2025 Boys High School Preview: Section 6A

Section 6A

Teams in the Section
Chisholm, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, International Falls, Mesabi East, Proctor, Rock Ridge

2025 Section Champion: Grand Rapids – 628 pts
2025 Section Runner-up: Mesabi East – 397.5 pts

Notable Graduates

• Leif Wyland (Grand Rapids) – 200 Yard Freestyle (1st sections), 100 Yard Freestyle (4th sections)
• Joe Loney (Grand Rapids) – 200 Yard Freestyle (2nd sections), 500 Yard Freestyle (1st sections)
• David Aultman (Grand Rapids) – 1m Diving (1st sections, 12th state)
• William Skaudis (Grand Rapids) – 100 Yard Butterfly (2nd sections), 100 Yard Backstroke (5th sections)
• Kasey Cowan (Grand Rapids) – 50 Yard Freestyle (1st sections), 100 Yard Freestyle (3rd sections)
• Matt Philips (Grand Rapids) – 50 Yard Freestyle (5th sections), 100 Yard Freestyle (6th sections)
• Alex Leete (Mesabi East) – 200 Yard Freestyle (4th sections), 500 Yard Freestyle (2nd sections)
• Zade Baker (Mesabi East) – 200 Yard IM (5th sections), 100 Yard Backstroke (6th sections)
• Connor Feldt (Mesabi East) – 50 Yard Freestyle (6th sections), 100 Yard Freestyle (7th sections)
• Connor Graves (Proctor) – 50 Yard Freestyle (7th sections)
• Garek Plinski (Proctor) – 100 Yard Breaststroke (5th sections)
• Brendyn Scholler (International Falls) – 100 Yard Backstroke (3rd sections, 16th state)

Another unchanged section and most likely an unchanged result as we look into the 2025-2026 season.  Grand Rapids graduates some points, but probably not enough to close the 230-point gap from 2024-2025.

Grand Rapids brings back one of the deepest and most versatile rosters in the section, with scoring athletes in every event group. The IM core is a major strength, returning Zak Vidmar, Jake Brunn, Sam Hoffman, and Cooper Gilbert, who collectively occupied four of the top six spots last season. Brunn also leads the butterfly group after winning the event, joined by Aaron McMullen and Frankie Block, both championship finalists. Sprint freestyle remains strong with Fynn Schlicht, Gabe Hoffman, and Ken Handrick supplying reliable scoring in the 50 and 100 Free. The distance group is equally solid, anchored by Jack Kellin, Jed Vidmar, and Graham Verke, all top-five finishers in the 500 Free. Backstroke scoring comes from Gilbert, McMullen, and Block, while the breaststroke group is one of the best in the section, led by Vidmar and supported by Hoffman and Jackson Lenoch. Diving adds meaningful points as well with Wyatt Hammerlund and Dylan Aultman, both returning finalists. With elite depth across strokes, distance, sprinting, and diving, Grand Rapids enters the season as one of the most complete and dangerous teams in the section.Rapids enters the season as a top contender with one of the most complete rosters in the section.

Mesabi East returns a strong and well-balanced lineup anchored by Cole Layman, the returning section champion in both the 200 IM (11th at state) and 100 Free (10th at state). The sprint group remains competitive with George Stark, a top-four finisher in the 50 Free and a finals scorer in the 100 Free, while mid-distance strength comes from Luke Strand, who placed in the top eight of both the 200 and 500 Free. The team also benefits from a standout diving group led by Aiden Johnson, who finished 2nd at sections and advanced to state, supported by Corin Gavol, another returning finalist. Additional scoring comes from Lachlan Rooda in the 100 Fly and Lucas Niemi in the 500 Free, both of whom made championship heat appearances last season. With Layman providing state-level front-end dominance and a dependable supporting cast across freestyle, fly, and diving, Mesabi East remains one of the most competitive small-school programs in the section.

Hibbing brings back a powerful sprint and stroke core, highlighted by Wylie Stenson, who had an impressive postseason with a runner-up finish in the 100 Free (7th at state) and a section title in the 100 Back (9th at state). Isaac Nelson adds additional punch with 2nd-place finishes in both the 50 Free and 100 Fly, while John Lund and Henry Fredeen provide depth with finals swims in the IM and breaststroke events. Fredeen also returns as a scorer in the 200 IM (8th) and the 100 Breast (7th). With strong sprint power, state-level backstroke speed, and versatile IM and breaststroke scoring, Hibbing enters the year with meaningful scoring strength and solid lineup balance.

Rock Ridge returns a compact but reliable scoring group led by Aaron Spiering, who provides versatility in the mid-distance events with top-six finishes in both the 200 and 500 Freestyle. The Wolverines also bring back additional finalists capable of contributing depth points across multiple lanes, giving the team a foundation to remain competitive despite a smaller roster. With Spiering anchoring their scoring and younger athletes continuing to develop, Rock Ridge maintains a steady presence in the section landscape.

Chisholm returns Caleb Massuci, who placed 7th in the 200 Free and provides solid mid-distance scoring. While the program returns limited depth from last season, Massuci’s consistent finals performance gives Chisholm reliable points in the freestyle group and a starting point to build from.

International Falls returns several key scorers across multiple disciplines. Max Youso returns after placing 5th in diving, giving the Broncos a dependable presence on the boards. In the fly, Connor Tomczak (6th) adds stroke scoring, and on the breaststroke side, Sig Ginter (8th) provides additional depth. With contributions across fly, diving, and breaststroke, International Falls maintains competitive scoring in several events.

Proctor returns a pair of stroke and fly scorers led by Levi Raisanen, who placed 5th in the 100 Fly and 7th in the 100 Back. He provides strong dual-stroke coverage for the program and remains their top returning athlete. With Raisanen leading, Proctor keeps a presence on the scoreboard in key stroke events.