For the first time since its incarnation, Delano–Watertown–Mayer is taking home the Spirit Hammer.
In a marquee conference showdown and one of the most anticipated duals of the season, DWM edged Hutchinson 94–89 Thursday night, snapping a multi-year drought in the rivalry and reclaiming the traveling trophy after a meet that stayed in doubt until the final relay.
DWM struck first in varsity action by winning the 200 Medley Relay. The quartet of Gavin Pryde, Luke Grosshuesch, Zach Lohmann, and Henry Becker touched first in 1:44.40, just ahead of Hutchinson’s A relay (1:44.71), setting the tone for a night of razor-thin margins.
The Tigers kept momentum in the 200 Freestyle as MacKay Hoglund earned the win in 1:56.09, while Hutchinson countered with Jared Templin close behind (1:57.32). DWM added more points with Mark Milburn placing third, building an early cushion.
Hutchinson responded in the 200 IM behind Leyton Yerks, who controlled the race for the win in 2:02.18, with teammate Anton Isenberg placing third. DWM stayed close with Henry Becker and Luke Grosshuesch both scoring, keeping the team totals tight.
Sprint speed swung toward Hutchinson in the 50 Freestyle, where Graham O’Neill surged to victory in 23.49, edging DWM’s Harrison Merten (23.54) and Gavin Pryde (23.96), trimming the DWM lead.
DWM gained crucial ground on the diving boards. Oscar Hoglund delivered a dominant performance to win with a score of 234.10, followed by teammate Oliver Sathre in second, giving the Tigers a major point swing in the middle of the meet.
Butterfly racing kept the battle tight. Hutchinson’s Billy Witte captured the 100 Fly in 57.68, but DWM answered with strong scoring from Zach Lohmann and additional depth finishes that kept the Tigers narrowly in front.
The 100 Freestyle again went to Hutchinson as Jared Templin won in 51.71, while DWM stayed close with Henry Becker (52.03) and Harrison Merten (53.54) scoring behind him.
Distance racing provided a big lift for Hutchinson in the 500 Freestyle, where Leyton Yerks picked up his second win of the night in 4:58.41. DWM limited the swing with Mark Milburn (5:21.93) and MacKay Hoglund (5:30.49) both finishing in the top three.
Relays proved pivotal down the stretch. Hutchinson claimed the 200 Free Relay in 1:34.50, but DWM answered with points from both its A and B relays to keep the overall margin within a single event heading into the final races.
Hutchinson grabbed another key win in the 100 Backstroke behind Ivan Jennissen (58.76), but DWM again countered with depth as Gavin Pryde and Zach Lohmann added important points.
The turning point came in the 100 Breaststroke. Luke Grosshuesch delivered a massive win for DWM in 1:02.41, while teammate Isaac Waller added more scoring behind Hutchinson’s Isenberg and O’Neill, pushing the Tigers back in front heading into the final relay.
Everything came down to the 400 Free Relay — and Hutchinson struck first, winning the event in 3:35.41. But DWM’s A and B relays both scored, and when the points were tallied, the Tigers had done just enough to hold on.
When the final scoreboard flashed, Delano–Watertown–Mayer had secured the breakthrough win 94–89, reclaiming the Spirit Hammer and ending a six-year drought in one of the conference’s fiercest rivalries.
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