworks followed in the 50 Freestyle as Joey Zelen of Duluth East ripped the fastest time of the meet at 20.47, holding off Minnetonka’s Will Finucane-Tuccio (21.47) and Chanhassen-Chaska’s Sam Kvam (22.13). Despite Zelen’s standout swim, Minnetonka once again piled up critical mid-pack points.
Diving brought a major highlight for the host Storm Hawks. Micah Brecht of Chanhassen-Chaska dominated the board with a massive winning score of 438.75, ahead of Minnetonka’s Henry Lindberg (408.10). Sauk Rapids-Rice and Elk River also gained valuable ground through solid board performances.
The Fly belonged to Elk River, where Deidric Walliczek delivered one of the fastest swims of the day, winning the 100 Fly in 51.06. Minnetonka’s Will Finucane-Tuccio (52.10) and Breck/Blake’s Teddy Frerichs (53.06) rounded out a deep top heat.
The 100 Freestyle featured another headline performance from Joey Zelen, who doubled back to win in 45.94, while Minnetonka countered with a trio of scorers led by Benjamin Jabs (47.83) and Brix Dewitt (48.54). Chanhassen-Chaska’s Sam Kvam (49.01) continued his strong all-around day.
Distance racing further cemented Minnetonka’s control. Owen Lund captured the 500 Freestyle in 4:51.87, narrowly edging Elk River’s Bjorn Pederson (4:52.23), while three additional Minnetonka swimmers finished inside the top six, creating one of the largest point swings of the meet.
Relay depth again proved decisive in the 200 Freestyle Relay, where Minnetonka went 1-2 with its A (1:27.22) and B (1:29.14) relays. Elk River (1:29.29) and Chanhassen-Chaska (1:29.64) followed closely, but the Skippers’ relay scoring continued to separate them from the field.
Backstroke wins went to Minnetonka’s Rowen Irwin, who touched first in 53.86, while Eden Prairie placed multiple swimmers just behind to maintain second place in the team standings.
The breaststroke delivered another highlight for Chanhassen-Chaska as Izyndro Warain claimed his second individual win of the meet in 1:00.16, narrowly ahead of Eden Prairie’s Eli Drewes (1:00.54) and Eshaan Salunke (1:00.89).
The meet closed with a fast and competitive 400 Freestyle Relay. Elk River’s A relay surged to victory in 3:17.12, edging Minnetonka’s A relay (3:17.50) and a deep Minnetonka B squad (3:18.46). Chanhassen-Chaska and Eden Prairie rounded out the top five to close a full day of racing.
When the final scores were tallied, Minnetonka captured the Storm Hawks Invite title with 673.5 points, followed by Eden Prairie (434) and Chanhassen-Chaska (399.5). Elk River, Breck/Blake, Duluth East, Sauk Rapids-Rice, and Wayzata completed the standings.
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