A large and competitive field converged Saturday for the 2025 Bengal Invite, with Hudson, Centennial, Maple Grove, Irondale, Mounds View, Blaine, Andover, Forest Lake, White Bear Lake, Osseo, and Coon Rapids all bringing full varsity lineups to Delano. With multiple scoring heats and heavy relay emphasis, the meet rewarded teams that could pair top-end speed with consistent depth across the board.
The day opened with the 200 Medley Relay, where Centennial’s A relay of Grant Page, Benno Schuhbauer, Devin Swenson, and Eliot Shepard delivered the fastest swim of the morning, touching in 1:44.56. Hudson’s A relay followed closely in 1:44.89, while Maple Grove (1:45.49) and Mounds View (1:45.99) kept early team scores tightly packed.
Momentum quickly shifted to the individual events, starting with the 200 Freestyle. White Bear Lake’s Benedict Hoefer controlled the race from the opening length to win in 1:53.81, holding off Maple Grove’s Hudson Peterson (1:54.83) and Hudson’s Kent Zurn (1:57.87). Strong scoring swims from Irondale’s Dylan Zabrowski (1:58.81) and Centennial’s Brendan Chretien (1:59.09) highlighted the meet’s early depth.
The 200 IM produced one of the fastest times of the meet, as Irondale’s Kai Nelson surged to victory in 2:07.51. He was challenged by Osseo’s Brady Landstad (2:09.84) and Forest Lake’s Leo Schmidt (2:10.87), while Maple Grove’s Liam Peterson (2:11.96) and Mounds View’s Holden Then (2:13.78) added valuable points for their squads.
Sprint fireworks followed in the 50 Freestyle, where Irondale standout Isaac Botten posted the fastest swim of the meet at 21.73. Hudson’s Grant Slavsky was close behind in 21.76, with Mounds View’s Ben Lawrence (23.34) and Centennial’s Eliot Shepard (23.46) rounding out a deep scoring field.
Diving proved to be a major scoring swing. Forest Lake’s Jamison Livermore dominated the 1-meter board with a massive winning score of 451.20, well ahead of Andover’s Isaiah Croaston (417.85) and Maple Grove’s Ollie Timothy (356.75). The event allowed Forest Lake to gain critical ground in the overall standings.
The 100 Butterfly featured another marquee performance, as Andover’s Rogan Ellis broke away late to win in 53.57. Centennial’s Benno Schuhbauer followed closely in 54.01, while Osseo’s Brady Landstad continued his strong meet with a 55.77.
Hudson’s sprint depth became more apparent in the 100 Freestyle. Grant Slavsky returned to the water to win in 48.84, backed by teammate Aiden Smyre (52.44). Irondale’s Dylan Zabrowski placed third in 52.87, with Blaine’s Carson Hammill (53.71) and Maple Grove’s Aiden Hock (53.80) keeping the race tight through the scoring places.
Distance racing took center stage in the 500 Freestyle, where Isaac Botten completed an impressive double, winning his second individual event of the day in 5:07.70. Maple Grove’s Hudson Peterson followed in 5:17.18, narrowly edging Blaine’s Benjamin Lam (5:18.20), as multiple teams stacked key distance points.
Relays again reshaped the team race in the 200 Freestyle Relay. Hudson’s A relay of Grant Slavsky, Aiden Smyre, Rhett Hitchcock, and Kent Zurn surged to the win in 1:32.23. Irondale finished second in 1:35.76, just ahead of Andover at 1:35.82, while Maple Grove (1:37.37) and Mounds View (1:37.45) stayed firmly in contention.
Stroke depth continued to matter late in the meet. In the 100 Backstroke, Hudson’s Maddux Acevedo delivered a standout swim to win in 54.37, followed by Irondale’s Kai Nelson (57.82) and Blaine’s Jarrid Magnuson (58.52). The 100 Breaststroke remained tightly contested as well, with teams trading points through multiple heats.
In the breaststroke, Rogan Ellis (1:01.41) delivered a statement win for Andover, out-touching Daniel Sher (1:01.82) of Maple Grove and Benno Schuhbauer (1:01.90) of Centennial in a tight top three. Ben Lawrence (1:04.31) added a strong fourth-place finish for MV as the points stacked up heading into the final relay.
And the 400 Freestyle Relay is where the results needed a clean, accurate re-check—because the winner (and the scoring gaps) matter. Hudson A closed the meet on top with a sharp (3:23.97), holding off Centennial A (3:32.05) and Maple Grove A (3:34.28). Irondale A (3:35.11) and Andover A (3:35.19) were right there in the next cluster, turning the final event into a true race rather than a formality.
Final Team Standings
- Hudson – 379.5
- Maple Grove – 342.5
- Centennial – 263
- Mounds View – 254
- Irondale – 245
- Forest Lake – 167.5
- Blaine – 157
- Andover – 145
- White Bear Lake – 135.5
- Osseo – 124
- Coon Rapids – 106
Updates and information around swimming in the state of Minnesota.