The meet opened with fireworks in the 200 medley relay, and Wayzata immediately set the pace as Nathan Carr, Noah Landry, Jerry Lou, and Benjamin Pei touched first in 1:32.05. Edina stayed right in striking distance behind Patrick Curran, Talan Macfarlane, Joe Hemberger, and Patrick Gabler at 1:35.27, while Chanhassen-Chaska grabbed third with Sam Kvam, Owen Larson, Bryson Hougas, and Joey Petersen in 1:37.03, launching a three-team sprint toward the top of the scoreboard.
Woodbury delivered the first individual statement in the 200 freestyle, where Grant McElwain won in 1:44.15, edging Edina’s Willy Thurk (1:44.78) and Minnetonka’s Will Jabs (1:46.11). The top of the field stayed tightly packed, and it was already clear that depth would decide far more than just who won each race.
The 200 IM became a Wayzata showcase, as Jerry Lou took control in 1:51.73, followed closely by Mounds View’s Danny Bai (1:51.85) and Wayzata teammate Nathan Carr (1:52.05). That one-three punch allowed Wayzata to stack points and keep pressure on both Edina and Minnetonka early in the meet.
Sprint speed took center stage in the 50 free, and Duluth East made its presence known with Joey Zelen ripping a 20.56 to win. Wayzata’s Benjamin Pei (21.21) and Noah Landry (21.31) followed right behind, keeping Wayzata firmly in the hunt while Duluth East surged forward with valuable sprint scoring.
Then came the first major momentum swing of the meet — diving — and Edina completely changed the team race. Edward Frey led a dominant Hornets sweep with a winning score of 471.90, followed by teammates Niko Yannopoulos and Kingston Kavati, giving Edina three massive finishes in a single event and launching them straight into the championship conversation.
Wayzata answered immediately in the 100 butterfly as Jerry Lou picked up his second win of the day in 50.34. Chanhassen-Chaska’s Bryson Hougas (51.26) and Minnetonka’s William Finucane-Tuccio (51.57) stayed close, but Lou’s front-end speed helped stabilize Wayzata after Edina’s diving surge.
Mounds View flexed its sprint muscle in the 100 freestyle behind Danny Bai, who won in 45.36. Duluth East’s Joey Zelen followed in 46.38, and Minnetonka’s Benjamin Jabs took third in 46.69, turning the sprint lanes into another three-team tug-of-war that kept the scoreboard tight at the top.
Edina kept rolling in the distance as Willy Thurk captured the 500 free in 4:43.10, with teammate Alex Allocco right behind in 4:47.08 and Minnetonka’s Will Jabs third in 4:48.62. With two Hornets near the front, Edina continued to pile on points in one of the meet’s heaviest-scoring individual races.
Minnetonka struck back in the 200 free relay, where William Finucane-Tuccio, Soonhong Chua, Rowen Irwin, and Benjamin Jabs combined for a winning time of 1:26.01. Woodbury chased them home behind Finn Novak, Ethan Lu, Alex McElwain, and Andrew Qing in 1:27.49, with Edina right there in 1:27.71, keeping three powerhouse programs locked in a late-meet standoff.
Wayzata reclaimed momentum in the 100 backstroke as Nathan Carr won in 49.19, edging Edina’s Patrick Curran (50.65) and Wayzata’s Benjamin Pei (51.02). With Carr adding a win, Wayzata stayed firmly entrenched in the podium fight heading into the final individual event.
The breaststroke brought more balance to the team battle, as multiple programs landed top finishes and prevented any single squad from breaking away completely. Wayzata’s Noah Landry topped the event with a time of 57.82, followed closely by the Stormhawk’s Izndro Warain (58.00). Taking third in the event was Woodbury’s Andrew Qing in a time of 58.71. The event kept the scoreboard compressed and set up the final relay as the true deciding moment.
Everything came down to the 400 free relay, and Wayzata delivered under pressure. Nathan Carr, Benjamin Pei, Jerry Lou, and Tristan Farrey surged to victory in 3:09.09, with Edina right behind at 3:09.34 and Minnetonka close in 3:11.39. The top three were separated by barely two seconds, but the relay points proved decisive in finalizing the team championship order.
Minnetonka’s depth across nearly every event ultimately carried the day, pairing relay strength with steady individual scoring in sprints, distance, and IMs. Edina’s massive diving points and distance strength kept them in the hunt until the very end, while Wayzata’s relay firepower and sprint dominance secured a strong podium finish in one of the tightest Class AA races in recent True Team history.
Minnetonka head Coach John Bradley commented:
“As a team in this particular event, our athletes’ understood the need for everyone to step up and perform. The power of this meet is that it creates opportunities for everyone to score and contribute, and many of our athletes who, in a normal meet, are relegated to JV or exhibition status get to step up and get to run with the big dogs”
Final Team Scores
- Minnetonka — 2295
- Edina — 2276
- Wayzata — 2049
- Chanhassen-Chaska — 1812
- Lakeville North — 1466
- Woodbury — 1319
- East Ridge — 1269.5
- Stillwater — 1033.5
- Champlin Park — 1032
- Mounds View — 1003.5
- Alexandria — 982
- Duluth East — 949.5
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