2025 Boys High School Preview: Section 2A

Section 2A

Teams in the Section
Benilde St. Margaret’s, Breck/Blake, Cretin-Derham Hall, Minneapolis Edison/Henry/North, Minneapolis Southwest, Orono, St. Thomas Academy, Westonka-Holy Family

2025 Section Champion: Breck/Blake – 586 pts
2025 Section Runner-up: Orono – 448 pts

Notable Graduates

• Lucas Wurst (BSM) – 50 Yard Free (2nd sections), 100 Yard Free (2nd sections)
• William Gadtke (BSM) – 50 Yard Free (4th sections), 100 Yard Free (13th sections)
• Joey Sandhoefner (BSM) – 100 Yard Fly (3rd sections, 8th State), 100 Yard Breast (1st sections, 2nd State)
• Mason Rokala (BSM) – 200 Yard Free (2nd sections, 12th State), 500 Yard Free (9th sections)
• Ballard Breazeale (Breck Blake) – 100 Yard Fly (5th sections), 100 Yard Back (4th sections)
• Dominic Bollettieri (Breck Blake) – 100 Yard Fly (2nd sections, 6th State), 100 Yard Breast (2nd sections, 6th State)
• Henry Webb (Breck Blake) – 200 Yard Free (1st sections, 1st State), 100 Yard Free (1st sections, 1st State)
• Jack Kirchberg (Cretin-Derham Hall) – 50 Yard Free (16th sections), 100 Yard Free (15th sections)
• Isaac Van Oosterom (Cretin-Derham Hall) – 100 Yard Breast (13th sections)
• John Kovats (Cretin-Derham Hall) – 100 Yard Fly (14th sections)
• Colin O’Brien (Minneapolis Edison) – 50 Yard Free (9th sections), 100 Yard Breast (8th sections)
• Gus Rudenick (Minneapolis Southwest) – 200 Yard IM (6th sections), 100 Yard Back (5th sections)
• Tryggve Thorson (Minneapolis Southwest) – 200 Yard IM (11th sections), 100 Yard Back (11th sections)
• Liam Donahue (Orono) – 200 Yard Free (11th sections), 500 Yard Free (11th sections)
• Stewart Royal (Orono) – 200 Yard IM (4th sections, 8th State), 500 Yard Free (3rd sections, 9^th State)
• Cameron Odenino (Orono) – 500 Yard Free (5th sections, 7th State), 100 Yard Breast (4th sections, 15th State)
• Justin Barry (Orono) – 50 Yard Free (1st sections, 7th te), 100 Yard Free (3rd sections, 5th State)
• Vincent Audette (STA) – 200 Yard Free (3rd sections, 15th State), 100 Yard Free (4th sections)
• William Nash (STA) – 50 Yard Free (6th sections), 100 Yard Free (5th sections)
• William Gadtke (Saint Thomas Academy) – 50 Yard Free (4th sections), 100 Yard Free (13th sections)
• Charlie Bruner (STA) – 200 Yard IM (3rd sections), 100 Yard Fly (4th sections)
• Sherman Holmstadt (STA) – 100 Yard Free (3rd sections, 11thSta te), 100 Yard Back (1st sections, 5th State)
• Dane Dow (STA) – 200 Yard IM (1st sections, 2nd State), 500 Yard Free (1st sections, 2nd State)

Well, this section is going to look a whole lot different this year.  Bloomington Kennedy and St. Anthony Village are moving out and Minneapolis Edison/Henry/North, Minneapolis Southwest, and St. Thomas Academy are moving in.  That puts the 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th and 7^th place teams from last year’s state meet all in the same section.  Add that with two teams dropping in from Class AA and it will be an electric section meet for sure!!

Saint Thomas Academy is once again a juggernaut. Senior Luke Mechtel is the returning section champion and state champ in the 100 Breast. Fellow senior Kayden Greeley was 2nd in the 50 Free at sections and placed 7th in the 100 Breast at state. Junior Sam Quinn qualified for state in both the 200 Free and 100 Back, while senior Leo Ritzenthaler placed in the top 6 at state in the 500 Free. Sophomore Pascal Zeruhn and junior Mikhail Long also had strong showings in the back and distance events. With a returning section champion in nearly every discipline and an infusion of younger talent like William Benish and Andrew Deeb, STA is poised to defend its dominance.

Breck Blake is absolutely loaded with returning depth and talent. Teddy Frerichs, now a junior, is a top-tier state scorer who won the 100 Fly and 200 IM at sections last year and placed 5th in both events at state. Sophomore Max Cockson was 2nd in the 500 Free at sections and 10th at state, while junior Ryan Lee made state in both distance events. Bennett O’Halloran (now a freshman) placed 7th at state in the 100 Back as an 8th grader, and sophomore Minh Truong was also a state qualifier. Other key contributors include seniors Jackson Wright, Nate Like, Alex Du, and sophomore Chase Xiong. With elite top-end talent and an army of contributors, Breck Blake looks like a powerhouse.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s brings back a solid returning core led by sophomore Joshua Peters, who was 14th in the state in the 500 Free and also placed 5th in the 200 IM at sections as a freshman. Sophomore Zane Lester also contributed in the distance free events, while junior Frank Rokala and sophomore Ari Sellers bring experience in the backstroke and breaststroke, respectively. August Wolf, now a sophomore, was 8th in the 200 Free, and Jackson Stading (now a senior) will look to make an impact in the sprints. This team could surprise some people if its talented underclassmen continue to develop.

Orono’s strength lies in its versatility and diving power. Senior Eli Fish returns after placing 6th at state in the 200 IM and 5th in the 100 Back. Junior Ben Mitchell (12th in 200 IM at state) and junior Luke Hamer will provide strong support in the IM and backstroke. Sophomore Davis Kelly and senior Ethan Holm contribute in the sprints. Most notably, the diving trio of Gideon Fish, Bjorn Jaenchen, and Jackson Hadley swept the top three section spots last year, with Gideon placing 3rd and Bjorn 9th at state. Orono has one of the best diving groups in the state and plenty of talent across the board.

Cretin-Derham Hall had two state qualifiers in the 500 Free last year—Ryan Cunningham and Owen Sargent—both of whom return this season as seniors. The Raiders will aim to build around this strong distance duo while developing additional depth in the sprints and strokes.  The move to Class A should help, but maybe not as much in this section

Minneapolis Southwest returns a balanced squad with depth across all strokes. Junior Jackson Jaglo competed in both the 100 Fly and 200 Free, while seniors Ethan Holm and Noah Brennom contributed key points in sprint freestyle events. Roman Johnson and Landon Sheposh (now sophomores) were both contributors in butterfly and diving, respectively. With strong rising seniors and a versatile underclass group, Southwest has the potential to be a top contender in multiple relays.

Westonka-Holy Family was led by senior Wyatt Helms, who placed 4th in the 200 Free and 6th in the 100 Free at sections. He’s back for his senior campaign alongside fellow senior Eren Alemdar, who contributed in butterfly and backstroke events. With their experience, Mound Westonka will be competitive in the middle-distance and stroke events. Edison fielded a small team for sections last season.  Hopefully they will add some athletes to the squad and continue building this season